Dexerto met with Daniel Ringland, the head of VCT EMEA. They spoke about the next league with its new Arena, his plans for the opening season of the competition, the current problems of the Valorant Challengers Leagues, and the Difference Makers circuit.
According to Ringland, the construction of the “Coliseum,” the VCT EMEA studio, has been planned since 2020. With Valorant, Riot Games hopes to expand the audience for its esports services. The new venue opened in Berlin is one example of how Riot Games needs to set Valorant apart from the brilliant League of Legends competitions it has performed in the past.
The League of Legends EMEA Tournament and League World Championship venues are squared and have spectators seated above the players, in contrast to the VCT EMEA arena, which is round and has the audience facing the stage just like they would at a regular sporting event or stage show. Also, the new location contains co-streaming booths where content producers can broadcast the games through the league’s o-streaming program.
Ringland said to Advancements we consider the Arena very much like a shrine or temple where visitors may enter and feel very connected to and involved in the event. It is evident everywhere, from the studios to the camera placement. Therefore it goes without saying that we want to set ourselves apart from other esports. The LEC and Counter-Strike are not things we want to replicate and paste; instead, we want to create our unique style.
Ringland claimed that the league has no specific target audience numbers and hopes to develop its own identity, much like the LEC has. About the creators taking part in its co-streaming service, Ringland disclosed that the booths wouldn’t be dominated by a small number of English-speaking creators and would instead offer a diverse selection of broadcasters.
Of course, you’ll see some individuals more than others. “But we would like to be sure that we’re spreading it around and truly identifying the best inspirations that match the games that are occurring, rather than simply sort of bringing in any random creators for random games,” the statement continued. We’ve put a good deal of logic into it.
About VCLs, the head of VCT EMEA said, “We understand it should be better:

Unsurprisingly, several of the Valorant Challenger Leagues, formerly known as Valorant National Leagues, are having difficulties. There have been incidents of esports companies violating their contractual responsibilities and event organizers attempting to decrease costs in the French, German, Northern, and Eastern European tournaments.
Ringland underlined the accomplishments of some leagues, such as Challengers League Spain Rising, when questioned about the difficulties faced by the VCL leagues. Still, he has also recognized the problems of other leagues.
The licensees we currently have there need to be worked with, and I believe it’s fair to say that they are dedicated and aware that things could be done better. We are aware that it could be better. The majority wants it to be better, and the teams also want it to be superior. So certainly, we need to put in some effort to raise everyone to the level we know they are capable of, Ringland added.
He added that some locations would be harder to solve than others “for a variety of reasons but that Riot is working on finding solutions to the current issues. Ringland did not elaborate on what those options might be.
“Right now, we’re at the point where we say, ‘Well, let’s fix this issue. And let’s figure out what we must do here and develop a mid-term strategy to get [the VCLs] back to where we believe they should be,’ he said.
Changemakers in EMEA:
EMEA Game Changers is rapidly approaching because the initial series’ major event is scheduled to start on April 24. The region’s model changed for 2023 because the championship series is now a structured league with five invited groups and 11 teams through an open qualifier.
Also, the area established a level of competition under the game Changers Candidates league, where teams will also have to qualify through regional competitions. The difference in some of the Game Changers events from past years, according to Ringland, who claimed that many of those battles had 13-0 final scores, inspired the new system.
The head of VCT EMEA added, “That’s not particularly beneficial or fun for anybody. Because they will be playing more equally balanced opponents, the top teams should be placed in an environment where they can compete against one another. This will help the teams improve their skills. But we also want to leave room for extra women trying to enter the ecosystem.
On March 27, EMEA Valorant fans will get a personal view of what the new location for the VCT international series looks and feels like. They will then have to patiently wait out how Game Changers and the VCL system perform later in the season.
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