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Valorant enthusiasts in the Asia-Pacific can expect an announcement in the coming days, as Riot Games' newly established APAC management team has confirmed their interest in expanding their reach in the APAC region.
On February 24, 2022, Riot Games announced an expansion project. It will see the company doubling down on efforts to improve its reach in the regions of the Philippines, India, Indonesia/Malaysia and Thailand.
Riot plans to establish local offices and hire Country Managers for each of the aforementioned regions. Its former Managing Director for Emerging Markets, Alex Kraynov, has been hired to lead the APAC Publishing division.
During the announcement of Kraynov and the new APAC team, Sportskeeda Esports received a comment from Alasdair Gray, the new Head of Marketing for APAC.
Riot Games' Alasdair Gray comments on the expansion of Valorant in South Asia
Alasdair Gray, the region's Head of Marketing, commented on the upcoming developments in Riot's competitive circuit for Valorant in South Asia. He said,
"We have an announcement coming soon about Valorant esports, both at the global level and specific plans for APAC. Looking forward to sharing more of that soon. Expect something before long."
While Gray refrained from sharing any details regarding the upcoming announcement, he mentioned the inclusion of specific plans for APAC.
In Riot's first edition of the Valorant Champions Tour in 2021, teams from South-East Asia participated in all three Masters events whereas South Asian teams did not receive an opportunity until the Last Chance Qualifiers.
For VCT 2022, however, both the regions have been combined to form the Asia-Pacific region.
The VCT competitive circuit will witness teams from APAC compete among teams from NA, EMEA, Brazil, LATAM, Japan and Korea in both stages of the VCT Masters and the prestigious Valorant Champions event at the end of the year.
Despite their inclusion in VCT, teams from South Asia are yet to receive an official VCT Qualifiers event, as the current mode of qualification is through the Valorant Conquerors Championship (VCC), hosted by third-party organizers.
Asia-Pacific has always received representation in Valorant esports. The entire region, however, is yet to tap into its true potential.
The lack of sponsorships and tournament venues has hindered the growth of esports in APAC for a long time. With its new structure, Riot Games aims to inculcate gaming into the roots of the ever-growing APAC region.
