The VALORANT Esports season for 2024 has ended with the VALROANT Champions 2024. Edward Gaming became the first team from China to win the event. Now, speculation has arisen on the future of VALORANT esports, particularly concerning the changes to teams in the VCT Partnership Leagues. On X, a fan asked a question, and the global head of VALORANT Esports provided more details about the Partnership Teams in the ecosystem. In this article, let’s examine the criteria and how they will impact the VALORANT Esports ecosystem.

VALORANT Challenger League Teams Will Be Given Priority For VALORANT Partnership League 2025

Since the announcement of the changes to VCT Ascension and VCT Leagues in the 2025 season, many wondered if teams that were originally invited could be removed as well. The new modifications concerned the total number of teams in the VCT Leagues in 2025, which will be 12 following VCT Ascension 2024. With teams that have qualified from their respective regions, VCT Ascension must qualify for VALORANT Champions 2025, which will take place in France, to secure their spot in the 2026 season.

Following this entire discourse, @Bo_Hoogland, the Social Media and Esports Strategy Manager of VALORANT Challengers North: Polaris, confirmed the news concerning VCT 2025. In a reply to his initiate post, he asked Leo Faria the following:

“Will investment into Challengers be substantial to Riot when selecting potential future additions to the VCT Partnership Program?”

In response, Leo Faria, the global head for VALORANT Esports at Riot Games, responded with the following:

“Yes absolutely. Teams still need to meet our criteria for partnership, but there is no question that orgs in Challengers are the first in line whenever slots open up.”

This would mean that orgs fielding a team within the VALORANT Challenger Leagues would be prioritized. Following this response, Faria also confirmed that each team was reevaluated every season based on its performance.

In the past, it was stated by Riot Games that they don’t aim to make the Challenger Leagues financially sustainable but rather a training ground for new talent to be a part of ecosystem. Leo Faria concluded in the same post that the new partnership cycle would start in 2027.