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The Esports Tier 2 Dilemma: Was it on the Wall?
The following is a feature opinion piece detailing the discussion that has encircled VALORANT and other such esports titles - entailing the perceived longevity and sustainability of the scene as well as the irrefutable evidence that stares us all in the face.
The Shot that Started it All
On December 20th, Michael “dapr” Gulino issued a post on his Twitter/X account, stating an observation he had made after several years battling within the VALORANT competitive ecosystem.
“Quit CS because of a dying T2 scene. Then after 3 years, VALORANT has a dying T2 scene. Hate to say the writing was on the wall, but it truly was as soon as franchising was announced and an artificial line was drawn. Hope everybody affected lands on their feet.”
Cloud9 IGL Anthony “vanity” Malaspina weighed in on the comment, stating: “Nothing quite like watching the same thing happen again.” Dapr’s reply was a rueful reflection that in many ways, the scenario he was now seeing play out, was eerily similar to when he was 18 (now 24).
G2 Esports player Nathan “leaf” Orf also commented. “Congratulations on almost making it! Here’s all your support gone.”
Dapr went on to argue that while he recognized he was in a better spot already than most, it was “nauseating that this is happening to another fantastic game.”
“It’s all just boohoos and ‘it just has to be that way to be sustainable” when the actual truth is it doesn’t.”
- Michael “dapr” Gulino
“Yep, it’s not 1-1 with our situation in CS during COVID, but holk f**k was it plain disrespectful to hear that ‘it’s just how it’s gonna be idk what you expected.”
- Nathan “leaf” Orf
The initial premise put forth by dapr and the others, was that the state of Tier 2 was untenable. They were not even the first to suggest such a premise, with many before having voiced frustrations with the lack of support for Tier 2 compared to Tier 1 VALORANT (i.e. the International Leagues).
Leo Faria Enters the Conversation
Global Head of VALORANT Esports, Leo Faria, has been a vocal voice for the global community, acting as the communication bridge between Riot Games and the rest of the community in such instances.
He has also been the primary target figure for many in the community to lay forth their complaints and troubles at his feet. In a reply to the recent conversation, he was reported to have written the following statement (translated):
“We saw that many organizations entered Tier 2 with the idea of establishing themselves and competing in regional leagues for several years, even if they do not win promotion to the Franchises, but this goes against what we think. This is not our vision, and we are not looking for stability in Tier 2, for it to be a league that teams compete in for several years, but rather for them to develop talent, which is a step towards VCT Americas.”
In 2023, Riot has made great strides in introducing and shaping out their ‘Premier’ system, designed as an in-game pipeline that is meant to offer a path to pro that starts from home. Moreover, in the same year of introducing the Tier 1 International Leagues, they also introduced the 25-plus domestic challenger leagues that make up the entirety of Tier 2.
Each of these leagues can number somewhere in the 10s of teams, making over 200 additional challengers teams competing within a set league system with production, casting, and a path to Ascension and Tier 1.
The Model of a League System: What Benefits Does It Bring?
Misconception of Franchise vs Partnership
First of all, I have to settle a small pet peeve I have whenever this subject comes up. VALORANT Esports (especially concerning the ‘Tier 1’ scene) is a partnership league. Not a franchise league. Partnership.
What’s the big difference you may ask? Well, in a franchise league, organizations pay a pre-agreed upon sum to purchase a slot within the league. This slot allows the organization to field a roster, compete, earn accolades and prize money and such within the league through participation and success.
League of Legends runs on such a model. That is why teams like TSM, Evil Geniuses, and Golden Guardians were able to sell their slots in the LCS. Because they own their slots.
In a partnership league, organizations are invited by the game developer (Riot in this instance) to become partners with them. Together, they establish the league.
The big difference? In a partnership, Riot selects the teams that they want to populate the league. In franchising, they have no such say so. Moreover, in partnership, organizations do not own their slots. Riot has final say.
Why does this matter? Well, in a partnership league such as VALORANT, the teams are brought on as partners (‘equals’) to contribute to the betterment of the scene in general. More equity for the organizations, more say, greater sharing of resources, and more responsibility regarding the future of the leagues. There are not qualities shared by franchised leagues.
The 2 Primary Concerns for Publishers Within the Esports Space
Now, with that said, there are 2 primary concerns for publishers when attempting to craft an esports space with their game title: that being limited logistics and limited funds.
Limited Logistics
Limited logistics is essentially a combination of eyeball count as well as finite logistical ability of hosting/organizing/maintaining multiple high-quality productions throughout the calendar year. This is something that has been openly discussed by Riot before.
Fans are only capable of watching so much esports in a given time period. Given that they have revealed that there is already a decent overlap of viewers and schedule timings between the VCT leagues and the League of Legends leagues (e.g. LCS), it can be surmised that the two productions are already eating into each other’s viewership.
LCS as an example is a floundering ship sinking with declining viewership. Given that, it makes even less financial sense to pump more into an alternate stream that would further detract from it.
Should Tier 2 VALORANT become as successful as players such as dapr would like, that would undoubtedly also affect the Tier 1 leagues’ viewerships. Not only would that make Riot’s Tier 1 look bad, it also affects all their other products, and as an extension, the financial productibility of those in the Tier 1 circuit.
If less people as a whole are watching Tier 1 because Tier 2 is also exciting, less viewers, less sponsor return, less sponsors, less money to go around, less funds to organizations in Tier 1.
Limited Funds
Going back to the point on partnership leagues, the reason this is an important distinction is that partnership leagues also bring less financial stress to the organizations themselves. Funds that would have gone into purchasing slots can now go into funding more competitive rosters.
However, limited funds in this context also refers to the collective ‘money’ available to fund the league and all its many branches - be that the teams, the owners, the organizers, the logistical support i.e. casters and desks, and so forth. Many argue that because the league is ‘closed off’, it gatekeeps new teams from coming forth.
This is true. However, this also allows the ‘money’ to be distributed among a tighter crew, in a volume that allows for more impactful and relevant changes across the board per organization.
Moreover, one of the main benefits of a close league that many ignore, is the massively improved ability to gain and retain sponsorship. With individual organizations, assured attendance on these big stages ensures that sponsors will always get a better deal.
In a non-franchised league, the presence of any roster is not assured. Think back to the early years of VALORANT, where every team had to face a minimum of 1-3 Open Qualifiers a year, regardless of organization status.
Compare that with now, when watching the VCT AMERICAS, and knowing 100 Thieves, Sentinels, LOUD, and so forth, will all be there, week in and week out.
The Writings on the Wall? It’s not Meant to be Sustainable.
The Gold Rush that Could Never Last
Many have noted that the explosion of resources and talent that rushed into VALORANT in its conception as an esports in 2020 and 2021, came as a result of expectations/desire to be a part of the partnered league.
It was also noted as something that was certainly unsustainable, and something that has since shown remarkable decline in the wake of the launch of the partnered leagues (and chosen organizations).
The concerns regarding the unstable nature of Tier 2 VALORANT is something I can offer some advice - it was never meant to be sustainable, people. That’s the cruel irony and delicious Brutus-like twist that comes with the territory.
Tier 1 VALORANT is in the eyes of Riot, the prime marketing space. Within the concept of limited logistics and viewer fatigue, it makes sense to put forth your prime product within that window as much as possible. To what possible end would muddying the water and diluting the content with extra volume bring as a possible benefit?
The Reality of the Tier 2 Scene
While this is a heart-aching situation for any prospective esports hopeful to find themselves in, it is the cruel reality of esports. There simply isn’t enough money to go around.
Someone has to go hungry, and that someone is often ‘the excess’. For that is what Tier 2 is, excess talent that can be funneled into Tier 1 or to handle spillover from a surge of too much talent in Tier 1.
Looking at a similar Riot Games product - the LCS - it is entirely possible that Riot has attempted to learn from their mistakes and snip that particular issue from the beginning.
The North American Challenger League is composed of a wild mix of new fresh Academy talents looking for their big break, and former top-level athletes who have had their day in the sun and are now looking to wallow in the remaining daylight.
Even in the case of dapr, who was once viewed as one of the brightest talents in the North American VALORANT sphere, is now in a team called Oxygen Esports.
Could one argue against the fact that a lot of talent in NA has in fact been found in excess, and there are many older players who have ended up taking on the Challenger Leagues as a pseudo retirement home before inevitably going into a full scene exit or content creation?
The reality of Tier 2 is, the current unpredictability and wilderness that is the scene, makes for a more effective breeding ground for the type of player Riot is looking to pipeline - hungry, wanting to succeed and rise above to good money, good stature, etc.
The Mass Exodus
Even while we discuss this in the off-season, VALORANT’s other leagues have seen many departures.
Just within the space of a few months, a multitude of organizations have said goodbye to their Game Changers rosters.
Ninjas in Pyjamas and Alliance come to mind, having exited all the way back in July.
In North America, only three non-F/A teams remain: Shopify Rebellion, XSET, and Flyquest. Complexity, Disguised, Evil Geniuses, Version1 (roster bought by Shopify), TSM, Misfits, Gen.G, Faze Clan, - all gone from the Game Changers scene.
In Challengers, multiple teams including the notable Disguised and OR Esports rosters, have both disassembled their teams in lieu of lack of tournaments for the rest of the calendar year.
While this exodus is also part of the ongoing symptoms from the ‘esports winter’, it is also from the fault of Riot in their organizing of the year’s schedule, allowing this much off-time (for essentially half the year).
But also, this ultimately comes back to the issue of it is simply unsustainable for organizations to maintain teams outside of the primary product (i.e. Tier 1).
Pros and Other Members Within the Scene Weigh In
Some took to inspiration and motivation:
Others took to raised eyebrows at the finger-pointing:
Having said all that, this is still ultimately an opinion piece and subject to disputes. That said, I would like to pose a final question to you: Can you name a thriving Tier 2 esports scene in 2023?
Credit: Hara Amorós / Riot Games / LVP / lag
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