20 clubs from the EMEA region have qualified for the next round of the VALORANT Partner Program

Twenty esports organizations have qualified for the next phase of the VALORANT Partner Program in EMEA, according to BLIX.gg. It is among these teams that Riot Games will choose ten teams that will enter the franchise for the next competitive season.

On July 15, Riot Games updated the teams on their status regarding the possibility of joining one of the VALORANT franchises. The vast majority of candidates were eliminated, leaving a total of around 20 teams.

Some teams from the list with a large fan base were in limbo between moving to the next stage and disqualification. Finally, their future was decided, and some of them managed to move on to the next stage.

Details of the next stage of selection for the affiliate program

The teams that were selected on July 15 were assigned to interview with Riot Games and present their long-term team project. This interview is mostly done in person at the Berlin office, and the teams started presenting their designs earlier this week. The teams will complete the presentation of their projects in mid-August, and around the end of August-beginning of September, the final list of partner teams for the next season will be formed.

How does Riot Games intend to conduct the selection of candidates?

According to sources close to the situation, it became known that the places in the EMEA region will be distributed as follows:

• One seat for each organization representing the large esports community (Spain, France, Turkey, etc.).
• The remaining organizations will compete against each other, so there is a very real possibility that multiple teams could represent the same community if that is in line with Riot Games' vision and ambition.

European league venue for next season

While the interviews are being held in Berlin, the venue for the championships themselves has yet to be determined. Everything indicates that Barcelona and Berlin are the main candidates. Riot Games has already considered options for hosting a headquarters in Barcelona, according to sources close to the situation, although nothing has been determined at the moment.

Before looking at the proposals of the 20 shortlisted teams (+1 on the waiting list), it should be noted that some organizations have applied to multiple regions. For example, G2 Esports and Misfits have also applied in North America.

The full list of organizations selected for the next selection round for the VALORANT Partner Program in EMEA is as follows:

In addition, this list includes an unnamed organization that is a subsidiary of a traditional football club.