Hello VALORANT fans! As we close out the 2022 season and begin preparing for 2023, I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself to the community.

During the past two years, VALORANT Esports has exceeded all of our expectations, challenging us to dream bigger about what the future of our sport could look like. Very quickly, it became evident that to achieve our goals, we’d need to expand our team’s operational capabilities across the world. Since this summer, we’ve grown the team working on VALORANT esports, pulling in Rioters from across our organization in preparation for the ambitious goals we set for 2023. Over the past few months, I and many of the others who joined the VALORANT Esports team have been observing, learning, and listening to better understand the expectations all of you have for the future of the sport.

In September, many of us had the opportunity to travel to Istanbul and experience Champions, where the passion of this community was on display in full force. Seeing everyone — streamers, players, fans, casters, media, game devs — come together to celebrate our biggest moment of the year was truly inspiring. Walking around the event we heard great ideas, fair critiques, and hopeful dreams about how this sport could and should evolve.

So who is this new guy and why should we trust him with our game?

Tactical shooters hold a special place in my heart. Growing up in the early 2000s, my friends and I spent too many nights to count playing games across the numerous LAN houses that dotted Brazil. That period, when forum pride and bragging rights were frequently the highest stakes, pulled me into esports, charting a course that I’m still on nearly two decades later. It led me to Riot, where over the past few years I’ve had the opportunity to build esports programs for League of Legends and Wild Rift.

Next year is going to be big; LOCK//IN in Brazil, weekly LAN competitions across EMEA, APAC, and the Americas, a new season of Game Changers, AND the kick off of 20+ Challenger Leagues around the world. Together with our new team partners, we plan to deliver new experiences, bigger matches, and more high stakes competition in every corner of the world.

As we approach the starting line, please continue to share your thoughts with all of us. We’ll be listening closely as the next era of the VCT begins.

• Leo Faria, Global Head of VALORANT Esports
  @lhfaria