Riot Games has announced the Ignition Series, the developer’s next step in establishing as esports scene for its newly-released VALORANT.
The developer is said to have partnered with over 20 organisations to create “unique competitive events,” starting on June 19th.
RELATED: Riot Games unveils initial approach to esports for VALORANT
The European G2 Esports Invitational will kick things off, with the organisation’s sponsor Red Bull supporting the event. The RAGE VALORANT JAPAN Invitational will also take place on June 19th. It’s said that future Ignition Series tournaments will span Brazil, Europe, Japan, Korea, Latin America, the Middle East, North America, Oceania, Russia, Southeast Asia, and Turkey.
Carlos Rodriguez, CEO of G2 Esports, commented in a release: “We are ready to open the VALORANT Ignition Series and continue the success of the G2 EU Brawls in an all-out entertainment-filled invitational. Our partnership with Riot has helped make the European League of Legends community the force it is today and contributed to the success of the LEC, and I have no doubt that we will do the same for VALORANT.”
RELATED: Opinion: It’s too early to jump on the VALORANT esports bandwagon
Each organisation will operate its own event, though the tournaments will vary in nature. The likes of open qualifiers, show matches, and invitationals with top players are all likely variations down the line. The aim of the Ignition Series is to make “it easier to follow competitions through a more organized cadence of events.”
Whalen Rozelle, Senior Director of Esports at Riot Games, spoke on the development: “We’re thrilled to pull together the best from gaming and esports to deliver a program that will showcase VALORANT on a global scale. The Ignition Series will unlock the creative potential of some of our top partners and will help us build an esport from the ground up that is authentic to the VALORANT community.”
Esports Insider says: It didn’t take long for Riot Games to get involved with VALORANT esports, hey? Though the developer stated that it wanted to take a hands-off approach, it’s clear that it needed to intervene to add some structure to the scene – even though the game has only just launched fully.
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