HIGH-RANKED VALORANT PROFESSIONAL STRUGGLES WITH DEPRESSION AND LACK OF PURPOSE DURING BRUTAL VCT OFF-SEASON

As Valorant Champions 2024 approaches, so does the lengthy off-season. Daniel ‘Rossy’ Abedrabbo, a former T1 player, recently shared on social media the feeling of being a professional player during this barren competitive period.

After the World Championships for Valorant, there are currently no scheduled competitive VCT tournaments. Players will need to wait for off-season events to begin appearing in order to resume their professional grind.

Despite the limited number of event announcements leading up to the major tournament and only free agency to anticipate, Rossy expressed uncertainty about how to occupy his newfound free time.

Those who are not participating in Valorant Champions will have to wait until February 2025 for another opportunity to compete in VCT, which is approximately 6 months from now if the circuit follows a similar schedule as the 2023 season.

“I have never felt so lacking in purpose in my life. This schedule truly depresses me and I have no doubt that other players feel the same way,”he stated.

VCT 2024 format and schedule — Riot Games

The VCT calendar started on February 17 and will end after just six months on August 25.

Some professionals also recommended that he consider a role as a caster or on-camera personality for Valorant Champions, with many expressing similar feelings towards the upcoming off-season schedule.

“Bang, a Valorant pro for 100 Thieves, expressed a desire to time travel to 2025, stating “I wish I could skip ahead to 2025,”according to a tweet from his account.”

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“Responding, M80’s Brendan ‘BcJ’ Jensen welcomed the person to the club, as seen in his tweet on his BcJFPS account (link: https://x.com/BcJFPS/status/1816676507231613186).”

Despite being a recurring issue, the disapproval towards this year’s light competitive schedule is not uncommon. Both professional players and fans have made it clear to Riot Games that they are dissatisfied with the current slate, as it includes fewer matches compared to the previous season.

According to Riot, the 2025 season will feature a redesigned competitive calendar and they are committed to this schedule due to their long-term planning of esports events.

The 2022 and 2023 off-seasons included several tournaments for teams, providing opportunities for players of all levels to gain practice before the start of the VCT season.

Organizers anticipate that announcements for these events will begin after Valorant Champions, with the goal of attracting both viewers and teams following the World Championship.

Despite the excitement of both professionals and fans, the World Championship will not conclude for approximately a month, with the schedules for Riot-sanctioned off-season events taking even longer to be announced.