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The rampaging North American Winter Storms howled their way to the esports stage. Riot Games officially announced the postponement of the VALORANT Champions Tour NA. Truly, the entirety of the country isn't besieged by snowstorms but it would be ultimately unfair to those experiencing weather issues. The main event of the second Challengers event now starts on February 20th. It's an unfortunate setback but the safety of the players remains the top priority for Riot.
IT'S A SNOW DAY
🚨 SCHEDULE UPDATE 🚨
Due to weather concerns and potential power outages for many of our players this week, the #VALORANTChallengers Week 2 Main Event has been pushed back to start on Saturday, 2/20.
We want everyone to be able to compete at the highest level. pic.twitter.com/4XVtIEBgwB
— VALORANT Esports NA (@valesports_na) February 16, 2021
Riot enforced the tournament delay due to multiple “Weather concerns and potential power outages”. Several esports organizers still abstain from holding live events due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Their last lifeline, online-only tournaments, came under attack with the harsh storms rampaging in North America. Originally, the tournament meant to kick off officially on February 18.
The brunt of the pandemic trained Riot Games in the ways of shaky esports events. The postponement for the Challengers event is unfortunate but completely unavoidable given the weather conditions. Hopefully, the weather clears enough by the 20th before the players take to the VALORANT stage once more.
Riot Games forged on in 2020 amidst lockdowns. The heightened health and safety guidelines ultimately did not stop the esports giant from holding its 10th League of Legends World Championship. Riot definitely has the capacity to hold esports events even in the harshest conditions. Unfortunately, there's hardly anything anyone could do about natural disasters that threaten power and internet connections. VALORANT resumes this weekend, hopefully, with all the skilled players in the league.
