Riot Games aims to reach as broad an audience as possible with the online shooter Valorant. To achieve this, the amount of blood shown must be reduced.
What is the issue with blood in Valorant? Riot Games wants to establish the shooter in the eSports scene, a first major tournament has already taken place. In eSports, many matches are broadcast live or can be watched as recordings, for example via Twitch or YouTube.
To reach as many viewers and therefore interested players as possible, blood must not be shown in Valorant during tournaments.
That’s why there is no blood in eSports tournaments
What does Riot Games say about the situation? Whalen Rozelle, Senior Director of eSports at Riot Games, explains the situation as follows:
„Ultimately, we want our eSport to be as accessible as possible, and this includes achieving a high reach. By removing blood, we enable more sponsors and merchants to join the ecosystem, which ultimately leads to greater accessibility and stability for everyone.”
Whalen Rozelle, Senior Director of Esports at Riot Games
Why is that so? So that more players find interest in Valorant and participate or watch, an option has been added to the game that disables blood. This option is to be used especially in eSports tournaments or when the game is streamed live, regardless of the size of the tournament.
For sponsors, it can be problematic if they do not want to be associated with the “killer game” image. Sponsors can also come from areas outside of gaming, such as cosmetics manufacturers. If the depiction of violence is kept to a minimum, it becomes easier for eSports teams and tournament organizers to find sponsors. This increases the potential pool of sponsors.
Furthermore, YouTubers cannot monetize a video if they show content intended for people over 18 years old. This includes a lot of blood in games. If there is an option to turn off the blood, it is more attractive for YouTubers to upload videos about Valorant and show scenes from tournaments.
It is also important to look at China. The huge gaming market in China is subject to strict rules. For example, showing blood is prohibited. The depiction of character corpses can also be a problem that can be disabled in Valorant. All of this must be considered by Riot Games if the studio wants to be successful internationally with Valorant in eSports.
So how does Riot Games proceed now? In eSports tournaments, organizers must ensure that players use the “No Blood Option” to disable blood effects in matches.
Valorant is specifically designed as an online shooter for the competitive scene and aims to play a major role in eSports. If you want to know how Riot Games’ title plays, MeinMMO editor Jeya Jankowski reveals what she thinks of the shooter.
