Riot Will Not Promote The Guard, No Promoted Team in VCT Americas 2024
According to a recent social media statement, The Guard will not be joining the VCT Americas for the 2024 season due to the organization “failing to meet the deadline” for the Team Participation Agreement. This means that VCT Americas will remain a 10-team league and not promote a team from Challengers League going into 2024.
This is upsetting news for fans of The Guard, as well as the overall VALORANT community. The organization had earned their way into the Ascension tournament by competing in the Challengers League and then were offered a spot in the VCT after winning Ascension.
Despite not dropping a single series throughout the Ascension tournament, The Guard will not be given a spot in the next tier of VALORANT esports.
Why Was The Guard Not Given a Spot in VCT Americas?
Riot Games took to social media to explain the situation to fans. The tweet stated that after “several months and rounds” of communication between The Guard and VCT, the org failed to meet deadlines for signing an agreement.
An update regarding the teams participating in VCT Americas 2024. pic.twitter.com/YCYoZSPpcL
— VALORANT Esports NA (@valesports_na) August 29, 2023
It’s unclear what stopped The Guard from signing the agreement and the details of the agreement are not known. The organization had financial issues earlier this year, including massive layoffs that shook the entire esports community.
Now, The Guard's parent organization only has teams competing in Overwatch League, Call of Duty League, and VALORANT. But it’s rumored that the organization is looking to sell these slots and get out of the franchised leagues completely. This would potentially explain why The Guard chose to turn down the invitation from Riot Games to join the top-tier VALORANT league, although fans are a bit confused on the org’s decision after dominating in Challengers.
The Guard has not made any statements regarding the decision as of this writing. Meanwhile, players on the roster have been trialing and scrimming with other teams but fans are frustrated that Riot and The Guard didn’t attempt to get the players’ future with other teams sorted out before it all came to a head.
Olivia is a long-time esports journalist and editor who covers just about every game but has a deep love for the FGC. Her goal is to find community-driven stories that bring a new perspective to the esports scene. In the past, she has worked for Team Liquid, Rogue, Inven Global, Dot Esports, Upcomer, and more. Outside of esports, Olivia enjoys Kirby, Pokemon TCG, Fallout, and writing science fiction. She can be found trying out new foods, traveling, or hanging out with her two orange cats. Fun fact: Olivia can do some video game and cartoon impressions!