In exciting news for VALORANT fans, Riot Games has teamed up with KGeN to launch the first VALORANT virtual training academy for India, LIFT//OFF. The primary objective of this partnership is to prepare the next set of professional VALORANT athletes and give them an opportunity to showcase their skills on a global stage.
Image credits: KGen
It seems like Riot Games has taken the recent backlash seriously regarding its perceived lack of support for Tier 2 and lower-level tiers in the VALORANT competitive ecosystem. Many professional players in the community were criticizing the company for primarily focusing on higher-tier competitive play in the VALORANT Champions Tour that generate substantial revenue. As a result, many players started to believe that Riot has shown little interest in fostering the Tier 2 scene which is crucial for developing new talent.
The reasoning behind Riot’s decision not to focus on the Tier 2 competitive scene could be the massive expense involved which is a valid point. Thankfully, with this announcement, it seems they are finally concentrating on the grassroots level which will strengthen the entire ecosystem and pay off in the long run.
What is the VALORANT virtual academy for India?
Coming back to their partnership, KGeN will select gaming content creators as “creators” and experienced competitive players as “trainers” from the VALORANT scene to lead this academy.
Out of all the applicants, they’ll choose 20 creators, who will then form their teams from their own communities. Each creator can either pick 5 players or join the team themselves with 4 others, bringing the total to between 60 and 80 players. On top of that, 20 trainers will be picked, with each trainer working with one of the 20 teams.
They have also revealed that crucial stats like hours played, win rates, successful kills, and headshot percentage, and KDR will be given the highest priority for selecting the first group of Trainers, Creators, and esports recruits for LIFT//OFF. But that’s not even all. You must also gain a decent social standing in the community, such as tournament wins, content creation skills, and positive feedback if you want your name on the list.
How to apply for LIFT//OFF
India’s first VALORANT virtual training academy ‘LIFT//OFF’ will be launched on September 18 and you can apply for the Creators, Trainers, and Recruits role right away.
Once you enroll yourself in the program, a KGeN representative will reach out to you shortly to guide you through the next steps. However, it’s worth noting that the last date to apply for LIFT//OFF is October 10. If you are a new player, be sure to check out our best VALORANT settings to get better at the game.
After that, players can take part in-game challenges to test their learning from November 4 to 26 in order to climb the Weekly & Daily Challenges Leaderboard. The finals will kick off on November 30 and continue until December 3 which will essentially assess the learnings of the Recruits and the teaching effectiveness of Trainers.
