Tyson ‘TenZ’ Ngo once again voiced his disappointment with Riot Games on a Twitch livestream, for the third consecutive year, regarding the company’s failure to provide top-of-the-line equipment and PCs at major VCT events.
Ever since Riot launched the VCT circuit in 2021, Valorant professionals have expressed their dissatisfaction with the lower quality gear provided at international events. According to them, the monitors and PCs used on stage are outdated compared to the high-end equipment they are accustomed to using on their personal and team computers. As a result, they have voiced their concerns and complaints about the lack of top-notch gear available for their use.
During a stream in Seoul before Valorant Champions 2024, TenZ once again addressed the complaint.
“He questioned why Riot continues to invest in lower-end PCs, as he could never understand the reasoning behind it from their perspective.”
The player from the Sentinels clarified that Counter-Strike tournaments often boasted about their top-of-the-line PC configurations for competitions. However, the two esports differ in that the CS circuit is open and has multiple organizers hosting events, while Valorant operates as a closed system under the management of one entity: Riot Games.
Valorant teams are limited to the gear and internet provided by Riot for their events, whereas Counter-Strike 2 teams have the option to opt out of tournaments that do not offer satisfactory equipment or internet access.
“According to TenZ, the PCs used for Valorant are likely the same ones used for League of Legends. He believes this is due to the fact that League can run on low-end machines, leading to cost efficiency for the company.”
After the clip went viral on social media, the Valorant pro once again addressed the developer, sharing their thoughts on the matter.
According to TenZ’s comment on the YouTube short, he firmly believes that the best players should be equipped with the best gear, and this is a well-known fact. He also expressed his opinion that Riot earns a significant amount of money from the game, yet they seem to only allocate the bare minimum towards the esports scene.
Despite their claims of having sub-par gear, TenZ and the other professionals competing at Valorant Champions 2024 will once again have to work with the same equipment as they strive for international success.
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