Riot Games Delivers Record $100M+ Payout to VCT Teams for 2025
Riot Games is set to distribute over $100 million to VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) partner teams for the 2025 season, the largest payout in the league’s history.
This marks a huge leap from the $78.4 million shared with 44 teams in 2024, generated by fan spending on esports cosmetics.
Revenue Surge from Fan Purchases
Digital items like team skins, Season Capsules, and Champions Collections raked in more than $86 million in 2025 alone, which is a massuve 94% jump from $44.3 million the previous year. Leo Faria, Global Head of VALORANT Esports, celebrated: “2025 was a defining year. Our community continues to elevate this sport, and their passion fuels one of the healthiest ecosystems in esports.”
In 2024, Riot paid out $78.4 million to 44 teams from $44.3 million in in game purchases revenue, for 2025, the payout exceeds $100 million from over $86 million in revenue, now focused on partner teams.
Record Breaking Fan Engagement
2025 shattered viewership records. Masters Bangkok and Toronto became the most watched Masters events ever, while Champions Paris featured a blockbuster opening ceremony and crowned NRG as world champions.
Interactive features exploded too over 2 million Pick’Em players during Game Changers, millions of live predictions via Shotcall beta, and a revamped broadcast boosting watch time.
2026 Season Overhaul
Riot’s investment powers bold changes: A new “Path to Champions” lets non partner teams vie for spots at Champions Shanghai (Stage 2).
Global roadshows expand to fresh cities, with the season firing up January 15 via Masters Santiago and London, culminating in Shanghai this October.
This fan driven model cements VCT as esports sustainability benchmark, mixing competition, innovation, and community passion for long term growth.
Since: October 29, 2025
