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NA Valorant Teams to Cut Spending for 2024 Season: A Shift Towards Sustainability
While the international VCT leagues are aiming for long-term growth, several North American Valorant teams are taking a different approach. Recent reports have shown that organizations competing in the VCT Americas league are planning to scale back player salaries and opt for more sustainability as early as the 2024 season. However, it’s unclear what impact this will have on the NA Valorant team moving forwards.
Credit: Epic Games
NA Valorant: A Shift in Strategy
Both 100 Thieves and Cloud9, who missed Master Tokyo and Champions, are expected to reduce player salaries next season. Other organizations are likely to follow suit. North American player salaries were previously reported to be upwards of $20,000 to $30,000 per month, with some speculating that current salaries are even higher. This would put them at the higher end of the esports player salary spectrum.
In an interview, Evil Geniuses coach Christine “potter” Chi revealed that C9 was once paying superstar Jaccob “yay” Whiteaker around $60,000 a month, a huge sum. Giants’ Emir “rhyme” Muminovic also claimed that players in North America made “five times” more than players in EMEA. Valorant is a lucrative game with a lot of international interest. But it may be difficult to justify this level of compensation for players.
Starting next year, teams like 100T and C9 could potentially offer players the league minimum salary, currently $50,000 per year for Americans. Teams will continue to provide external necessities such as housing to make up for lowered salaries. It is expected that players will not be happy with these changes. Although it remains to be seen if they will look to compete in other regions.
Salary Cuts for Sustainability
The decision to cut spending reflects a broader trend in esports towards sustainability. With the potential for more sponsorship opportunities and the release of team-branded in-game items, teams are looking for ways to balance growth with financial stability. The 2024 season will be a critical test of this new approach.
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