Famous organizations may return to VALORANT

According to Dexerto, North American esports organizations Akrew, DarkZero Esports, Kansas City Pioneer, and Shopify Rebellion may return to VALORANT as they see a future in the ecosystem that Riot Games plans to develop. Recall that the listed clubs left the stage, as they could not get into the number of partners for the next competitive season.

These teams have realized that there are not many opportunities outside of the TIER-2 scene, and in light of the upcoming changes, there will be even less. The competitive calendar is sparse outside of the VCT system and, from an organizational standpoint, running a competitive squad with high salaries and little return in prize money or spectators is not worth the investment, according to several clubs.

Earlier it became known that the teams selected to cooperate with tournament operator and developer Riot Games for international leagues next year, most likely, will not be able to maintain youth squads for participation in TIER-2 championships.

A little earlier, Riot Games revealed the details of the TIER-2 scene for VALORANT for 2023, including new championships and details of how teams can advance to the TIER-1 level. As part of VALORANT Challengers, teams that did not qualify for the affiliate program will compete. In addition, teams that start in Challengers will have access to international leagues and eventually even global tournaments.

With the latest news, Akrew, DarkZero Esports, Kansas City Pioneer, and Shopify Rebellion are looking to get back on the scene. All of the organizations that Dexerto spoke to that recently left VALORANT have announced their intentions to return to the scene. Despite some hesitation about getting into a partner league in the future, the prospect of participating in one of the few TIER-1 esports tournaments in the scene with a semi-open system is tempting.

I still think Riot Games is doing a fantastic job. I think this is a step in the right direction - Don Kim, CEO of DarkZero Esports

We didn't just leave. We definitely want to take the time to make sure this system is right and that we are all ready to return to VALORANT. No one wants to say, "Oh, we went out and then we came back", for example, a month later - Daniel Luu, founder of Akrew

To return to the scene, some organizations may need to take a payroll cut, as they explicitly stated in a conversation with Dexerto representatives. Clubs have also been talking about returning to VALORANT in other ways, whether through tournaments, content creation, or other activities.

However, one thing is for sure: when some of the organizations that left the discipline return, they are sure to make a name for themselves.