Riot Games has shared viewership statistics for its four VCT International leagues, with VCT China emerging as the clear leader in viewership.
During Media Day, ahead of the final matches of Valorant Champions 2024, Riot Games presented internal viewership data for its VCT leagues. Each league’s performance was highlighted, but VCT China stood out as the most-watched by a significant margin.
Riot Games reported that the VCT China broadcast peaked at 1.88 million concurrent viewers during the season, surpassing VCT Americas, which reached a peak of 810,000 concurrent viewers.
Meanwhile, VCT EMEA and VCT Pacific drew much smaller audiences, with peak concurrent viewership of 409,000 and 481,000 respectively.
These numbers are particularly impressive for China, considering it was the region’s first season in the VCT, having previously participated in a different tournament series for international qualification before 2024.
While the figures are noteworthy, they are not entirely unexpected for dedicated Valorant esports followers. China has been a significant market for Valorant and esports as a whole, with Riot Games previously acknowledging the region’s impact on viewership metrics.
China entered the Valorant esports scene later than other regions, as the game needed government approval before launching its VCT league. However, Chinese teams had already competed in major tournaments like Valorant Champions 2022, VCT LOCK//IN, Masters Tokyo, and Valorant Champions 2023.
Although a Chinese team has yet to win a VCT trophy, EDward Gaming (EDG) is still in contention to secure the region’s first title at Valorant Champions 2024. EDG has been China’s top-performing team on the international stage, with a top-six finish at Valorant Champions 2023 and Masters Madrid. They will face Leviatán on August 23 for a chance to reach the Valorant World Championship title match.