The Valorant Champions tournament is the pinnacle of Valorant esports, and as such, it boasts the highest prize pool of any tournament within the esports landscape for the entire year. In comparison, the prize pool for the Valorant world championship in both 2021 and 2022 stood at $1 million.
To further incentivize teams and players, the Valorant Champions bundle offers a financial boost derived from in-game skin sales. Riot Games shares the net proceeds from the limited-time cosmetic bundle with the qualifying tournament teams. In 2021, the Champions bundle contributed over $7.5 million to the teams' funds, reaching this impressive sum about halfway through the tournament. The following year, the skin bundle generated a staggering $18 million in profit over the course of its availability.
For the 2023 Valorant Champions, Riot Games is taking the stakes even higher by introducing a record-breaking prize pool. The tournament will offer a total of $2.25 million, with the event's winners taking home a staggering $1 million. Undoubtedly, this purse stands as the largest in the history of Valorant esports, setting a formidable standard for future world championships in terms of prize money.
It's worth noting that the inaugural Valorant Champions tournament was commemorated with in-game skins.
While the $2.25 million prize pool is undoubtedly a substantial sum, it still falls short compared to the prize pools seen in some other major esports events. For instance, Riot Games' League of Legends World Championship witnessed a significant prize pool boost in 2018, thanks to both the initial $2.25 million contribution from the developers and the additional funds generated from in-game skin sales.
Similarly, other esports like Dota 2 have achieved massive prize pools by allowing the community to contribute through in-game cosmetic sales. However, Valorant esports has followed a different path, with Riot Games choosing to allocate in-game sales revenue directly to teams, regardless of their tournament placement.
As fans eagerly await the start of the tournament on August 6, all eyes will be on which team will emerge victorious and claim the illustrious $1 million prize.
