100T and C9 to reduce costs for VCT 2024

VALORANT Champions 2023 is in full swing, and many teams are either preparing for their matches in the season’s last tournament or thinking about what the 2024 VCT season will be like. While it is true that the VALORANT Tier 2 scene in all regions of the world is at risk due to financial problems, some Riot Games franchise teams are starting to take steps to secure their future in the competitive scene.

We are talking about popular organizations such as 100T and Cloud9, which are considering different measures to ensure the sustainability of their teams for the upcoming season. As a result, both C9 and 100T plan to reduce player salaries for next season.

100T and Cloud9 would reduce player salaries for VCT 2024

According to George Geddes, the freelance esports reporter working for Win.gg, several VCT Americas organizations would cut costs heading into the 2024 VCT season. Furthermore, in his report, Geddes details that Cloud9 and 100 Thieves, which did not qualify for either Masters Tokyo or VCT Champions 2023, are two organizations that will reduce player salaries for 2024. Finally, the report mentions that other organizations are likely to follow suit.

Sources: Several North American #VCT teams are expected to downsize their operations for VALORANT next year.

An impending market correction for salaries is coming. Most players will be earning less in North America in 2024.

Read via @officialWINgg: https://t.co/HdQTpsSsch

— George Geddes (@GeorgeCGed) August 8, 2023

The Geddes report also details that, during the 2023 VCT Americas season, the average player salary hovered between $20,000 and $30,000 per month. There is no doubt that these are merely speculations by different journalists, as no official report indicates player salaries. However, many believe that the salaries of VCT Americas League players are much higher.

Recall that Christine “potter” Chi, Head Coach of EG, said that Cloud9 had a salary to Jaccob “yay” Whiteaker of approximately $60,000 per month. In addition, Emir “rhyme” Muminovic, a Giants player in the VCT EMEA League, said in an interview that players in the VCT Americas earn “five times more” than in EMEA.

100T and Cloud9 would offer the League’s minimum salary

Most likely, with this reduction in spending by teams, both Cloud9 and 100T will offer players contracts at the League’s minimum salary, i.e., $50,000 per year, or $4,166.66 per month. In addition, Geddes also mentions in his report that teams will continue to cover the cost of room and board to “compensate” for the reduction in player salaries.

Esports are in the spotlight of the community. Recently, we have observed how sustainability and cost reduction are the “breaking points” of organizations, and VALORANT does not escape from this. However, the Level 2 VALORANT competitive scene is the most affected by this, as the lack of support from Riot Games and different sponsors can cause great losses for organizations.

On the other hand, Tier 1 teams have also expressed their concern. For example, it recently became known that Sentinels needs a significant injection of funding to sustain itself in the long term.

Header: Riot Games