Here's all the leaks and rumors of Valorant franchising partnership. What teams will play in Valorant leagues in 2023 Rumors
Riot Games reportedly finished the initial process of applications for partnership with Valorant leagues in 2023. Judging by various tweets, the company began final selection, which involves more up close negotiations with clubs. There will be three leagues with 8-10 slots for every region.
We gathered all rumors and confirmed information in one place. The following organizations are the ones that applied for partnership, some advanced to the next stage of application. We'll keep the list updated.
Americas
- TSM (shortlisted)
- 100 Thieves
- Sentinels
- OpTic Gaming
- XSET
- Cloud9 (shortlisted)
- Evil Geniuses
- The Guard (shortlisted)
- Version1 (shortlisted)
- NRG (shortlisted)
- G2 Esports (applied for both NA and Europe)
- CLG
The Americas list was presented by Dot Esports based on their sources. Shortlisted teams are those who made it to the final phase of the application.
EMEA
- Giants
- KOI
- Heretics
- G2 (applied for both NA and Europe)
- Fnatic
- Team Liquid
- Vitality
- NAVI
- BIG
- BBL
- Rogue
- Excel Esports
- FPX
- Falcons
- Karmine Corp
- Heroic
The EMEA list was shared by a Turkish journalist under the nickname Dr. Kutluhan Alpha. He deleted his Tweet later. Saif "Sayf" Jibraeel from Guild Esports, who were surprisingly missing on the list, denied this rumor on stream. Note that the first Valorant Champions winner Acend is also missing.
Asia and Oceania
Teams who were denied by Riot Games or won't participate in franchising
NA
- Complexity
- Shopify Rebellion
- KCP (Pioneers)
- Luminosity Gaming
- NYFU
- Akrew
- Immortals
- Renegades
- Built By Gamers
- Noble
- RISE Esports
- Beastcoast
- EUnited
- Dignitas
- Elevate
- Spacestation Gaming
- Serenity
- EQ
- Radiance
- DIVIZE
- SoaR
- DarkZero Esports
APAC
- Velocity Gaming
- PWR (didn't have a team)
EMEA
- SK Gaming (doesn't have a team, reportedly left on their own decision)
The North American list was mostly built by DarkZero Esports captain Justin "Trick" Sears. He called the list "Valorant NA Graveyard." Two days after that, his organization joined the list, stating they leave Valorant as well.
Some teams who were denied of application went public to announce their exit from the Valorant scene. NYFU players stated their organization is leaving, while Akrew put their roster on hold. This immediately became concerning for the community. It seems that Riot Games didn't explain their plans for the tier-2 scene, and risks losing many prominent esports organizations.
The final selection will continue until late August, and the results may be announced during the Valorant Champions 2022 event. So far, the criteria for getting the slot are unclear. Future league partners will get slots for free, provided with a stipend from Riot Games.
