"We just don’t have a lot of time to do a double-elimination format" - Esports President John Needham on VCT LOCK//IN 2023 format

The highly anticipated VCT LOCK//IN commenced on February 13, 2023, kickstarting a new VCT season for the year ahead. Featuring thirty partnered teams and two invited teams, VCT LOCK//IN is Riot Games’ biggest esports event yet.

So far, the large-scale introductory tournament has hosted eight matchups over the course of three days, with eight teams already being sent home. The divisive single-elimination format has kept every participating team on their toes, forcing them to give their best in every single game that they play.

Although the single-elimination format is entertaining, several fans aren't happy with Riot’s decision to ignore the popular double-elimination format for VCT LOCK//IN. In a pre-LOCK//IN press conference, the President of Esports, John Needham, shared a valid reason behind choosing the single-elimination format over double-elimination for the ongoing LOCK//IN event.

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Riot Games' Esports President John Needham speaks about VCT LOCK//IN’s controversial single-elimination format

Before the VCT LOCK//IN kicked off on February 13, Riot Games held a press conference where multiple esports athletes and prominent industry personalities, including John Needham, attended.

Needham was accompanied by Leo Faria, Head of Valorant Esports, Anna Donlon, Executive Producer for Valorant, and Whalen Rozelle, Riot Games' COO. Given the opportunity, Sportskeeda Esports approached Needham with a question regarding LOCK//IN’s format and the thought process behind choosing the single-elimination format.

John Needham didn’t miss the opportunity to share his thoughts on hosting Valorant's largest event, the VCT LOCK//IN:

“The biggest thing was… one, it’s super exciting to have 32 teams here. It’s the biggest tournament we have done, which is amazing.”

Needham then shared the reasons behind choosing the double-elimination format:

“We just don’t have a lot of time to do a double-elimination format. So, given the time that we had and the constraints we had in the schedule, we had to do single elimination.”

Needham’s reply was pretty fitting, considering that there are thirty-two participating teams in the ongoing tournament. LOCK//IN is an introductory tournament, serving as a foundation for the upcoming VCT 2023 leagues, including three regional international splits, a Masters event, an LCQ, and finally, the ultimate Valorant Champions.

Hosting a long-running tournament as an introduction will delay the seasonal schedule, which isn’t a favorable outcome.

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Valorant Esports Head Leo Faria on Riot’s decision to pick single-elimination over popular formats for LOCK//IN 2023

In an episode of The Wisemen Podcast, Leo Faria, Head of Valorant Esports, shared how the organization considered every possible tournament format before selecting the single-elimination format for VCT LOCK//IN.

He mentioned how double-streaming and hosting multiple matchups a day would hamper viewership and put unsustainable pressure on the production team. Additionally, all other formats, including GSL grouping and Swiss, would result in a lengthy tournament, which Riot Games was trying to avoid for a valid cause.

At the same time, Faria disapproved of the best-of-one format due to its unfair basis. In a vocal tweet, he stated:

"I rather have one meaningful matchup that finds a definitive winner, versus leaving it up to a single map selection, a pistol round that defines a game, etc. Bo1s are too fragile."

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LOCK//IN’s ongoing Group Alpha stage will conclude on February 19, with two semi-finalist teams qualifying for the playoffs. The Group Omega stage will commence on February 22, pitting the remaining sixteen teams in multiple matchups. The ultimate goal is to obtain two semi-finalist teams, similar to the Group Alpha stage.

A total of four teams from the Alpha and Omega groups will seed into the playoffs stage, which will host two semi-finals series and a Grand Final to crown the ultimate winner.