VCT EMEA Postpones Matches Amid Never-Ending Technical Issues

25 Apr

Foo Zen-Wen

VCT EMEA has announced a postponement to their scheduled matches for today following another bout of technical issues that cropped up during the first series of the day. The issues were reportedly so severe that the ongoing series between Team Liquid and Karmine Corp had to be cut short. Over 4-hours of technical breaks during the first map of the series completely brought the league to a standstill this evening.

“Due to significant and ongoing technical issues at the Riot Games Arena in Berlin, we’ve made the difficult decision to postpone today’s VCT EMEA matches. The league will revise the schedule in the coming days and share an update with the community once the new match day is confirmed.”

The quote from above comes from the official release from the VCT EMEA social media account on X, promising fans who have attended in-person full refunds for the inconvenience.

Tech Pause, Tech Pause, Tech Pause

In many ways, fans have found it difficult to put aside their anger and frustration at the league. Technical pauses have become almost synonymous with VCT EMEA, and the infamous long delays have led to many EMEA professional players, talent, and fans citing their frustrations with the lack of a clear solution to a long-standing issue.

Daniel Ringland, Head of VALORANT Esports EMEA, stepped in yesterday to clarify the nature of the issues and it appears that gameplay stability has been at the root of the studio’s troubles.

Adding to the complexity of the issue itself, the Riot Games Arena itself poses a unique challenge. Riot Games’ brand-new stadium was designed as a one-stop arena for both VALORANT and League of Legends, housing both the VCT EMEA and LEC throughout the week.

Unfortunately, this packed schedule has now led to the near impossibility of coordinating a detailed investigation into the root cause of the gameplay stability. Despite his and the league's assurances, trust in the league has undoubtedly been heavily shaken.

Fans reported extreme frustration, sharing heartrending stories of traveling from as far as Japan and Australia, only to find their match canceled.

Many have seen this postponement in fact, as an inevitability, and one that the league will continue facing until the solution is found and implemented. It is clear that whatever stopgaps and half measures the league has taken to this point, it hasn't been close to enough.

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Featured Image Credit: Riot Games

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