First VCT Masters Event of 2022 Might Return to Reykjavik
The first Valorant Masters event of 2022 is reportedly going to be hosted in Reykjavik, Iceland, according to an announcement that appeared on the official Valorant esports Weibo account on 18th Feb. The post which was in Mandrain revealed information about the upcoming offline events in the Valorant esports scene.
The announcement detailed that the offline event will reportedly take place between 10-24th April, following the conclusion of the Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) Stage 1 Challengers of major regions including North America (NA) and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) in March.
Reykjavik was also the venue for the first international Valorant Masters event that was held in May 2021.
The original announcement about VCT Masters was in Mandarin 
VCT Masters in Reykjavik
According to a report by Dexerto, the original post in Mandarin read, “Today we are excited to announce that the inaugural international event of the 2022 Valorant Champions Tour is returning to Reykjavik from April 10-24! As host country, Iceland has hosted our recent major events brilliantly and, in the current global situation, provides the best way to ensure a successful event.”
The statement that was made on the Weibo account further revealed that Riot Games was aiming towards having live audiences for Valorant esports. It said, “Bringing Valorant events to live audiences in 2022 is a top priority for esports. However, Iceland remains an ideal location to host international offline competitions until it is safe to host an event that will keep fans engaged.”
The statement does not clearly state whether there would be a live audience present at the venue. However, it detailed that Riot chose Iceland as the location given its connection with Iceland and its time zone. This gives teams the best chance of attending the LAN event amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which may restrict travel to and from certain countries.
“It is precisely because of our deep relationship and strong connection with Iceland that all qualifying teams are given the best guarantee of participation. In addition, Iceland’s time zone makes it easy to schedule matches for online viewers on different continents,” read the original post in Mandarin.
The statement also included a complete table with point distribution. From the table, it seems that Valorant Masters 2 will have 16 teams competing, instead of 12 teams.
Point distribution
The first-ever LAN event for Valorant took place in Reykjavik in 2021. Sentinels from North America took home the glory and the trophy as it emerged victorious over the ten other teams that participated. The event did not feature an audience and Sentinels walked away with $200K USD and 400 circuit points.
The next few months are going to be loaded with action-packed matches for the fans of Valorant esports. It will be interesting to see how the teams adapt and how well they translate their experiences of playing in VCT Challengers, moving into this major LAN event.
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