Several esports organizations have started getting the green light from Riot Games to move on to the next stage of the selection process.
While in Copenhagen the second international event of the year, the Masters, is about to end, in the rest of the world there is trepidation for the fate of the teams that have sent their registration form to Riot Games to be part of the three competitive leagues that from 2023 they will switch to the franchising model: one for the Americas, one for the EMEA region and one for Asia. This is a very long and complex selection process for which some organizations have already received a firm no while others have been accepted for the next phase, obviously without any guarantee of success.
The shortlist
According to what reporter George Geddes wrote on Dot Esports, Riot would have started informing the first teams about their transition to the next phase of the partnership system that guarantees, at no cost, participation in the championship without relegation. In particular , the first news has reached the American organizations that now, included in a first shortlist, will have to face individual interviews with Riot and submit more information, especially on the economic and financial health of the organization.
The first names
In particular, The Guard, Tsm, Cloud9, Nrg and Version1 would have received a first green light in a first report, to which Sentinels, Geng and Xset were subsequently added , the latter also present at the Masters in Copenhagen currently in progress (eliminated in the playoffs). In Korea, at the same time, it seems that the Drx Vision Strikers have received a first ok, moving on to the next stage for the Asian league. The situation of T1 and G2, however, appears to be more difficult: both orgs, although historically linked respectively to the Korean and European scene on other titles, had sent their application for the American league but Riot would be willing to deny them this possibility, preferring organizations that have already been present in the area for some time.
How many teams per league?
According to various sources, each league will have from 8 to 10 teams, up to a maximum of 12 in case you decide to expand the number for various reasons. In particular , the Americas League should have four to six teams from Latin America and Brazil among the participants, with the rest coming from North America. Riot Games will probably make the final decisions in August, just before the start of the Champions, the Valorant World Cup which will be held in Istanbul, Turkey.
