The Guard out of VCT 2024

This VCT offseason starts with big surprises since the first official announcement made by Riot Games is that The Guard, the team that won its place for the VCT Americas League 2024 and 2025, is out of the VCT. In addition, the developers of VALORANT also mention that no team will replace them, which undoubtedly leaves everyone in the community very dismayed.

Remember that The Guard was one of NA’s best-performing VALORANT teams during the Challengers 2023 season. In addition to winning the VCT Ascension Americas 2023, the team dominated the Tier 2 competition in the region at will. However, for not meeting some basic requirements of the VCT, Riot Games decided to leave them out.

Riot Games announce that The Guard will not play in the VCT 2024 and 2025

According to a new official statement from Riot Games, The Guard did not meet the deadline to accept “a league team participation agreement”; therefore, they will not participate in the VCT Americas 2024. This news was quite a surprise for teams, players, and all fans.

An update regarding the teams participating in VCT Americas 2024. pic.twitter.com/YCYoZSPpcL

— VALORANT Esports NA (@valesports_na) August 29, 2023

According to the same release, we will not have a team debuting in the 2024 VCT, not even M80, who were the runners-up in the 2023 VALORANT Ascension. As a result, the 2024 VCT Americas League season will be played just like the 2023 season, i.e., with 10 teams. On the other hand, this decision causes a lot of uproar in the community, as it would make sense for M80 to be the team promoted to the VCT.

SERISOUSLY RECONSIDER

LET THE PLAYERS KEEP THE SLOT AND ALLOW SOMEONE TO BUY THEIR CONTRACTS+FRANCHISE FEES

OR LET M80 GO AS RUNNER UP

MAKE THE LAST YEAR OF MY LIFE NOT A WASTE

— ludwig (@LudwigAhgren) August 29, 2023

Surprising news

Moreover, for the players of The Guard, this news is an absolute surprise since they knew absolutely nothing about this decision.

Through his Twitter account, Michael “neT” Bernet published a post where he asks Riot to let The Guard lineup play in the VCT Americas League 2024. It’s no secret to anyone that the team and players deserve it, as they thoroughly dominated the Tier 2 scene in NA.

I am devastated. All the hard work and sacrifices we have gone through as a team just to have it stripped away from us through Twitter… At the end of the day some things in life are truly out of your control and it is unfair but to be punished for putting my heart and soul into…

— GUARD neT (@neT_valorant) August 29, 2023

Other players speak out

Ethan “Ethan” Arnold, VALORANT Champions 2023 champion with Evil Geniuses, also expressed his opinion. In addition, Ethan refers to how Riot Games allowed The Guard to play VCT Ascension 2023 if they would not let them participate in the VCT.

Why was this org allowed in Ascension in the first place? The players grind all year with a specific goal in mind just to get it ripped away right in front of them in the end, AFTER reaching their goal.

So frustrating, I hope all the players find a team for next year :/ https://t.co/z3bThepXlz

— EG Ethan (@ethanarnold) August 29, 2023

On the other hand, Corbin “C0M” Lee, also from EG, said that he hopes that The Guard players will find a new home (an organization) that will help them keep this slot. In addition, he also mentioned that the players have worked very hard to make it to the VCT for the 2023 season.

I pray that either another org gets the spot and gets all the Guard players with that so they aren’t punished for literally working so hard to get there.

M80 gets the spot since they were the runner up in Ascension.

Or Guard figure it out and not fail and have the common sense…

— EG C0M (@C0Mtweets) August 29, 2023

Players deserve to play at the VCT

There is no doubt that this situation is unfair to all members of The Guard lineup. The boys fought tooth and nail throughout 2023 to earn the VCT Americas League berth for the 2024 and 2025 seasons. Finally, when they get it, due to mistakes of the organization itself and hermeticity on the part of Riot Games, they will not be able to fulfill their dream for which they fought so hard and, above all, for which they earned their place.

We are waiting for what may happen in this situation and also for any update from The Guard, Riot Games, and the players themselves.

Header: The Guard