Riot Games and GRID Esports Partner to Create the Future of Data-Driven VALORANT Esports Ecosystem

Riot Games and GRID Esports, sign an exclusive two-year partnership to bring VALORANT data assets onto GRID’s Data platform making them accessible to data-reliant audiences.

The goal of the partnership is to leverage the potential of gaming data to create innovative experiences, drive fan engagement and empower interactive broadcast solutions to provide a robust VALORANT ecosystem and benchmark for the esports industry.

GRID Esports will be trusted with the distribution of all official VALORANT Esports data assets across the main global and regional tournaments – including Challengers, Masters, and Champions. Data assets include granular in-game statistics for players, teams, and matchups, that will be made available on the GRID Data Platform in the coming months.

“VALORANT is the esports scene disruptor. One of the youngest competitive gaming titles has already amassed an incredible number of fans, dedicated professional players and managed to establish a thriving, diverse esports scene. It would not be possible if not for the professionalism and direct involvement of the Publisher – Riot Games. Riot’s proven, holistic approach to growing their titles’ presence is a unique model we want to support with GRID’s technology.” says Moritz Maurer, CEO of GRID Esports,  “At GRID the alignment with our partners is our highest priority. In joining forces with Riot we aim to establish the GRID Data Platform as a firm foundation for VALORANT’s exceptional ecosystem sustainable, data-driven, growth.”’

GRID’s technology is designed to capitalize on the potential of esports data for storytelling and fan engagement. GRID’s approach is unique in the industry – the company exclusively handles official data assets and recognizes the IP of the game publishers at the core of its business model.

Riot Games introduced VALORANT in 2020 and the game has instantly become a globally-acclaimed competitive first person shooter (FPS) title, boasting an active player base of more than 15 million monthly players. For two consecutive years, VALORANT has been growing its audience and expanding esports presence with the latest addition of new regional leagues or extended support for third-party organizers.

“Riot Games endeavors to grow our sports and enable community engagement,” said John Knauss, Esports Competitive Data Programs Lead with Riot Games. “Our audience is the most engaged in the entire global esports ecosystem, and we want to continue to foster that engagement with ever-evolving ways of interacting with our sports. We are excited for the future of VALORANT, its growth, and opportunities to deepen fandom by enabling new products and experiences.”

“The potential of esports data assets exceeds traditional sports counterparts due to the digital nature of video games, and the ability to extract data through direct game integrations. These integrations lead to unparalleled levels of accuracy and granularity.” Moritz goes on to explain,

“The unlimited potential for innovation in the field of data-driven entertainment presents a unique opportunity for Publishers to capitalize on the extraordinary ecosystem for their game titles. The partnership with GRID’s Data Platform, which was created specifically for this industry, allows game publishers to unlock the potential of their data assets and game IP.”