VCT Pacific has experienced significant expansion since its launch in 2023, and this geographical area has been the source of some of the globe’s most adept VALORANT competitors, alongside numerous unforgettable instances.
The league has consistently enhanced its worldwide standing, exemplified by Gen.G being the inaugural Pacific squad to claim an international VCT championship and Nongshim RedForce achieving the distinction of the first Ascension team to secure victory at a Masters competition.
After the conclusion of the 2026 VCT season, Riot Games is scheduled to reveal the subsequent group of partnered organizations, in conjunction with their strategies for the Tier 2 competitive framework.
Esports Insider conducted an interview with Jake Sin, who serves as the Head of VALORANT Esports for VCT Pacific, to delve into discussions concerning the competitive environment of the region, the forthcoming partnership phase, and his overarching strategic outlook.
Emerging Tier 2 Skills Bolstering the VALORANT Esports Framework
Over the past few years, the disparity in proficiency levels separating Tier 1 and Tier 2 has considerably diminished. This evolution is clearly demonstrated by the qualification of three Ascension teams for VALORANT Masters Santiago, and Nongshim RedForce’s achievement of both domestic and global championships.
“The advancement we are observing within the Tier 2 segment represents an ongoing pattern. Additionally, I previously mentioned last month that 17 Challenger competitors and 5 amateur players made their initial appearances in VCT Pacific during the previous year. Furthermore, Nongshim is now also representing the Pacific,” Sin conveyed to Esports Insider.
“The circumstance of these teams and players competing and performing effectively at the International League tier serves as confirmation that a growing pool of talent persists within the open system, capable of contending with established participants.”
To further narrow this divide, Riot Games has unveiled the VALORANT Challengers Path to Champions, a system that eliminates Ascension competitions and grants leading Challengers teams direct entry into VCT Stage 2.
“From our perspective, such competitive fluidity is crucial. It sustains the vitality of the ecosystem, recognizes enduring commitments, and guarantees that emerging organizations and skilled individuals can advance based on their achievements,” he further commented.
Furthermore, teams achieving promotion will not only gain an opportunity to qualify for VALORANT Champions Shanghai but will also be granted a payment of $75,000 (approximately £56,000) intended to assist with travel and operational expenditures.
Sin commented: “Considering 2027 and subsequent years, our objective for the future involves enhancing the accessibility of the VCT. Consequently, this modification represents progress towards establishing a professional pathway that is more fiercely contested, achievement-driven, and inclusive.”
In addition to broadening access to the Tier 1 environment, Riot Games intends to maintain its support for and cooperation with event organizers to foster the success of OFF//Season competitions. Certain instances of these events provide Tier teams with infrequent chances to acquire important insights by facing off against affiliated organizations.
Riot Games’ Process for Choosing the Subsequent Group of VCT Pacific Organizations
The year 2026 marks the concluding period prior to Riot Games re-establishing its partnership contracts with entities participating in the International Leagues, simultaneously establishing an avenue for novel teams to join the VCT.
The publishing entity considers a multitude of criteria when appraising prospective partners, including but not limited to sustained viability, fiscal soundness, robust operational foundations, public visibility, adherence to Riot’s principles, and other relevant aspects.
In an interview with Esports Insider, Sin disclosed that VCT Pacific intends to intensify its “emphasis on fan engagement” prior to the upcoming partnership phase.
“Supporters are central to all our undertakings. We will assess how teams connect with and foster their fanbase. Our aspiration is for VCT Pacific to transcend being merely a league and evolve into a cultural phenomenon that resonates deeply with APAC enthusiasts,” he further explained.
“We will examine the methods organizations employ to interact with their communities, encompassing creative partnerships, promotional products, and significant fan-centric activities both digitally and physically,”
Nevertheless, competitive achievement will remain a crucial aspect of the evaluation process, given that the primary objective is to uphold the peak standard of competition throughout the league.
Sin conveyed: “We now possess four years of experience, and teams have a substantially richer history compared to our inception. Therefore, we will scrutinize the historical performance of what teams have managed to achieve and their endeavors to expand the organization and team in manners consistent with our objectives and aspirations.”
Extending VCT Pacific’s Reach to Additional Cities Throughout APAC
VCT Pacific journeyed to Tokyo for the 2025 Stage 2 Finals, and this current year, Riot Games has declared plans for touring events in Ho Chi Minh City and Busan for the 2026 season. Sin’s ambition is to provide “a top-tier experience” for supporters in both locales and to “introduce additional VCT Pacific competitions to novel cities throughout APAC in the years to come.”
He further stated: “We assess numerous variables when determining suitable host venues for our competitions – including travel documentation, expenses, facilities, potential collaborators, spectator numbers, market dimensions, and so forth.”
Elaborating on this point, Sin disclosed that Ho Chi Minh City had been a long-standing consideration for the team. Additionally, Riot Games has observed a swift increase in both Vietnamese and Korean viewership over the preceding two years, a factor that influenced the choice to host the VCT Pacific Finals in these urban centers.
“Indeed, Vietnamese currently ranks among our top 5 languages in terms of VCT viewership. We are thrilled to at last introduce VCT to Vietnam and engage directly with the local enthusiasts,” he commented.
“Regarding Busan, we encountered an occasion to collaborate with an excellent location that additionally afforded us the prospect of engaging a distinct segment of our Korean supporters. Both the audience size and fan dedication in Korea have been consistently expanding, which played a role in our determination.”
Sin additionally expresses his desire for another global VCT competition to be staged within the Pacific area, following the unprecedented triumphs of Masters Bangkok and Champions Seoul.
“Ideally, supporters will not have to endure an extended wait! I would be delighted to witness a worldwide competition hosted once more in the Pacific. We previously observed significant achievements last year when Masters arrived in Bangkok, and Champions in Seoul the year prior, thus we would enthusiastically aim to reproduce those accomplishments within our territory,” he additionally remarked.
VCT Pacific Telecasts Integrate Inventiveness with Artificial Intelligence
VCT Pacific frequently receives praise for its innovative use of production components. Ranging from Wingman initiating the 2024 season to orchestrating one of the most highly appreciated inaugural events at Champions Seoul, Sin clarified that the team constantly seeks novel approaches to distinguish its transmissions.
“Our aim is for VCT Pacific transmissions to possess a distinct character, highlighting our variety and inventiveness. As an illustration, we have featured interactions between English, Japanese, and Indonesian casters during broadcasts, and those proved to be genuinely enjoyable portions,” he expanded.
“Furthermore, we consistently endeavor to integrate a greater degree of local cultural aspects into our broadcasts; viewers may have detected components mirroring indigenous culture during the VCT Ascension transmissions in Jakarta and Bangkok.”
With artificial intelligence progressively becoming ubiquitous, Riot Games has similarly deployed this technology within VCT Pacific. Nonetheless, Sin stresses that the paramount concern is to provide a genuine encounter for the fanbase.
“We perceive AI as a valuable auxiliary instrument for numerous background functions, for instance, within our anti-cheat programs and other operational aspects of competition. As technological advancements progress, additional avenues will emerge for AI to assist esports,” he stated.
“However, our primary concern for event reporting is to guarantee its maximum resonance with our supporters, and we accomplish this by collaborating with numerous exceptional local affiliates and groups throughout our territory.”
The Three Foundational Elements Influencing VCT Pacific’s Trajectory
When questioned by Esports Insider regarding Riot Games’ aspirations for VCT Pacific in the forthcoming period, Sin articulated that the objective is to evolve into “one of the premier esports leagues not just within the APAC territory, but globally.”
He delineated three core principles poised to facilitate the team’s attainment of that triumph: competitive prowess, enduring viability, and fan engagement.
Although Pacific teams have secured three Masters championships, the area continues its pursuit of its inaugural VALORANT Champions title, an achievement which, as per Sin, would serve to solidify its standing as “the most formidable region globally.”
“Considering the rich concentration and variety of aptitude within our territory, complemented by novel endeavors such as developmental squads in Challengers, we are favorably situated to persistently elevate performance standards on the international arena,” he observed.
Sin additionally underscored Riot’s endeavors to guarantee the enduring viability of both participating organizations and individual players. Such efforts encompass financial provisions for teams and the distribution of income derived from virtual items like Team Capsules, coupled with consistent oversight of player compensations throughout the region.
“We are noting that player remuneration is also at an appropriate standard. Our aim is to ensure we continuously expand the overall benefits for teams through virtual merchandise, which directly compensates teams for cultivating fan loyalty,” Sin remarked.
“Furthermore, we are actively engaged in broadening and diversifying our collaborations for the league, enabling us to utilize the backing from our partners to consistently dedicate resources towards crafting exceptional fan encounters.”
Lastly, Sin aspires to transform VALORANT esports in the Pacific into a cultural phenomenon for APAC enthusiasts, achieved through interactive fan events, joint projects with regional creatives, promotional items, among other initiatives.
“Looking ahead, we shall persist in innovating our methods of engaging with our supporters, guaranteeing their centrality to all our undertakings. We also intend to establish VCT Pacific as a genuinely global league, one with which fans throughout APAC can connect and feel a sense of belonging,” he concluded.
“This involves introducing additional events to an increased number of cities, generating further prospects for direct fan interaction. It also entails offering a stage to exhibit the most formidable teams from all territories as we proceed with fostering a worldwide fanbase.”
This article, titled “Heightened emphasis on fan base”: Jake Sin discusses the selection of future VCT Pacific partner organizations, was originally published by Esports Insider.
