“More focus on fandom”: Jake Sin on choosing VCT Pacific’s next partner teams

VCT Pacific has seen significant growth since its launch in 2023, and the region to produce some of ththe most talented VALORANT players in the world and countless memorable moments.

From Gen.G becoming the first Pacific team to lift the VCT international trophy to Nongshim RedForce becoming the first Ascension team to win a Masters event, the league has continued to strengthen its global presence.

After the 2026 VCT season, Riot Games will announce the next set of partner teams, as well as its plans for the Tier 2 ecosystem.

Esports Insider spoke to them Jake Sin, Head of VALORANT Esports for VCT Pacificto discuss the region’s competitive landscape, the upcoming partnership cycle, and his long-term vision.

In recent years, the skills gap between Tier 1 and Tier 2 has narrowed significantly. This change is reflected in the fact that three Ascension teams qualified for VALORANT Masters Santiago, and Nongshim RedForce won both regional and international titles.

“The progress we’re seeing at the Tier 2 level is a steady trend. I also shared last month that 17 Challenger players and 5 rookies made their VCT Pacific debuts last year. And now we have Nongshim representing the Pacific again,” Sin told Esports Insider.

“The fact that we have these teams and players competing and doing well at the International League level is proof that talent continues to grow in an open environment that can challenge those who are there.”

To bridge the gap, Riot Games announced the VALORANT Challengers Path to Champions, which removes the Ascension tournaments and allows top Challenger teams to earn direct spots in VCT Stage 2.

“For us, that competitive drive is important. It keeps the ecosystem healthy, rewards long-term investment, and ensures that new organizations and talent can rise through the ranks,” he added.

In addition, teams that secure promotion will not only have the chance to qualify for VALORANT Champions Shanghai but will also receive a $75,000 (~£56,000) grant to help cover travel and transportation costs.

Sin said: “Looking ahead to 2027 and beyond, our future goal is to make VCT more open. So this change is a step towards creating a more competitive, achievement-based, and open professional path.”

Along with opening the Tier 1 scene, Riot Games plans to continue to support and work with organizers to help OFF//Season tournaments thrive. Some of these events provide Section teams with unique opportunities to gain valuable experience by competing with partner organizations.

2026 is the last year before Riot Games renews its partnership agreements with competing organizations in the International Leagues, while also creating an opportunity for new teams to enter the VCT.

The publisher considers many factors while evaluating potential partners such as long-term sustainability, financial stability, professional infrastructure, community presence, alignment with Riot’s values, and more.

Speaking to Esports Insider, Sin revealed that VCT Pacific will increase its “fandom focus” ahead of that. the following partnership.

“Fans are at the heart of everything we do. We will look at how teams engage and cultivate fandom. We want VCT Pacific to be not just a league, but also a cultural experience that APAC fans can relate to,” he explained.

“We will look at how organizations engage their communities, including new partnerships, merchandise, and meaningful fan programs both online and in person,”

That said, competitive performance will continue to be an important metric to evaluate, as the ultimate goal is to maintain a high level of competition throughout the league.

Sin shared that: “We have four years under our hands now, and the teams have a lot of history compared to when we started. So we will look at the history of what the teams have been able to achieve and their actions in growing the organization and the team in ways that are consistent with our vision and goals.”

VCT Pacific is headed to Tokyo for the 2025 Stage 2 finals, and this year Riot Games announced road shows in Ho Chi Minh City and Busan for the 2026 season. Sin wants to bring a “world-class experience” to fans in both cities and “bring more VCT Pacific events to new cities across APAC in the future.”

He added: “We look at various factors when evaluating venues for our events – visas, costs, infrastructure, partners we can work with, audience size, market size, etc.

Expanding on this, Sin revealed that Ho Chi Minh City has long been on the team’s radar. In addition, Riot Games has seen rapid growth in both Vietnamese and Korean audiences over the past few years, which influenced the decision to host the VCT Pacific Finals in these cities.

“In fact, Vietnamese is now one of our top 5 languages ​​with the most viewers for VCT. We are excited to finally bring VCT to Vietnam and connect directly with fans,” he said.

“In the case of Busan, we had the opportunity to work with a great venue that also gave us the opportunity to reach a different demographic of our Korean fans. The viewership and popularity in Korea is also growing steadily, and that influenced our decision.”

Sin also hopes to see another international VCT event held in the Pacific region after the record-breaking success of Masters Bangkok and Champions Seoul.

“Hopefully, fans won’t have to wait too long! I’d like to see a global event held in the Pacific again. We’ve already seen great success last year when the Masters came to Bangkok, and the Champions in Seoul the year before, so we’d like to repeat those successes in our region,” he continued.

VCT Pacific is often praised for experimenting with creative production materials. From Wingman starting the 2024 season to creating one of the most popular opening events at Champions Seoul, Sin explained that the team is always exploring new ways to make the broadcast unique.

“We want VCT Pacific’s broadcast to feel uniquely ours, to show our diversity and creativity. For example, we had English actors interacting with Japanese actors and Indonesian actors on air, and those were fun segments,” he explained.

“We are always looking to include local culture in the broadcast; fans may have seen elements of local culture during the broadcast of VCT Ascension in Jakarta and Bangkok.”

As AI inevitably grows, Riot Games has also been using the technology at VCT Pacific. That said, Sin emphasizes that the most important thing is to deliver an authentic experience to fans.

“We see AI as a great tool to support many background processes, such as our anti-cheating software and other competitive functions. As technology advances, there will be many ways AI can support esports,” he said.

“But our priority in putting together events is to ensure that they are as impactful as possible for our fans, and we are able to achieve this by working with many local partners and teams in our region.”

When Esports Insider asked about Riot Games’ intentions for VCT Pacific in the coming years, Sin said the vision would be “one of the top esports leagues not only in the APAC region but globally.”

He identified three pillars that will help the team reach that success: competitive strength, sustainability, and fandom.

While Pacific teams have lifted three Masters trophies, the region is still chasing its first VALORANT Champions title, which, according to Sin, will help solidify its position as “the strongest region in the world.”

“Given the density and diversity of talent in our region, coupled with innovative initiatives such as the Challengers academic teams, we are well positioned to continue raising the bar globally,” he noted.

Sin also highlighted Riot’s efforts to ensure the sustainability of competing organizations and players alike. These include team allowances and profit sharing through digital assets such as Team Capsules, alongside regular monitoring of player salaries across the region.

“We realize that player salaries are at a healthy level as well. We want to make sure that we continue to grow the pie for teams with digital assets, which directly reward teams for making a favorite,” said Sin.

“We are also working on expanding and diversifying our league partnerships, so we can leverage support from our partners to continue investing in creating an amazing fan experience.”

Finally, Sin aims to make VALORANT Esports in the Pacific an APAC fan culture, through fans, collaborations with local artists, merchandise, and more.

“Moving forward, we will continue to innovate the way we engage with our fans, ensuring that they are always at the center of everything we do. We also want to make VCT Pacific a truly international league that fans across APAC can connect with and feel represented,” he concluded.

“This includes bringing more events to more cities, creating more opportunities for in-person fan engagement. Providing a platform to showcase strong teams from all regions as we continue to build a global reputation.”