Oct 25, 2022
Today we are happy to announce the addition of two new Challengers Leagues - Italy and Portugal! Challengers, previously known as Regional Leagues, are set to uplift new talent in tournaments that blend competitive elements with regional uniqueness and culture.
The stakes are higher than ever, as those who emerge victorious will be elevated to the Challengers Ascension, where a place at the International League will be up for grabs.
This is part of our broader ambitions to expand the VALORANT esports ecosystem, creating local communities and providing up-and-coming players with easier access to regional esports opportunities, whilst offering a stepping stone to the international level.
Seeking to inspire fans old and new - especially given the regional element of Challengers - we look forward to offering even more opportunities to see some nail-biting clutches and last-second defuses!
Italy and Portugal join the party
A new year means new challengers, and in EMEA these come in the form of Italy and Portugal, two countries continuing to grow! Both regions were included in the VALORANT Regional League Spain: Rising in 2022, and starting in 2023 both will have a league to call home! We are now happy to offer both their own Challengers League which we hope will uncover and nurture rising talent across each respective nation.
Italy has an incredibly high gaming population, with VALORANT being one of the country’s most popular FPS titles. The fan interest is there, and streamers have also begun capitalizing upon this, too, helping to grow the VALORANT community in the region. We feel that the natural next step is in offering the nation their own Challengers League, allowing us to facilitate this growth further and tap into a nation with immense potential.
Portugal has also got an invite to the VALORANT soirée - and no, we don’t mean because Pearl is inspired by the nation. The region has been a focal point for VALORANT since launch and has a high population of FPS PC gamers and esports fanatics. All of this, coupled with an already well-developed amateur esports scene, makes the country the perfect place to develop the next generation of esports professionals.
PGEsports will be the Italian Tournament Organizer. They have been running the League of Legends Italian ERL since 2018 to great success and are known for their great production quality across various esports titles!
Inygon and Goatpixel will be our partners in Portugal. Inygon have worked with us for over 5 years for the League of Legends Portuguese ERL and have been committed to VALORANT since its launch, currently running Portugal’s VCE alongside Goatpixel!
2023 is set to be action-packed, and we are excited about what we are offering at a regional level in EMEA. As we announce further details about all things VALORANT, be sure to keep checking valorantesports.com!
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