Chinese Valorant teams given first chance to play globally at Valorant Champions 2022

China is now being integrated into the global Valorant esports circuit, with teams from the region getting their first chance to compete globally at Valorant Champions 2022. The top two teams will qualify for the East Asia LCQ for one spot at the world championship.

Valorant had a slow start in China with the game’s launch still delayed due to licensing rules in the country.

However, the powerhouse esports region is getting its first chance on the international stage come Valorant Champions 2022 with a path to qualifying for the East Asia Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ) in August.

Riot has confirmed two Chinese teams from a “third-party tournament” will participate in the eight-team event against three Korean squads and three Japanese sides.

The winner of the East Asia LCQ will qualify for Valorant Champions 2022.

Chinese teams have been playing domestic Valorant competitions since the end of 2020, with the occasional crossover games against Korean and Japanese sides in non-VCT events.

A number of well-known Chinese organizations have Valorant teams already, including EDward Gaming, FunPlus Phoenix.ZHUQUE (different from the EMEA team), Weibo Gaming, and TYLOO.

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How China will be integrated into the VCT circuit in 2023 and beyond remains to be seen. With Riot announcing a shift towards a franchising model including an Asian league, a Chinese team could be selected as a “long-term partners”.

Riot are also looking at establishing domestic leagues through a new competitive mode in-game which is launching in 2023.

More details about Valorant Champions 2022, set to be held in Istanbul, Turkey in September, will be released in the coming weeks.