So, I've been thinking for a while about why the Valorant esports scene seems to be struggling. Let’s take a look at how Riot Games is handling the title.
One major issue with Valorant is the lack of a competitive tier 2 scene. There’s insufficient funding for tier 2 ERL leagues and not enough tournaments, primarily because Riot restricts third-party organizers from hosting their own leagues or events. This is disappointing, as it means young players have few opportunities to showcase their skills in online tournaments or LANs.
Riot seems to want Valorant to become a franchise model similar to the NHL, but that’s not feasible in esports at this stage. One potential solution would be to allow third-party organizations like ESL or Blast to create their own leagues or offline tournaments. This would enable players outside the tier 1 scene to prove their talent and ambition. Unfortunately, a strong tier 1 scene cannot thrive without effective talent development in tier 2. We’ve seen this in League of Legends: when tier 2 is in decline, the overall skill level also suffers.
As players age and new talent struggles to emerge, it’s no wonder there’s a lack of motivation for aspiring competitors. Who would be inspired to improve when there are no tournaments to participate in?
What’s your take on this issue? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Thanks for reading!❤️
