Today, Leo Faria, the global head of VALORANT esports, said the first international VALORANT tournament in 2023 will feature a Mandarin broadcast for Chinese viewers.
Riot Games, owned by Chinese conglomerate Tencent, is hoping to continue its expansion into the Chinese market for VALORANT.
Riot added two teams from China to the VCT LOCK//IN tournament on January 17, bringing the total number of teams to 32. Both EDward Gaming and FunPlus Phoenix will compete in the VCT LOCK//IN tournament in Brazil.
Faria hosted a gathering to discuss Riot's "vision and plans" for VALORANT esports yesterday, and images from the event were posted on Weibo today.
Riot is tapped into the Chinese market since it is one of the largest markets for gamers. EDward Gaming has already achieved recognition in the most anticipated and largest tournament on the calendar at the time last year. However, EDG failed to win the tournament, both in defeat to Team Liquid and Paper Rex.
With the first international VALORANT event in 2023, EDG and FPX will get a second chance at the international stage. At LOCK//IN, which will begin on February 13 and conclude on March 4, EDG will face 100 Thieves, while FPX will face Karmine Corp.