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Earlier this year, Riot Games announced the introduction of a Partnership Program in Valorant's competitive esports scene, sparking quite the debate amongst franchising haters. However, the announcement also carried details about an interesting, upcoming in-game mode that many overlooked.
If Riot Games moves forward with this plan, Valorant players may receive an in-game option to participate in the game's esports scene in the near future. This in-game mode may have the potential to address a few negatives of the upcoming Partnership Program, if executed properly.
Valorant is a tactical first-person shooter game that has paved the way for many esports players who want to make it big in competitive gaming. Until now, every team, regardless of their tier, had equal chances of making it to the top-most official tournaments based on their skills.
With the introduction of franchising in 2023, the Valorant esports scene for Tier-2 and Tier-3 teams is expected to change completely. While prominent organizations around the world are battling to become Riot's partners, many others have left the game, owing to the system's complexities.
The upcoming in-game competitive mode in Valorant will fuel new dreams
Top Tier-2 and Tier-3 teams around the world are presently demanding Riot Games' comment on their plans for those excluded from the Partnership Program, which will heavily favor its participants and offer them a free slot on the most prominent official tournament circuits like VCT.
The answer seems to lie in an in-game mode that will allow new, skilled players to participate in Valorant's esports scene in a far easier way than before. While Riot Games' last known hint for the mode was in April 2022, the video game giant may reiterate its status again in the upcoming days.
The new in-game competitive mode is described as 'path-to-pro' and is expected to be accessible to every player of the game. The description further states that the upcoming mode will offer every participant a chance to become a professional Valorant player.
The top teams will get a chance to enter official domestic/regional leagues and prove their mettle on their path to becoming professionals. The blog post further reads:
"We're excited to see how this system will help foster and highlight up-and-coming talent in addition to the standard ranked ladder. Who knows, it could be you we see on stage."
As shown above, Riot Games is not only hellbent on promoting its own esports plans, but is also focused on giving newer talents a chance to grab attention. While the existing Tier-2 scene may not benefit much from this initiative, the new path-to-pro mode is certainly expected to help out the Tier-3 ecosystem.
The partnership program will allow Riot to host eye-catching LAN events and boost their esports reach to a greater height, alongside supporting prominent esports organizations.
Subsequently, the upcoming ranked mode will allow new players to compete in regional qualifiers and higher tiers, based on their skills. Apart from encouraging new players to become professionals, the new path-to-pro mode will also allow organizations to easily spot potential talent for their teams.
In general, the upcoming mode, if implemented correctly, will be a welcome addition to the game and is bound to foster the game's esports scene significantly.
