Valorant gameplay capture events cancelled amidst Coronavirus concerns

Coronavirus scares have led Riot Games to cancel the first in-person Valorant gameplay events.

The hype around Riot Games’ upcoming release, Valorant, is growing by the day. The team-based tactical shooter that was, up until recently known by it’s codename “Project A” has competitive gamers, content creators and casuals alike excited about the prospect of something brand-new.

Part of the planned promotion for the new title were two live gameplay capture events that would give pros, streamers and creators a chance to try Valorant hands-on. Unfortunately though, the developers have announced that these events will no longer be going ahead.

In a post from the @PlayVALORANT Twitter account, they explained “in current circumstances, flying folks in to play under one roof isn’t smart… let’s play without the health risks”. This isn’t the first sign of the Coronavirus outbreak impacting the gaming industry. The recent IEM Katowice Counter-Strike tournament was played without an audience, whilst the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco was cancelled all together.

Esports consultant Rod “Slasher” Breslau, took to social media to share the email that Riot sent out to everyone scheduled to attend the events in Los Angeles and Barcelona. In the message, they talked about their “policy of putting players first” and confirmed that Coronavirus scares were the reason behind their decision.

Fortunately, it looks like we will still be getting a chance to see our favorite creators play Valorant relatively soon. Riot’s email explained “We are working hard on our side to put some finishing touches on a digital solution which will let you get your hands on the game from the comfort of your home setups”.

Whilst this may not be quite the same as a live event, a digital alternative may have its benefits. Setups at these kinds of things are not always optimal and having people play at home could actually end up producing better content for the public to see. The team behind Valorant will obviously have been looking forward to meeting with these influencers, but there will always be more opportunities to arrange this down the line.

The community have responded positively to the news, with the general consensus being “we are disappointed, but it was the right move”. 100 Thieves star “NoahJ456” replied to the announcement tweet, joking “What if you accidentally dropped the beta instead?”. Whatever the solution is we will find out shortly, but the sooner I can give it a try the better!