The Ludwig x Tarik Invitational 2, an off-season Valorant event supported by Riot Games, took place on January 13 and 14 at OFFBRAND Studio in Los Angeles. Compared to the first edition, most viewership stats experienced steep declines, although the participants’ identities played a crucial role.
Similar to last year, the 2024 edition of this off-season tournament featured analysts and casters from the VCT circuit calling the matches, ensuring a unique viewing experience for audiences. The show match this time showcased teams led by renowned content creators and pro gamers Ludwig and Tarik. The latter emerged victorious in a nail-biting 2:1 decider, compensating for the earlier one-sided maps.
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The Ludwig x Tarik Invitational 2 adopted a double-elimination format, with all matches being best of three, a departure from 2023 when the Upper Bracket Final was a best-of-one affair. The four participating sides were Oxygen Esports, Moist x Shopify Rebellion, Cloud9, and 100 Thieves, prominent names in the North American esports scene.
Basic stats and most popular matches from the Ludwig x Tarik Invitational 2:
This $50K Valorant competition reached 82.5K Peak Viewers during the showmatch between Team Ludwig and Team Tarik. Featuring names like Pokimane, TenZ, LilyPichu, and Aiden, it garnered 1.2M Hours Watched and 58.6K Average Viewers over 22 hours of airtime.
The most popular match between pro teams was the Lower Bracket Semifinal between Cloud9 and 100 Thieves. The latter lost 1:2, finishing last, while the former lost in the Lower Bracket Final, securing $5K.
Most successful streamers at the Ludwig x Tarik Invitational 2:
The Ludwig x Tarik Invitational 2’s most popular side exceeded 60K Average Viewers, with the other three teams around 3K viewers apart. Twitch was the preferred platform, with only one YouTube channel live streaming the action.
Compared to the previous edition, both main organizers experienced declines in viewership statistics, reflecting overall changes between the two years. While remaining the most successful streamers, they attracted less than half as many viewers across crucial metrics.
In a brief event recap, Cloud9 and 100 Thieves, two popular rosters worldwide, failed to reach the Grand Final. Oxygen Esports beat Moist x Shopify Rebellion 2:1 to claim the title and $30K prize money.
The winning side, formed in 2020 by merging Helix eSports and Team Reciprocity, took revenge for its 1:2 loss to Moist x Shopify Rebellion in the Upper Bracket Final. The runner-up, owned by popular creator MoistCr1TiKaL, took home $15K.
Two rosters introduced changes, adding intrigue for fans. 100 Thieves had former Overwatch pro and Evil Geniuses member Boostio join as its in-game leader, while Oxygen Esports had three members, including IGL mitch, join in December.
Viewership numbers from the two editions of the Ludwig x Tarik Invitational:
Despite almost double the channels streaming the action, the Ludwig x Tarik Invitational 2 fell short of matching the inaugural edition’s numbers. The showmatch was more popular than any actual games between organizations this year.
Notable streamers in 2023, like Shroud, QuarterJade, and Envy, generated high interest. Sentinels, the most popular roster globally, also attracted more viewers last year. However, this year, despite the fan bases of Cloud9 and 100 Thieves, the decline in results and fame led to reduced interest.
This series, hosted by two names famous in esports and streaming, is poised to grow with its unique mixture of prominence, competitor name value, production quality, and superstar broadcast talent. Fans have enjoyed the showdowns between NA region sides over the past two years, with the content creator and pro team matchups providing entertaining interludes between serious action.
