Professional VALORANT is heading back to São Paulo for the second time this year. The Brazilian city was announced today as the host for the second-ever international Game Changers Championship for 2023.
But several of the top pro players in the Game Changers scene are not happy with the choice of venue: Riot Studios in São Paulo, Brazil. The most notable complaint is that the venue’s maximum audience size is only about 150 people, according to a Twitter post by the Liquipedia VALORANT page.
Version1 captain and former C9 White player Melanie “meL” Capone wrote that she was “not a fan of the venue size or of the tournament format,” adding that having just eight teams is too small for an international tournament that only happens once a year and that it “goes without saying that 150 seats isn’t enough.”
This venue choice has not impressed numerous pro players in the Game Changers scene as many see it as a lack of growth, given that the Berlin venue for Game Changers 2022 also seated around 150 crowd attendees. But it’s even worse than that: the LEC Studio that housed the 2022 event has a reported capacity of 174, but the CBLOL Studio in São Paulo that will likely host the 2023 championship reportedly only has a capacity of 142.
Players from across numerous teams including G2 Gozen, Guild X, and lots of other Game Changers rosters have also voiced their displeasure on Twitter, particularly because a larger crowd for the world championship was near the top of the list of desires by virtually most of the players and fans.
Riot has traditionally been quick to respond to community concerns, as evidenced by the original format announcement of VCT LOCK//IN earlier this year, so there’s a chance that the people in charge could see the community response and consider a venue change.
