VALORANT esports’ underrated Tier Two scene is set to receive some much-deserved love, with Riot Games adapting new promising policies and integrating Premier in the VCT Challengers 2024 season. A lot has been promised for the semi-pro scene next year, and in case you’re wondering, I’ve just the explainer you need.
New Tier Two-boosting VCT policies scream “well done”
VALORANT esports’ Tier Two is getting a massive overhaul, as promised by Riot earlier this year. The upcoming Challengers season will embrace three new policies, aiming to integrate the international VCT leagues with the semi-pro scene.
Affiliate partnerships
To begin with, Riot is introducing affiliate partnerships, allowing international league partners to foster professional partnerships with teams in Challengers and Game Changers circuits. Furthermore, the concept of “benching” players is getting a rethink with two-way player contracts and player loans.
Affiliate partnerships are region-locked for Challenger teams, but there’s no such restriction for the Game Changers circuit.
Two-way players
The two-way player concept will let substitute players in international league teams choose to be in competitive practice throughout the year. Players will be able to participate in the affiliate partner team’s roster in Challengers and Game Changers instead of having to sit the entire season out.
Riot said it came up with the idea after it saw several substitute players signed to international league rosters not receiving play time, thus losing out on building relevant experience within the competition.
Player loans
As the term suggests, international league teams will be allowed to loan players out to rosters participating in Challengers and Game Changers. This isn’t enabled via the affiliate partnership system, so players can be loaned out to any eligible team, and not just the affiliate international partner’s rosters, in the circuit.
That said, loaned players will not be able to compete as part of their parent teams until the loan expires.
Premier is entering the VCT Challengers ecosystem
VCT Challengers 2024 will bring the first Promotion and Relegation event for VALORANT’s celebrated tournament mode, giving deserving Premier teams a chance to prove themselves against top-tier semi-pro teams in their regions.
First, top Premier teams in a region will be pitted in a dedicated tournament bracket for a chance to earn a slot in the second stage of VCT Challengers 2024. More details regarding the same will be shared in November, so make sure to keep an eye.
How will VCT Challengers 2024’s new policies help Tier Two VALORANT?
The idea of integrating the talent development process of the VCT international leagues with the Challengers and Game Changers circuits is incredibly promising, and here’s why.
For starters, the shuffling of players between Challengers and the International Leagues will allow teams to discover nascent talent more conveniently than before. Partnered organizations can foster multiple professional and semi-professional rosters, benefiting from and helping develop Tier Two VALORANT alongside nurturing the established pro scene.
The idea of reserved or benched players need not be there now that we’ll have two-way players. Substitute players can actively participate in the competitive scene as part of their organization’s Challengers or Game Changers rosters and remain in practice. This will also encourage partnered teams to scout for talent in the Tier Two scene.
Lastly, the new Premier event is going to help dedicated ranked players develop their inner esports fanatic into professional talent. This is definitely a huge development for the rookie VALORANT esports scene, and I hope Riot continues to pay more attention to nurturing it.
