MOUZ exits VALORANT, citing misalignment with current VCT structure

German esports organisation MOUZ has introduced that it’ll not proceed competing in VALORANT, ending a four-year stint in Riot Video games’ tactical shooter.

In a press release printed on the group’s X account (previously Twitter), the organisation stated that the present construction of the VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) doesn’t align with its long-term ambitions and that it doesn’t ‘see a spot’ for itself inside the present ecosystem.

“We’ve got made the choice to not proceed with VALORANT,” the submit reads. “The present VCT format doesn’t align with our ambition as a group, and we don’t see a spot for us within the present ecosystem.”

The organisation additionally thanked its companions, gamers and training workers for his or her contributions all through its VALORANT journey.

Although the group didn’t go into specifics, MOUZ’s exit provides to a rising checklist of organisations reassessing their involvement in VALORANT’s tier-two ecosystem. Since coming into the scene in 2022, the organisation primarily competed within the DACH Challengers circuit, usually contending for home titles and Ascension qualification.

Regardless of a number of sturdy home finishes — together with profitable VALORANT Challengers 2024 DACH: Evolution Break up 2 and qualifying for VCT Ascension EMEA 2024 — MOUZ was unable to safe promotion. Its Ascension run ended with a fifth to sixth-place end, highlighting the slim margins and excessive threat related to the pathway to tier one.

Underneath the present VCT mannequin, groups exterior of the partnered leagues rely closely on brief aggressive home windows, restricted prize swimming pools and a single promotion route by way of Ascension. For organisations, this implies sustained funding with no assure of long-term stability or revenue-sharing except promotion is achieved.

Considerations in regards to the financial viability of this construction have been repeatedly raised throughout the scene. Final 12 months, the VALORANT Gamers Affiliation printed a report warning that the way forward for tier-two competitors ‘hangs within the steadiness,’ pointing to minimal return on funding, decreased calendars and a scarcity of monetary incentives for organisations.

Riot Video games has taken some steps to deal with sustainability. In June, the writer confirmed it will permit betting sponsorships throughout VALORANT and League of Legends esports in North America and EMEA, stating the transfer was a part of ‘investing in a sustainable ecosystem.’

In line with Riot, a portion of the income generated from the programme might be reinvested into the tier-two scene, together with elevated prize swimming pools and expanded improvement initiatives.

Nevertheless, MOUZ’s determination means that, for some organisations, these measures have but to materially change the risk-reward steadiness of competing exterior of tier one.