The VALORANT partnership sweepstakes was one of the most gripping stories of 2022, with Riot effectively deciding which 30 teams would acquire “permanent” partnered spots in the international leagues of the rapidly growing VALORANT esports ecosystem.
For the teams, getting a partnership was more than just the opportunity to play at the highest level. It was a chance for the organizations to get in on a plethora of potential revenue streams outside of the standard ones across most organizations, like sponsors, merch, prize pool, and more.
Prior to the start of the 2023 VCT season and the beginning of the VALORANT partnership era, the head of VALORANT esports Leo Faria appeared on an episode of The Wisemen podcast with 100T streamer Hiko, esports insider Slasher, and former 100T coach Sean Gares and laid out all the ways teams can “monetize” their partnership with Riot.
Here’s a look at all the ways partnered VALORANT teams will earn money starting in 2023.
A “healthy, lump sum” stipend for teams
Partnered organizations competing in the highest tier of VALORANT will receive a stipend just for being in the league. Faria said Riot wants to give teams some sort of “predictable revenue” they can count on over the year.
While Faria didn’t go into details about the stipend, Dot Esports reported last year that teams will receive a minimum stipend of $600,000 and could be eligible for an additional $400,000 if they achieve deliverables set by Riot. This stipend will, in all likelihood, go toward covering player salaries, travel, and other operating costs, although Riot also gave a separate one-time “relocation” stipend for teams to move closer to the “hub city” for each of the three international leagues.
Revenue share from in-game items and “team-branded content”
Teams will receive a cut of the revenue from both in-game items and monetized “team-branded content.” The first example of this will be the VCT LOCK//IN bundle, which was promised in a recent dev livestream.
Faria said that over the past two years, the VCT Champions bundle has “been incredibly successful.” In 2022, the bundle generated at least $16 million that went toward the teams, which would come out to over $1 million going to each team.
Teams will get a “big portion” of the revenue from team-branded content, which Faria says is “still in the works.” Faria added that the partnership team selection process involved Riot working with teams to plan out in-game content tied to a team’s own brand. The team-branded content also comes with a “minimum guarantee,” ensuring that teams that are still growing in popularity get a minimum cut.
Prize pool and “incentives”
As always, teams that play the best will earn the largest share of prize pools. In 2022, Riot gave out over $2.3 million across its international VCT events in Masters and Champions. OpTic and LOUD effectively tied for earning the most money internationally in 2022, with OpTic earning $435,000 and LOUD earning $430,000.
Teams can also earn additional financial incentives if they go “above and beyond.” Faria cited examples like hosting local watch parties around Champions or additional marketing. As mentioned above, teams can reportedly earn up to $400,000 for meeting these additional requirements.
