en
VCT Americas Stage 2 Sees Major Drop in Viewership
The VCT Americas Stage 2 2025 concluded with a notable decline in viewership compared to previous years, raising concerns about the region’s competitive scene and its audience engagement. Unlike earlier seasons, where peak matches garnered significant attention, this year's Stage 2 playoffs failed to resonate broadly, marking a worrying trend for one of VALORANT's key regional leagues.
Viewership Numbers in Decline
According to esports data, the peak concurrent viewership for VCT Americas Stage 2 2025 was 295,084, which is a significant drop from the previous year’s peak of 394,975 viewers. Additionally, average viewership fell from 203,829 in 2024 to 155,558 in 2025, representing a steep downward trajectory. Total hours watched across the event reached 18.2 million, again another drop from 2024’s 19.7 million, reflecting a lower overall engagement throughout the tournament.
Despite the stage's competitive nature, playoff matches notably did not rank among the most-watched events of the season, a stark contrast to prior years. The Grand Finals failed to break into the top five peak viewership matches, highlighting a lack of compelling interest in what should have been the tournament’s most anticipated match.
Possible Causes of Declining Interest
Community discussions and expert commentaries suggest multiple contributing factors:
- Stagnation in Regional Competition: Many fans feel that the Americas region hasn’t been very exciting in 2025. The perception of the league being dominated by a few teams like G2 Esports and Sentinels reduces the excitement and unpredictability that typically drive viewer interest. Besides G2, only a handful of teams like NRG and MIBR have shown notable impact this split, leading to a less engaging narrative for fans.
- Format and Broadcast Appeal: Format issues, such as long breaks between games, a confusing points system, and insufficient high-stakes matches, all contribute to viewer drop-off. Some fans report that many matches feel insignificant, further reducing motivation to tune in regularly.
- Overall Game Health and Viewer Fatigue: Besides esports issues, some fans feel the game itself has become a bit boring or repetitive. This makes people less interested in watching competitive play. Moreover, the lack of new and exciting storylines, and fewer fresh players catching attention, could be reasons why fewer people are tuning in.
Shifting Regional Engagement and Streaming Trends
While North American viewership has declined overall, LOUD is carrying most of the viewership weight for the Americas region. LOUD’s matches hold the top 4 spots for the highest viewed games, with the fifth highest being the Sentinels vs. G2 match. Interestingly, none of the most-watched matches come from the playoffs; all of them are group stage games. This is a worrying sign for the league, as it suggests that the most important matches aren’t drawing strong audiences.
The streaming landscape in the Americas is also changing, with YouTube gaining popularity alongside Twitch. The Brazilian co-streaming scene continues to thrive, driven by popular personalities like TcK10, Gustavo “Sacy” Rossi, and Victor “LOUD_Coringa” Augusto, who maintain strong Portuguese-language viewership.
Similarly, the Spanish-speaking audience has found its leading voice in Óscar “mixwell” Cañellas. Meanwhile, North American co-streaming appears to be losing momentum despite efforts from big names like Tarik to keep audiences engaged.
In Conclusion
The viewership decline in VCT Americas Stage 2 2025 serves as a wake-up call for Riot Games and the broader VALORANT esports ecosystem. While the game remains popular globally, the North and South American competitive scene must address issues of regional excitement, tournament format, and viewer engagement if it hopes to regain past viewership highs. Making smart changes to boost competition, improve the way matches are shown, and adapt to changing viewers could be key to turning things around and keeping the region’s esports scene strong.
Follow Strafe Esports for the latest VALORANT news and our X account for the latest content and coverage. Also, stay tuned to Strafe's YouTube channel for exclusive interviews, press conferences, and more.
Featured Image Source: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games
Read More: