VCL MENA Controversy: Team GB forced to forfeit match over Admin Ruling

The VALORANT Tier-2 scene has once again found itself embroiled in controversy. This time, Team GB was forced to forfeit a match in the VCL 2025 - MENA Resilience: North Africa and Levant Split 1, sparking widespread frustration within the community.

The issue? A player’s eligibility dispute and what many are calling poor tournament management.

Forced Forfeit and Lack of Transparency

On March 16th, Team GB was scheduled to face VoidWalkers. However, instead of an actual match, VoidWalkers were awarded a forfeit victory over Team GB. Host Ahmed “MorganCasts” Morgan provided a brieg explanation of the situation:

“We apologize for the delay, but to recap, unfortunately, Team GB was unable to meet the requirements for the PBCL MENA or the EMEA Challenger Rumble to be ready on time with the appropriate roster. As a result, they were disqualified in the first map, and Team Void Walkers received an automatic win.” (Translated from Arabic using AI)

But according to reports from Team GB and community members, the real story is far more troubling.

VCL 2025 - MENA Resilience: North Africa and Levant Split 1

Team GB

0

X

0

VoidWalkers

Group A, Best of 3 - TBD

Team GB

player

Rating

ACS

K/D/A

+/-

K/D

KAST

ADR

HS%

FBSR

FB

FD

VoidWalkers

player

Rating

ACS

K/D/A

+/-

K/D

KAST

ADR

HS%

FBSR

FB

FD

Nationality Issues & Admin Incompetence

One of Team GB’s players had lived most of his life in Palestine and was eligible as a Local Talent Resident (LTR) under Riot’s official rules. However, due to war, he was forced to relocate to Turkey. Despite his LTR status, VCL MENA admins denied him the right to compete.

When Team GB protested, the response was blunt: "Find a sub in 15 minutes."

With limited internet speeds and the need to install Tournament Realm, a completely separate game server used by Riot for only for tournaments, to the point where you actually need a separate client.

This was an impossible demand. After that, the admins changed their stance, saying the player could compete in the next gameweek, but not this one—a decision that made little sense.

Hours later, Team GB received the final word: the player was officially banned from the league without any explanation on the matter.

Community Frustration & Riot’s Silence

The incident has ignited frustration within the VALORANT community, particularly among Middle Eastern players who feel Riot has consistently neglected the region. One fan voiced their disappointment:

"I really hate the way Riot treats their Middle Eastern player base, let alone the competitive scene. They only have two servers (Bahrain, Dubai), and Levant players are stuck playing on Frankfurt with 70+ ping. For players from poorer countries with bad internet, it’s almost impossible to go pro."

Others pointed out a larger issue with Tier-2 tournament administration:

"T2 admins always seem to miss, neither upholding the spirit nor the letter of the law. These situations never seem to be resolved fairly. Hope Riot sees this."

So far, Riot Games has not publicly responded, and the likelihood of a rematch remains slim.

We have reached out to Vanguard, the tournament organizers, for a statement on the issue. As of now, there has been no response.

This issue was brought to light via Reddit by user akh1221. CLICK HERE to read the original post.

For all things VCT-related, make sure to stay tuned to THESPIKE.GG as we continue to update you with the freshest game and esports news.

Featured Image Source: VALORANT Challengers MENA