Riot Games has officially unveiled competitive VALORANT’s first-ever international LAN event. The second VCT Masters event will be an international affair held in Reykjavik, Iceland. It will begin on May 24, right after the conclusions of the League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational event, and run until May 30. Obviously, this will be the first time LoL and VALORANT operate events under the same roof.
The first international VALORANT LAN is just over two months away! (Image via Riot Games)
“We are thrilled to showcase high-level Riot esports competition to a country as stunning and unique as Iceland, underscoring that passion for our esports can be found in every corner of the globe,” said John Needham, Global Head of Esports for Riot Games.
10 teams will participate at this offline event, but without a live crowd for either Masters 2 or for the MSI event. Teams participating in both events will have to quarantine upon arrival. There’s been no official announcement regarding format yet. Masters were originally slated to be international events featuring 16 teams. The field will consist of teams from seven regions.
“VCT Masters Reykjavik is our next big step in further establishing VALORANT as the fastest-growing global esport,” said Whalen Rozelle, Riot Games’ Senior Director of Esports. “We have some of the most passionate fans around the world, and we’re committed to giving them a live event so that they can see how their favorite teams stack up internationally for the first time ever.”
Currently, each competitive VALORANT region is gearing up for their own separate Masters event in March to close out Phase 1. The final Challengers event for the first phase is set to take place this upcoming weekend. Due to the still ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, international competition has been missing from VALORANT’s first year, as well as from all of esports. In Counter-Strike, international competition has returned but online, forcing teams like Liquid and Evil Geniuses to move to Europe temporarily to compete properly.
How teams fare at the regional Masters then the international Masters will determine who advances to the Champions stage at the end of the year. Champions is slated to feature 16 teams; 12 from points accumulated from VCT Masters events, and four from Last Chance Qualifiers.
