G2 Esports returns to Valorant with NA Challengers team

Berlin-based G2 Esports is returning to Valorant with a North American team, but not as a partnered Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) team. The sqaud will compete in the Challengers tier of competitive play. This level serves as Riot’s entry point into the competitive Valorant ecosystem.

However, G2’s goal is to become a partnered team — or at least compete in the international league. In 2023, Riot will host the Valorant Ascension tournament in each of its competitive regions — Americas, EMEA and Pacific. The timing for Americas has not been announced, but the EMEA version will take place in July. The top two teams from each of these tournaments will earn a spot in the partnered leagues for two years.

In a statement, Alban Dechelotte, managing director of G2 Esports, confirmed: “We’re coming to North America with the ambition to take the opportunity that Riot Games offers us to earn our spot in the International League through the Ascension Tournament.”