Publisher Riot Games has revealed its latest line of in-game cosmetic items in collaboration with its 44 partnered VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) teams.
Each team will have an in-game capsule available for fans to buy, of which 50% of the profits will be shared with the organisations.
Per a release, each of the capsules will include Classic and AR Inspect skins with unique firing sounds and a recoloured muzzle flash. A custom player card co-created by VCT teams, as well as an exclusive gun buddy and spray set, will also be included.
VALORANT has utilised in-game items to support esports organisations since the VALORANT Champions 2021 bundle. Riot Games revealed that its 2023 profit-sharing esports capsules earned VCT-partnered organisations a combined $33m (~£26.2m). The company hopes that the offering provides ‘more monetisation opportunities around the sport than ever before’ by allowing teams to co-create unique items.
The capsules will be available for fans to purchase through VALORANT’s in-game esports hub, which recently relaunched for the 2024 season. Winners of the tour’s global events will also receive promotions within the store.
Capsules for partnered teams competing in VCT Americas, EMEA, and Pacific will be available from February 21st, while teams competing in the newly-formed VCT China will see their capsules launch in May to coincide with Masters Shanghai.
The 2024 VCT season has just kicked off this month with each of the four regions hosting their own kickoff events. The top two teams from each kickoff event will earn a place in the Madrid Masters – the tour’s first global tournament of the year.
On the announcement of the new capsules, Leo Faria, Global Head of VALORANT Esports, commented: “We’re excited to launch the VCT Team Capsules and give fans a way to directly support their favourite teams and express their fandom in-game. The Capsules represent our commitment to building a thriving economic ecosystem around VALORANT Esports.
“Together with our partner teams, we are taking the next step to build a sustainable model for esports and the greatest competitive experience in gaming.”
