Riot Games announces a support program for Korean VALORANT organizations

Korean VALORANT has been in a rough spot lately, with several organizations, most notably T1 and Cloud9, pulling out of the scene. It hasn’t been a great look for the region that was tied with North America and Europe for the highest First Strike prize pool. Riot Games’ recent announcement with their plan to help drive further investment into the scene might just be what they need to propel them back to how people initially saw them.

The plan, entitled the VALORANT Esports Team Support Program, offers extra monetary incentives, up to ₩50,000,000 KRW, or approximately $45,000 USD, for Korean organizations, provided they meet certain requirements.

To qualify for the program, an organization must have 5 players and a coach signed, and must have their team advance to the Challengers finals once per stage, or each time they are held. They must have a team setup, be it a house or training area, and must meet certain payment and prize money percentage requirements. Lastly, they must have active Youtube and Twitch presences, with other social media platforms preferred as well.

With only several big organizations, specifically KIWOOM DRX, TNL Esports, and GOnGO Prince, left in the Korean VALORANT scene, Riot’s new program could be a great chance for other big organizations to get involved in the scene. None of the organizations currently taking part in Riot’s League of Legends Champions Korea circuit, for example, are currently invested in the Korean VALORANT scene. The same goes for current Overwatch Contenders Korea organizations and, well, most Korean organizations period.

Do you think this is enough incentive to make organizations interested in Korean VALORANT? Is it even a good idea for Riot to go one step further like this instead of letting things grow organically? Let us know your thoughts!