Riot Games has announced that Bleed Esports will be removed from the Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) due to their failure to meet essential reporting requirements. In their place, Boom Esports will fill the now vacant 12th position in VCT Pacific.
This marks the official loss of Bleed Esports’ slot in the premier Valorant competition. The Singaporean organization has had its team slot revoked by Riot due to numerous “critical” administrative issues.
An announcement on October 4 stated, “After careful consideration, Riot Games has decided to remove Bleed Esports from the Valorant Champions Tour and VCT Pacific.”
Bleed Esports was terminated for not complying with critical reporting obligations and other key requirements outlined in the Team Participation Agreement (TPA). Riot emphasized that the decision was made to protect the players in the league due to ongoing operational issues.
Players affected by the organization’s removal, including former Valorant star yay, were reportedly notified promptly so they could seek other opportunities.
With Bleed Esports vacating the 12th spot, Riot is promoting Boom Esports, the runners-up from Ascension Pacific 2024, to fill the final position, ensuring the competition proceeds with all 12 teams as intended. While the specific nature of the administrative issues has not been disclosed, a notable insider suggested they may have been related to players experiencing long delays for promised payments.
In a statement shortly after the announcement, Bleed Esports expressed disappointment but acknowledged Riot’s decision and pledged to cooperate throughout the process. They noted that they had been in ongoing communication with Riot regarding their deliverables in the TPA, but were unable to resolve the issues satisfactorily, leading to their removal from VCT Pacific.
Despite being removed from VCT Pacific, Bleed Esports mentioned that they remain eligible to compete in Challengers, a lower tier of local competition.
Boom Esports, on the other hand, seemed unaware of the announcement prior to its release. As their official account tweeted, “What the hell is happening?” shortly after the news broke. The team had narrowly missed out on securing the 12th spot over Sin Prisa Gaming at the Pacific Ascension event, losing 15-17 in a decisive fifth map. Now, they receive an unexpected opportunity as Bleed Esports steps aside.
