Riot updating old stage PCs after Valorant pro players complain

The Global Head of Valorant Esports, Leo Faria, confirmed that a new fleet of stage PCs for its competitive events is on the way following criticism.

Valorant pros previously complained about the state of the PCs they compete on stage with during Riot Games events, and the situation came to a head in July when Tyson ‘TenZ’ Ngo spoke out about the issue ahead of the 2024 World Championship.

The Sentinels star said at the time that top Valorant players deserve to compete on top-of-the-line gear, not on computers multiple generations behind.

“Riot makes so much money from this game and it feels like they put the bare minimum back towards the esports scene,” TenZ said in a comment on a YouTube short post about the stage PCs.

Riot heard the complaints and went directly to TenZ during Valorant Champions in Seoul to tell him that new PCs were on the way for next year’s competition. Faria appeared in a Sentinels video about their run at the tournament, and told TenZ: “We have 400 new PCs coming just for you.”

Faria expanded on his comments on Reddit, explaining that Riot was already planning on upgrading its gear but that TenZ’s comments did help them move along the process quicker.

“The setup we used these past few years is good enough to run VAL, but it is indeed coming to the end of its lifecycle. So pros have a point. Our global fleet upgrade follows a schedule, and the next one is set to happen this October. So it was happening regardless,” he said.

“I’m not saying this to take anything away from Tyson’s comments, pro’s feedback can at times light a fire under our asses and I appreciate them holding us accountable.”

Riot is holding the League of Legends World Championships throughout October, so esports pros in the League of Legends and Valorant spaces will most likely get the chance to see how these new PCs handle in 2025.