Valorant is heading to the EWC
The Esports World Cup is well on its way to confirming the entire games line up for the 2025 event, with seemingly most of the line-up now announced. Today, three more games were added to the line-up from Riot Games, two of which appeared last year in the form of League of Legends and Teamfight Tactics, and one surprising new addition; Valorant.
For the 2024 event, almost every major esport was a part of the competition in one way or another, but perhaps the biggest omission was Valorant. As one of the most popular esports in the world, it seemed a shame that it wasn’t a part of the Esports World Cup, with a lot of fans calling for it to be added. However, with a packed regular season for the top teams, the timing didn’t work out for the 2024 event and many assumed the same would happen this year.
But, working alongside Riot Games, the Esports World Cup Foundation has managed to secure Valorant for this year’s event. The top Valorant teams from around the world set to take a break from the Valorant Champions Tour and head to Riyadh to competed at the World Cup, furthering the idea that all the best games and players will be at the event.
“The EWC was created to showcase the best games, so adding Valorant to the line up alongside LoL and TFT is a natural progression and something we believe elevates the tournament for players, Clubs and fans,” said Fabian Scheuermann, Chief Games Officer at the Esports World Cup Foundation. “Riot has built extremely strong ecosystems around all three games, a major factor for inclusion in the EWC, and is one of the largest contributors to esports and gaming culture overall.”
Getting Valorant to the Esports World Cup was not a simple task, as the VCT, the top level Valorant circuit from Riot Games, runs for most of the year with only a handful of breaks during the summer months, when the World Cup is on. However, with the two companies working in tandem a space was found for the event, and now the two are working to make sure this isn’t just another international Valorant event, but something that will feel unique compared to all the other tournaments.
“Valorant has one of the more robust calendars in esports, so together with Riot and its regional partners, we’ve partnered to make it work, and we’re excited to see it come together starting this summer in Riyadh,” said Scheuermann. “It’s important that any new game at the EWC is authentic and adds value to the game’s overall ecosystem, so we work closely with all stakeholders involved to create a product that delivers on every level. And we are able to leverage the EWC’s one-of-a-kind cross-game format, which will naturally add a unique element to the event.”
While the headline news is obviously that Valorant is coming to the EWC for the first time, it also comes with the news that League of Legends and Teamfight Tactics will return for a second year. Both were considered successful tournaments at last year’s event, with T1’s impressive victory in the LoL competition being a highlight of the entire World Cup. With such a success last year, not too much will be changing this year, but some tweaks are currently being planned, mostly based on fan feedback.
“While we’re quite happy with the reception to last year’s LoL and TFT formats, we’re always listening to communities and other stakeholders to understand how we can make improvements,” said Scheuermann. “We are working closely with Riot, as well as with our other partners, to evaluate the product, and will be able to share more details soon on any potential qualifying and tournament format changes.”
The icing on the cake of today’s announcements is that the Esports World Cup is also partnering with Riot to support LOL Esports, the Valorant Champions Tour, and the TFT 2025 competitive circuit with in-broadcast activations at major competitions throughout the year. While it may seem strange for another tournament to partner with what could be seen as competitor events, this is all part of the EWCF’s plan to support the wider industry.
“Riot is a proven industry leader, at the forefront of building successful esports ecosystems, and is routinely setting the bar for the best in competitive events,” said Scheuermann. “Our mission is to create value for these ecosystems, and this mutually beneficial partnership does just that, with the EWC supporting Riot’s long-term vision for sustainable growth while bringing Riot communities closer to the EWC product and expanding the games’ global audience reach.”
Now it’s time to wait for summer to roll around and see how these tournaments stack up. We can take a good guess at how the LoL and TFT events will look, but with this being one of the first major Valorant events outside the VCT, that will be where a lot of eyes go. I, for one, am very excited to see how the Valorant event at EWC will go, hopefully it will even eclipse the VCT competitions.
