Just a few months ago, the collegiate esports world was rocked by the outcomes of the Collegiate League of Legends (CLOL) and Collegiate VALORANT (CVAL) championships and the controversy surrounding the organizations running the tournaments: Riot and GGTech.
The two Riot Games title championships are hailed as some of the most prestigious collegiate esports tournaments in the nation. With thousands of dollars in prize money and school glory on the line, it’s no wonder hundreds of schools compete each year, vying for their chance to take the stage for the grand finals.
However, following the crowning of the winners for CLOL and CVAL 2024 on June 8th and 9th, the tournaments were plunged into controversy. It was revealed that Riot Games would not be sending replica trophies to the winning teams. Instead, they would be billed $10,000 USD for VALORANT and $6850-$9,000 for League of Legends to request their own trophies for their schools. This, along with the significant reduction of the CVAL prize pool for the year to $18,250 from a staggering $104,500 the year before, had all eyes on Riot and GGTech.
In the wake of this controversy that left programs and players all over the country wondering what happened, College Esports News spoke with both Riot and GGTech to get to the bottom of these large decisions, and hear about their plan moving forward with CVAL and CLOL in the future.
CEN requested a statement from Riot about the reasoning behind the trophy situation, and why the decision was made to require the winning teams to buy them.
Riot and GGTech Make Statements on CLOL and CVAL Concerns
Riot first confirmed that GGTech was not responsible for the change in trophy format.
“We have heard the community and understand the importance of the winning team having something tangible to proudly display their achievement. With that in mind, we are actively exploring alternatives to offer something that teams can display. We want to find a long-term solution and are considering various options to ensure it meets the needs and expectations of the teams. It will take some time to finalize what this will look like. We appreciate everyone’s understanding and patience as we navigate these changes and strive to enhance the overall experience for all participants.”
In addition to the removal of trophies, Riot and GGTech shed some light onto the lowering of the prize pool, despite initial statements claiming that it would remain the same as prior years.
Riot and GGTech shared:
“Our goal is to create a sustainable ecosystem for collegiate esports, which requires us to scale and adjust the prize pool accordingly,” said a representative on behalf of the organizations. “As the sport evolves, we continuously evaluate and adjust various aspects, including prize pools, to maintain a balance that supports long-term viability and growth. We are committed to supporting collegiate esports and will make further adjustments as necessary to foster a thriving and sustainable environment for all participants.”
CEN questioned why they did not adjust the CLOL prize pool, totaling $190,000, over 10 times the amount of the CVAL pool.
Riot and GGTech said: “The adjustment in the CVAL prizing was made to align the prize pools for VALORANT with other competitions within our ecosystem. By aligning the prize pools, we aim to maintain a balanced and fair competitive landscape across all our esports titles.”
Once again, both teams said they were open to making more changes to examine effectiveness moving into the next season of play.
These larger concerns only exacerbated larger criticisms of the two tournaments, including broadcast issues, adaptation, and transparency from GGTech. The company responded to these comments in a statement provided to College Esports News, which can be read here.
GGTech aims to review the co-streaming program and make adjustments over time, speak with stakeholders to find the best ways to apply community feedback, provide more transparency over the leagues, and increase consistency between the two title championships.
These statements shed light onto the changes made by Riot and GGTech over the 2024 season and lay the groundwork for improvement and adaptation in the coming scholastic year. Thank you to Riot Games and GGTech for speaking with us to shed light onto this complex topic.
To learn more about CVAL, CLOL, and the path for the future, watch the CEN official video for a thorough breakdown of the entire situation.
