Riot Games’ head of Valorant eSports, Leo Faria, has revealed plans to address these issues. While the changes won’t take effect until 2025, Faria aims to create a more balanced and player-friendly calendar.
The Valorant scene has been abuzz with discussions regarding the packed schedules for 2023 and 2024. Since the conclusion of Champions 2023, players and fans alike have raised concerns about the risk of player burnout due to the demands of the calendar.
The VCT 2023 season left little room for player rest, with events being concluded before the start of September. This is a concern, especially among team players who made deep runs in international tournaments. Notably, players from Fnatic and Evil Geniuses spoke out about exhaustion after their playoff runs at Masters Tokyo and Champions. The lack of adequate downtime between these competitions increased their fatigue.
Riot Games acknowledges concerns, but changes await until 2025
In a Twitter thread, Leo Faria, the head of Valorant eSports, addressed these concerns and provided awareness of Riot Games’ plans for the Valorant scene. While acknowledging that the current calendar is “a bit too tight from February to August and sparse from September to January,” Faria revealed that changes won’t be implemented until 2025.
Finally, I’d like to use this opportunity to give you a sneak peek into some of our plans for 2025. We don’t usually talk about things so far in advance, but I want to set some expectations. We’ve always been very intentional about having a healthy offseason that gives pros time…
— Leo Faria (@lhfaria) December 11, 2023
These changes focus on reducing the concerns surrounding player burnout and creating a balanced competitive calendar. Riot Games intends to space out the VCT competition starting in 2025, with the season beginning earlier and concluding later in the year.
Balancing the schedule for player well-being
Riot Games‘ decision to restructure the Valorant eSports calendar reflects a responsibility to prioritize player well-being and prevent burnout. The current schedule, which packs events, has been physically and mentally taxing for players who often compete.
The changes proposed for 2025 aim to create a competitive environment. By spreading out the competition, players will have adequate time for rest and recovery between events. This should help ease the physical and mental toll that the current schedule has on professional Valorant players.
In 2025, Leo Faria believes in a player-friendly, Valorant eSports scene with an extended season for competition and recovery. Despite schedule changes, the number of events remains constant for a vibrant landscape. Player well-being is a priority, aiming to reduce burnout by allowing for rest. Enhanced competitive integrity ensures teams and players have ample time to prepare and recover, fostering a fair and thriving eSports environment.
Player reactions and expectations
The announcement of these upcoming changes has sparked discussions within the Valorant community. Players and fans have expressed excitement and relief about a manageable schedule. This move would lead to better performances from teams and players, as they could allocate more time to practice and strategize effectively. However, some players are understandably disappointed that these changes won’t take effect until 2025. They were hoping for more immediate relief from the calendar.
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