New Zealand-based esports tournament organiser and broadcasting media company LetsPlay.Live (LPL) has partnered with Riot Games to become the broadcast partner for 2021’s VALORANT competitive season in Oceania.
Oceanic VALORANT players in the region will be able to compete for an opportunity to play at the international level. The tournament, beginning in February will have three stages with each one of them featuring a Regional Final. This will eventually culminate in the Oceania Championship.
Each stage features a $10,000 AUD (~£5,577) prize pool, which will be split between the top eight teams, Moreover, the Oceania Championship will have an additional $20,000 AUD (~£11,154) prize pool.
According to the press release, the 2021 VALORANT Oceania Tour will serve as the ‘official pathway’ for the players in the region to qualify into the NA + OCE Last Chance Qualifier. This provides competitors with the opportunity to qualify for the VALORANT Global Championship.
As a result of the partnership, LPL will be in charge of registration, operations and production of each stage of the region’s competitive play. This also includes leading the Oceania Championship.
LPL’s founder and Managing Director, Duane Mutu, commented on the partnership: “To be kicking off the year partnering with Riot Games to bring Oceania official VALORANT pathways is phenomenal. LPL are excited to be offering an international avenue for our region’s players in 2021 and to be showcasing teams through broadcast for fans of VALORANT worldwide.”
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The 2021 VALORANT Oceania Tour beings with the VALORANT Challengers OCE – Stage 01 Open Qualifier. The event is scheduled to run from February 10th – 14th.
Chris Greeley, Director of Esports at Riot Games, added: “2021 promises to be a groundbreaking year for VALORANT esports, and we’re tremendously excited to kick off global play. We know that VALORANT has been supported by Oceania players since BETA and we are thrilled to be offering pathways for the region.”
Esports Insider says: LPL’s partnership with Riot Games continues VALORANT’s incredible growth, particularly in the development of its esports ecosystem. The agreement will provide teams in Oceania with the opportunity to compete in VALORANT’s competitive structure, whilst also increasing LPL’s regional content output.