We learned a lot from Brazilian fans
The eSports organization Leviatán, which includes Brazilian Erick Santos, known as Aspas, won the second stage of the Valorant Champions Tour Americas 2024, held at the studio of the North American electronic games developer Riot Games, in Los Angeles, California (USA), between July 17th and 21st.
The Argentine team beat G2 eSports, a Spanish team based in Berlin, Germany, and is now qualified for the Champions, which will take place in Seoul, South Korea, in August.
Leviatán is sponsored by Visa, Casio’s G-Shock watches, ATK Gear (gaming gear), KFC and Pax (travel insurance). G2’s supporters include Lenovo, Mastercard, Spotify, Pringles and AOC.
Investment target
The show of strategy, cunning and creativity was not only triggered during the battles of the tactical shooter game, which is growing like a bullet. Launched in 2020, today Valorant is one of the main bets for the expansion of Riot, which belongs to the Chinese company Tencent.
The brands are also targeting investments in actions capable of connecting the gaming world. Among the official partners of VCT Americas 2024 is the Austrian Red Bull. The official energy drink of the championship, the brand presented the Red Bull Clutch Moment.
Aim Labs (training), Secretlab (gaming chairs), Verizon (provider of 5G and wireless services) and Ibuypower (technology and gaming equipment) complete the list of tournament supporters.
The Riot Games Arena LA was packed for every game of the playoffs, and was filled with passionate fans. Around 250 people watched the matches in the studio. But the audience went beyond the LED walls of the arena, which were built to immerse the audience in the game and the reactions of the gamers frame by frame.
Court hearing
From the stands of Twich and YouTube, the fans multiply, showing that the love for the team you love is as real as in the sports practiced off-screen.
Celebratory chants and choruses of rivalry sung at each round alternated with the silence of tense moments, not unlike the feeling experienced in other sports. More than 22 thousand people watched the final on YouTube alone.
Revenues are also soaring. Electronic games generate approximately R$13 billion in Brazil, the world’s tenth largest market, which could reach US$211 billion by 2025, according to a forecast by consultancy firm Newzoo.
In the clash held on the 21st, a space outside the arena – called ‘Block party’ – was specially set up to increase interaction with the gaming community. The same occurred in Riot’s studios spread across locations in several countries. São Paulo was one of them, along with Mexico City, New York (USA) and Buenos Aires (Argentina).
Brazil sets an example. “We have learned a lot from Brazilian fans. The country’s eSports community is known for its intensity. Through feedback on our content, they help us understand what we are doing right and what we need to change,” says Priscila Queiroz, senior publishing manager at Riot Games.
