Valorant Franchising - All Partnered Teams For 2023

Andres Aquino

The past couple of years of Valorant esports have been hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic, with everything set to change with a new partnership program in 2023.

100 thieves envy — VThe franchising system will change Valorant esports forever. I ©Riot Games

Starting next year, the Valorant Champions Tour as you know it will seize to exist. In exchange, a new pyramid system will come into play - sitting at the top, the organizations selected as "Riot partners" will compete in three international leagues covering the most important Valorant regions.

Having a sense of security, especially from a financial standpoint, is key to organizations come 2023 when the new format is set in motion. Despite Riot mentioning that domestic leagues will help propel the tier 2 scene alongside Game Changers, with teams competing in Challengers able to earn a spot in the International Leagues for 2024 and beyond, many simply don't want to deal with the uncertainty of competing at a lower level.

Some, like NYFU or Akrew have dropped their entire rosters after failing to earn a spot in the franchised league, with high-profile players like YaBoiDre opting to take a break from competitive Valorant as a result. Don't be shocked if more rosters are being dropped and players are opting to quit altogether amid this uncertainty.

Franchised Valorant Teams For 2023

Now that speculation time is over, and important household names in the esports community such as OpTic Gaming, TSM, or G2 Esports have been left out, these are the squads that will comprise the 2023 Valorant Champions Tour.

All Qualified Teams For The Valorant Champions Tour 2022 LCQ

As a reminder, the three leagues will be divided by regions: North America, Latin America, and Brazil will compete in one; Europe, Russia, Turkey, and MENA will comprise another; finally, Southeast Asia, Korea, Japan, South Asia, and Oceania will play in the third one