Valorant’s Ignition Series has been a massive success but it’s coming to an end this month. Riot announced the next Valorant esports series with First Strike.
Valorant was officially launched on June 2. At the same time Riot Games announced the Valorant Ignition Series. A global series of esports tournaments organized by third party companies in a partnership with Riot. The first event of the Ignition Series was the G2 Esports Invitational which kicked off on June 19. The last one will conclude in a few days on September 27. So, what’s next?
What's next for esports after the Ignition Series? Executive Producer @RiotSuperCakes, the Head of Global Esports John Needham, and Senior Esports Director @RiotMagus share details about the First Strike Tournament. pic.twitter.com/MsOG9KQbFa
— VALORANT (@PlayVALORANT) September 23, 2020
Valorant First Strike: What to Expect?
With the Ignition Series coming to an end, Riot decided it’s time to announce the next big thing – First Strike. Whether the name will have anything to do with baseball remains to be seen. Maybe we can expect some skins?
Much like the Ignition Series, it will be focused on building the Valorant competitive ecosystem even further. It’ll feature numerous events over the course of the next few months. Unlike the Ignition Series, they won’t be organized by third party companies but by Riot themselves. The main focus will once again be on regional tournaments and it’s going to be much more open to amateurs that want to go pro. The First Strike finals are expected to take place in December, so in terms of duration, it’s very much the same as the Ignition Series.Riot Games Senior Director of Esports Whalen Rozelle also mentioned that Riot has been taking player feedback seriously over the course of the summer. Fans can expect a lot of changes in the upcoming months and spectator tools will be one of them.
Since the launch we’ve been busy listening to your expectations and hopes for the future of VALORANT esports. Both through the Ignition Series and hundreds of smaller tournaments, we received valuable insight from tournament operators and fans that we have incorporated into our plans for First Strike. Competitive integrity remains our number one priority; during the past six months we’ve collaborated closely with the VALORANT anti-cheat team to identify, investigate, and respond to any suspicious behaviour and continue to do so both during the qualifiers and the finals. We’ve also evaluated which formats, match cadence, and scheduling best compliment VALORANT and enhance the fan experience. Finally, we’ve prioritized many of the observer features you requested, with several having shipped already and several more on the way. Your support and enthusiasm has helped turn VALORANT into today's fastest growing esport, and your feedback remains one of our most valuable resources for improving esports.
Valorant Executive Producer Anna Donlon added:
Esports remains one of the best investments we can make to support our community for the long term. As we’ve already seen from the Ignition Series, there’s a huge demand and hunger for VALORANT to be played at a professional level, and we’re so excited to be starting that journey with fans, players, and organizations. As a development team, supporting the competitive world of VALORANT is one of our top priorities, and we are committed to this journey.
Valorant First Strike: Players, Regions, and More
Anyone who’s over the age of 16 and above the rank of Immortal I will be able to participate in the regional qualifiers. In the video above, Riot revealed that a total of eight regions will be available for the duration of First Strike:
- Europe
- North America
- CIS
- Asia
- Turkey
- Middle-East
- Oceania
- Brazil
Considering that the global pandemic is still causing travel restrictions and mandatory tests in a lot of countries, First Strike will be taking place entirely online. The regional finals are scheduled for December 3-6.
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