Riot Games has announced that they will implement a partnership system to Valorant in 2023. The new model will introduce a stipend system, in which Riot Games will provide select teams with financial support to enter a partnership with them. Then, the Valorant teams will compete in international LAN tournaments against teams from different regions.

According to the official website, Riot Games will host three international leagues across Asia, Europe, and the Americas where teams will compete against each other to earn a spot at global events such as Masters and Champions. The leagues will be held on LAN with live audiences if health and safety conditions are met.

The first league will include teams from North America, Latin America, and Brazil, while the second will feature squads from Europe, Russia, Turkey, and MENA. The final league will include teams from Southeast Asia, Korea, and Oceania. Selected teams that partner with Riot for the international leagues will also be able to collaborate on esports-branded content exclusively in Valorant.

Teams will be selected by Riot Games via an application process that will begin in 2022. Selection will be based on “a track record of building great esports experiences, developing players, and can meaningfully contribute to the long-term growth of Valorant esports”. While selected teams will compete in international leagues, Riot Games will also continue to host domestic competitions.

These leagues will be integrated alongside a new in-game tournament mode, where players can form teams to qualify for the domestic leagues. Each Valorant player will have access to the tournament mode from the client and it will act as a supplement to the existing leaderboard. Besides that, the dedicated female Valorant league Game Changers will also receive a Championship event in 2023.