VALORANT not included in EWC due to scheduling conflicts: report

New details have emerged as to why popular FPS game VALORANT is not part of the Esports World Cup.

In a report published by The Esports Advocate or TEA last June 4th, sources told TEA’s editor-in-chief James Fudge that Valorant was under serious consideration for inclusion in this year’s Esports World Cup. Sources told TEA that teams within the Valorant professional esports ecosystem lobbied Riot Games extensively for the game’s inclusion in the event set to take place this summer in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

However, other sources told them that Valorant was excluded due to “scheduling conflicts”, as the competitive calendar for the game had already been finalized. Conversely, TEA reported that the schedules for Teamfight Tactics and League of Legends were more flexible.

Riot Games earlier said that they have a one-year contract with the Esports World Cup Foundation for the inclusion of Teamfight Tactics and League of Legends. At the moment, the developer said that they are going to evaluate the performance of both TFT and League on this particular stage to assess further events involving any of Riot’s titles. However, at the time of the announcement, no plans for VALORANT have been made public.

Riot stated at the time, “At the Esports World Cup, TFT and League join 20+ of the other largest games on the planet to create a new gaming experience for players around the world. These cross-game, cross-genre esports events are unique moments for fans of all types of games to come together. In particular, we’ve heard from players in MENA, as well as Rioters who live and work there, about how meaningful it is to have the opportunity to see their favorite teams from across the world compete live at a major tournament in their region. We believe that supporting these types of experiences is an important part of delivering on our mission to make it better to be a player.”

In late May, the Esports World Cup Foundation disclosed the teams from the LPL, LCK, LEC, and LCS that will participate in the event. Representing the LCS are FlyQuest and Team Liquid; for the LEC, G2 Esports and Fnatic; for the LPL, Bilibili Gaming and Top Esports; and for the LCK, Gen.G Esports and T1. These teams earned their spots by winning or placing second in their respective league’s Spring Finals (LCS Spring 2024, LEC Spring 2024, LPL Spring 2024, and LCK Spring 2024), as reported by The Esports Advocate.

The Esports World Cup is funded by a grant from the Saudi Arabian government, with competitions being organized by the ESL FACEIT Group, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Savvy Games Group. Savvy Games Group is owned by the Saudi government-run Public Investment Fund. The ESL FACEIT Group oversees tournament organizer ESL, competition platform FACEIT, and esports and gaming festival company DreamHack, according to The Esports Advocate.