In a shocking turn of events, Riot Games announced that Bleed Esports had been removed from VCT Pacific. This news came right after the VCT 2024 regular season ended. In a statement by Riot Games, they have also announced that Boom Esports, the runners-up of VCT Ascension, will be promoted to the VCT Pacific league in 2025. In this article, let’s take a deep dive into this news: the statement by both Riot Games and Bleed Esports. Let’s also look at all the implications of this news on the upcoming VCT 2025 League.
What Resulted in Bleed Esports Termination From VALORANT Champions Tour Pacific League?
Image Credits: Riot Games
Bleed Esports was the first team in VCT Pacific to qualify for the tournament through VCT Ascension. In 2023, they went on an incredible run during the VALORANT Challengers league in the Malaysia and Singapore regions. After qualifying for VCT Ascension Pacific 2023, they went on an incredible run, winning the grand finals and becoming the 11th team in the league.
In a statement by Riot Games concerning the removal of Bleed Esports, they stated the following:
“Bleed Esports was terminated due to its failure to comply with critical reporting requirements and other vital obligations under the Team Participation Agreement (TPA).”
Following the announcement by Riot Games, Bleed Esports provided a statement stating the following.
“Over the last year, we have constantly communicated with Riot to address issues related to our deliverables in the TPA. Unfortunately, we could not rectify these issues satisfactorily, so we decided to terminate our participation in VCT Pacific.”
Fans must note that this isn’t the first time Riot Games had to provide a public statement concerning a team getting promoted through VCT Ascension. During VCT Ascension Americas 2023, The Guard won the event and secured a spot in the VCT Americas League. Following this tournament, the organization announced that it would be shutting down. Due to this, the players were onboarded by G2 Esports and allowed to play in the 2024 season.
Changes For The Upcoming VCT Pacific League 2025
Image Credits: Riot Games
As previously announced by Riot Games, starting in 2025, each regional VCT League will have 12 teams competing in the league. Now that Bleed Esports has been removed, it would mean there will be 11 teams within the club rather than the required 12. In the same statement by Riot Games concerning Bleed Esports being removed, they announced the following:
In line with our commitment to merit-based qualification, Boom Esports, the runner-up from Ascension Pacific 2024, will be promoted to the vacated slot.
This would mean the VCT Ascension Pacific grand finalists would be part of the VCT Pacific 2025 League. In the eyes of many, this was the tournament match due to how close the series was and the fans present in Jakarta at the venue.
