Valorant to host First Strike event to crown first world champion

gabhernandez Published 23/09/2020

Riot Games has announced First Strike, a series of regional tournaments that will determine a regional champion, then pit those teams against each other to crown a world champion.

First Strike is the first tournament that is organized and funded solely by Riot games. Whalen Rozelle, Senior Director of Global Esports at Riot Games explained the tournament layout in a video posted to Twitter. 

“This extended event will provide the first opportunity for players in North America, Europe, Asia, Latin America, and other places around the world to earn the title of Valorant champion in their region.”

Starting in October third-party organizers will host tournaments in each of the regions participating. No official events have been attached to the series as of yet.

Valorant First Strike will run from December 3 to 6.

This format allows for both established teams and amateur squads to compete and showcase their skills. The series is similar to the one currently being used in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, which is using a series of regional events to determine participants for the next major.

Players who are 16 years old and above and have reached Immortal 1 will be eligible to compete in the qualifiers, but more details on rules and policies will be released at a later date. 

Valorant esports continue to grow with world championship

The Valorant team suggested that more changes to the game will come because of the new tournament, which includes improved observer features that have been requested by tournament organizers. A number of patches have already provided more support for esports production and balance changes in the game are fairly frequent. 

Valorant has quickly grown as an esport, and many organizations have hosted their own tournaments that have been sponsored by Valorant. Many teams have been formed in these tournaments and pro players have flocked to the esport from games such as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Fortnite, and Overwatch. 

This announcement comes after a very successful Ignition Series, which saw a slew of tournaments hosted by tournament organizers who partnered with Riot and put forth over 25 different events around the world. 

Read Also

Kick

Here’s a Rundown of the Major New Features and Improvements on Kick in August 2026 Khizar Mundia Kick Director Ethan Wright has shared several new features that were introduced on the platform in August, also revealing that the team will continue to “push out great updates after great updates”. Livestreaming platform Kick is serious about introducing new features and making changes to improve the experience for both streamers and viewers. The Kick GO Live mobile app may be the standout addition the livestreaming platform has made in ...

Twitch

xQc Talks Subathons and Reveals Why He Avoids Them Khizar Mundia Félix “xQc” Lengyel is a major force in the streaming world, with his earnings being among the highest in the industry. However, despite this success, xQc has never done subathons — and the Kick streamer has revealed his reasons. Subathons have become an important element in the streaming world, as they are both engaging for viewers and beneficial for creators. Kai Cenat is arguably the most famous streamer who made ...

News

Here Is Every Major Announcement at Sony’s September State of Play Zachary Roberts The latest Sony State of Play was on September 3 at 9 am ET, and as usual, plenty of interesting games were announced and shown off. These, like a Nintendo Direct or Xbox Showcase, always end up being one of the most exciting times of the year for gamers. PlayStation often has great exclusives, so it's always worth seeing what they're working on. Interestingly enough, the first showcase wasn't game-related. ...

Kick

Kick Joins GTA RP Trend — Here’s What Partnership With Prodigy Entails Khizar Mundia The GTA RP community has been consistently growing, and Kick has just partnered with Prodigy, which displays the livestreaming platform’s interest in the scene. Here’s information about the partnership and why Kick may have entered the GTA RP scene right now. Kick has been trying to expand its esports base for some time, and its recent partnership with Riot Games has created ample opportunity for the platform. However, gaming remains ...

Slots

True Labs Set To Change Direction With New CEO Ben Boland True Labs started life as an experimental crypto casino in 2018 within the True Flip Group and has since evolved into an independent entity, boasting more than 40 crypto casino games and a network of supporting partners. Its evolution is set to continue with the appointment of a new CEO on September 1, 2026, with Sergey Glamazda confirmed as the Malta-based company’s new chief executive. Before joining True Labs, Glamazda ...

GTA

Rockstar Backs NoPixel V — What GTA 6 Means for GTA RP Khizar Mundia GTA 6 is about to release, and Rockstar has decided that it is the optimal time to announce that its collaborative GTA RP, NoPixel V, is about to enter closed beta. Roleplaying has been a major element in GTA, with several gaming streamers building their entire brand and community around it. NoPixel Studios is one of the most famous names in GTA RP, and NoPixel V is the newest version, ...

News

Kevin Hart Set To Host Major Pragmatic Play Live Casino Event Ben Boland Kevin Hart is joining forces with Pragmatic Play to host a live casino event that looks set to pack a serious punch. Hart is famed for starring in blockbusters such as Jumanji and Ride Along, and also as a stand-up comedian who has delivered his uniquely comic observations to audiences around the world. He will now act live dealer host for a packed two-day event in November. Pragmatic Play is ...