South Asian Valorant teams to get 2 slots in APAC Challengers Playoffs via VCC 2022
Valorant Conquerors Championship 2021 was the first official Valorant tournament hosted by Riot Games for the South Asian region. It was the only opportunity for South Asian teams to get a slot at APAC LCQ and later at Champions. Global Esports won the VCC 2021 but couldn’t make it to the Champions. In APAC LCQ, they left a mark that South Asia is ready to compete at a global level. We were successful in conveying that South Asia as a whole is a strong region. When it came to viewership, we hit 52K peak viewers during the VCC 2021 finals between Velocity Gaming and Global Esports.
52K Peak Viewers on VALORANT Conquerors Championship.@officialvlt vs @GlobalEsportsIn is the most popular match of the event. #VALORANT @NodwinGaming
— Esports Charts (@EsportsCharts) August 30, 2021
More stats:https://t.co/fgmhmhcifY pic.twitter.com/D6Ve6Oovbm
Riot Games were able to see potential in the region, and in the roadmap of Valorant Champions Tour 2022, South Asia will be given two slots in APAC Challengers Playoffs. It also means that Asia-Pacific will be the new region in VCT, which will include South Asia, SEA, Japan and Oceania.
Riot Game’s South Asia Head of Publishing, Sukamal Pegu shares the future of South Asian Valorant
In an interview with Sportskeeda, Sukamal Pegu, Riot Games’s South Asia Head of Publishing, confirmed that South Asia will be offered two slots to APAC Challengers Playoffs.
“South Asia will be getting two slots each, to both the APAC Challenger Playoffs in 2022. We will have our own South Asia Regional Challengers starting with the VCC for Split 1, and the region will finally be a part of VCT.”
According to the interview, it was the success of VCC 2021 and APAC LCQ 2021, which made it all possible. He mentioned that VCC was successful in delivering participation, audience viewership, and the level of competitiveness.
Roadmap for Valorant South Asia in 2022
For the South Asian circuit, the Valorant Champions Tour 2022 will start with VCC 2022, followed by APAC Challengers Playoff and then Master 1. It will be the Split 1 event, followed by South Asian Challengers, the regional Split 2 event. Apart from it, South Asia will have its LCQ, leading into APAC LCQ.
Gear up for South Asia’s Trial by Fire! 🏆@Nodwingaming brings you another chance at becoming South Asia’s Valorant Conquerors! Valorant Conquerors Championship #VCC is back! 🔥
— NODWIN Gaming South Asia (@NodwinSouthAsia) December 17, 2021
🔗 https://t.co/x2VOUq52B9
This is the Road to VCT 2022!#VCCS2 #Valorantesports pic.twitter.com/LhMn140pQT
What is Riot expecting from South Asian players and orgs?
Sukamal Pegu made it clear that they are expecting the organization to level up and be legit. They want the orgs to look into the future and start investing in the players and the staff.
“You have a clear roadmap now, you don’t have one slot anymore, so you don’t have to really keep winning all the time to make it. If you come as close as the Grand Finals, that is good enough for you to go and get that exposure. And we need you to think about not just winning the subregional event but actually making it to the next stage which is Masters.”