MAD Lions released its entire VALORANT player roster and staff today following the team’s relegation from the NA Challengers League, signaling what could be a mass exodus of teams in the tier-two scene.
All five players in Ange, Trick, N4RRATE, Bjor, and BlackHeart were released by the esports organization owned and operated by OverActive Media, in addition to coaches Eley and Chopper. The season for the MAD Lions players ended on June 5 in the NA Challengers Relegation Bracket at the hands of OREsports, joining Disguised in relegation from the league.
The season was a tumultuous one for the MAD Lions team. They quickly moved former 100 duelist Will to the substitute role early on after praising him as a pivotal part of the team structure during their qualifier run. Between splits, the team made more roster changes and all eyes were on them for the wrong reasons when in-game leader Justin “Trick” Sears and the recently released Anthony “ZexRow” Colandro got into a very public beef on Twitter.
Related: Former MAD Lions teammates turn on each other after VALORANT roster change
While the top remaining Challengers teams are still fighting for one of two NA spots at the Americas Ascension tournament, with the lone tantalizing promotion to VCT Americas waiting at the end of that event, there’s a lot of concern surrounding the long-term health of tier two and whether some of the bigger organizations will stick around.
Much of the concerns revolve around the extended break between the end of the Challengers season and the start of the 2024 season. G2 coach Immi said there’s “no chance over half these orgs stay in” with a six-month break, with Moist coach Tanizhq adding that there’s no “incentive to invest” even if you get promoted since it’s only for two years. G2 could even be one of the teams exiting after their elimination, with dapr ominously tweeting “who knows what’s gonna happen in 6 months but its always a fun ride playing VALORANT.“
There’s a lot of uncertainty around the NA Challengers League alone. MAD Lions are out. Disguised Toast and Ludwig’s Moist Moguls have both been very upfront about the high costs of running a team and might not be interested in staying around long-term. The Guard cut almost all of its staff in February. TSM is looking to move its flagship League of Legends program to another region, so who’s to say the org won’t leave NA VALORANT too? VALORANT reporter George Geddes claimed today that more Challengers teams other than MAD Lions “are already planning their exit from the tier two scene.“
Related: Tier-2 VALORANT has the passion and talent for a long future—if Riot helps it survive
Head of VALORANT esports Leo Faria has already tried to meet these concerns, recently saying Riot is committed to tier two and promising a significant overhaul for 2024 “with competitions year-round and a strong connection with Premier.”
