The Esports World Cup (EWC) is undoubtedly the biggest esports event in history. While the government featured tournaments from every big esports title in its inaugural edition this year, there was one game missing, and that is VALORANT.
Image Credits: Esports World Cup
There could be many reasons for its omission in 2024, however, the main one currently seems to be the schedule. The VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) 2024 featured a stacked summer with the VCT ongoing in all the regions, leading up to the Champions in Seoul. Considering that the EWC happened throughout July and August, there was no timeframe for it to fit into one of the biggest FPS esports titles worldwide.
However, with the EWC 2025 confirmed to be a multi-year affair with the ESL Faceit Group at the helm, there has been speculation about its inclusion in 2025. Finally, Riot Games has also commented on potentially seeing VALORANT in the EWC.
Could VALORANT be included in the Esports World Cup 2025?
John Needham, the president of publishing and esports at Riot Games, was asked about this during the VALORANT Champions Press Conference. He confirmed that the company was in discussions regarding the same. However, Needham added there was nothing at this point to be announced yet.
Additionally, in the recent announcement for the VCT 2025, there is a gap between the VALORANT Masters and Stage 2 at the start of July. This is still speculation, though, but this might be the only window to conduct a VALORANT tournament at the Esports World Cup 2025.
Image Credit: Riot Games
Notably, Riot Games’ other big esports title, League of Legends, featured a four-day tournament with a $1 million prize pool at the EWC 2024. The company had said at the time that it had no involvement in the competition but had made the decision to create time in its LoL Esports roadmap considering “marketing and commercial opportunities for esports teams and players” along with the impact the event can have on players in MENA.
If something similar were to happen with VALORANT as well, fans can expect another international tournament with VCT Partnered Teams to take place in 2025.
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