{"id":42349,"date":"2023-07-04T16:18:19","date_gmt":"2023-07-04T13:18:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/saudishopper.com.sa\/en\/?p=42349"},"modified":"2026-03-28T03:39:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-28T00:39:06","slug":"game-on-why-were-expanding-our-support-of-esports-with-valorant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/saudishopper.com.sa\/en\/game-on-why-were-expanding-our-support-of-esports-with-valorant\/","title":{"rendered":"Game on: Why we\u2019re expanding our support of esports with VALORANT"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>Gaming and esports are likely to top $325 billion in annual revenue by 2026, and 90% of Gen Z say they\u2019re gaming enthusiasts.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By:<strong>&nbsp;<\/strong>Raja Rajamannar, chief marketing and communications officer, Mastercard<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gaming has evolved into a global phenomenon. Yes, its revenues are now bigger than the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/gamerhub.co.uk\/gaming-industry-dominates-as-the-highest-grossing-entertainment-industry\/%23:~:text%3DAccording%2520to%2520recent%2520data%252C%2520the,%252C%2520mobile%2520games%252C%2520and%2520esports&amp;sa=D&amp;source=docs&amp;ust=1686669001944449&amp;usg=AOvVaw0IWq776wz8mydJahFKniI-\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">movie and music industries combined<\/a>, and competitive gaming\u00a0\u2014 esports \u2014 has morphed into a full-fledged global spectacle that rivals, and even dwarfs, many traditional sports.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The passion for esports is undeniable, transcending age, gender, race and culture. In fact, an incredible\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/newzoo.com\/resources\/trend-reports\/how-consumers-are-engaging-with-games-in-2022?utm_campaign%3DCIGE%2B2022%26utm_source%3Dpress%26utm_content%3DCIGE%2Blaunch&amp;sa=D&amp;source=docs&amp;ust=1686694357972275&amp;usg=AOvVaw1cGR3Hmy0PKxnQdy-UPcdH\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">90% of Gen Z are gaming enthusiasts<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Today, we are excited to announce that Mastercard is extending our support of esports, and building on the success of our League of Legends esports sponsorship, with the addition of VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) \u2013 the fastest growing esport in the world.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This sponsorship builds on our long-term relationship with Riot Games, publisher of VALORANT.\u00a0\u00a0Mastercard became the first global sponsor of the world\u2019s largest esport, League of Legends, in 2018. Gaming and esports have only continued to grow since then and are likely to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pwc.com\/gx\/en\/news-room\/press-releases\/2022\/global-entertainment-and-media-outlook-2022-2026.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">top $325 billion in annual revenue<\/a>\u00a0by 2026. Our partnership has opened opportunities to reach new and extremely engaged audiences, bringing them closer to their craft and improving their in-person and digital experience with the sport.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We plan to make our first big splash within the VCT community later this summer when the world\u2019s best VALORANT teams\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PlayVALORANT\/status\/1632081428283367424?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">converge on Los Angeles<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 the birthplace of Riot Games \u2013 for VALORANT Champions 2023 in August. There\u2019s never been a better time or place to showcase our support of the VCT than during the esports\u2019 first-ever international tournament in North America, where esports fandom will be at an all-time high.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Advancing diversity in gaming<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With its emphasis on strategy, teamwork, and character development, VALORANT is also the most gender-diverse game in esports. Its\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/valorantesports.com\/news\/announcing-the-vct23-game-changers-championship\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">VCT Game Changers<\/a>\u00a0circuit for women is designed to be a stepping stone to diversify the upper echelons of the sport further.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Inclusion is a value we share. Over the years, we have built a strong sponsorship portfolio of women\u2019s sports properties, including Women\u2019s Rugby, National Women\u2019s Soccer League and dozens of female athletes around the world.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">ANNA DONLON, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER OF VALORANT AT RIOT GAMES:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019re so excited to welcome Mastercard into the VALORANT family and are looking forward to collaborating on diversity, inclusion and sustainability projects on behalf of our global player base. VALORANT strives to be authentically global, and I can\u2019t wait to explore all the things we can create for players later this year at VALORANT Champions in my hometown of Los Angeles.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">JONATHAN ZWEIG, CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER, RIOT:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMastercard has been a valued partner for League of Legends esports for years, offering priceless benefits to players and fans that we\u2019re excited to expand to our growing VALORANT esports ecosystem,&#8221; says Jonathan Zweig, Chief Commercial Officer at Riot Games. \u201cNow is the perfect time to welcome them into the VALORANT esports family, as we experience rapid growth across our global player base and gear up for VALORANT Champions in Los Angeles later this summer.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">LEO FARIA, GLOBAL HEAD OF VALORANT ESPORTS AT RIOT GAMES:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAs one of the first brands to see the energy and passion Riot\u2019s esports bring to fans around the World, Mastercard will bring the power of its Priceless experiences to VALORANT Esports, and we\u2019re absolutely thrilled to expand this partnership. The VALORANT Champions Tour is laser focused on building a new kind of global sport that\u2019s bold and inclusive for a new generation, and we look forward to collaborating with Mastercard on initiatives that will deliver next level experiences to our vibrant community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">RAJA RAJAMANNAR, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Mastercard: \u201cGaming has evolved into a global phenomenon. Yes, its revenues are now bigger than the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/gamerhub.co.uk\/gaming-industry-dominates-as-the-highest-grossing-entertainment-industry\/%23:~:text%3DAccording%2520to%2520recent%2520data%252C%2520the,%252C%2520mobile%2520games%252C%2520and%2520esports&amp;sa=D&amp;source=docs&amp;ust=1686669001944449&amp;usg=AOvVaw0IWq776wz8mydJahFKniI-\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">movie and music industries combined<\/a>, and competitive gaming\u00a0\u2014 esports \u2014 has morphed into a full-fledged global spectacle that rivals, and even dwarfs, many traditional sports.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The passion for esports is undeniable, transcending age, gender, race and culture. In fact, an incredible\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/newzoo.com\/resources\/trend-reports\/how-consumers-are-engaging-with-games-in-2022?utm_campaign%3DCIGE%2B2022%26utm_source%3Dpress%26utm_content%3DCIGE%2Blaunch&amp;sa=D&amp;source=docs&amp;ust=1686694357972275&amp;usg=AOvVaw1cGR3Hmy0PKxnQdy-UPcdH\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">90% of Gen Z are gaming enthusiasts<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Mastercard\u2019s focus on innovation in gaming<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mastercard is no stranger to delivering seamless, secure and rewarding experiences in gaming. Last year, we launched the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mastercard.com\/news\/ap\/en\/newsroom\/press-releases\/en\/2022\/mastercard-establishes-a-world-first-points-conversion-engine-for-gaming-currency-mastercard-gamer-xchange\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mastercard Gamer Xchange<\/a>\u00a0in Asia Pacific, allowing consumers to use their rewards points to gift gaming currency across popular games from their bank or loyalty program app. We\u2019re also partnering with global video game commerce company\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mastercard.com\/news\/press\/2023\/february\/mastercard-and-xsolla-level-up-the-gaming-experience\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Xsolla<\/a>\u00a0so that cardholders on some of the world\u2019s biggest gaming platforms will be able to pay with their credit card loyalty points at checkout as early as this fall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We&#8217;re collaborating to solve challenges in the gaming industry, prioritizing consumer choice and protections, including enhancing checkout experiences and strengthening authentication and fraud detection capabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With these exciting initiatives, we are seizing the opportunity to level up the future of gaming and to bring the thrill of esports to more fans around the world.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By:&nbsp;Raja Rajamannar, chief marketing and communications officer, Mastercard Gaming has evolved into a global phenomenon. Yes, its revenues are now bigger than the\u00a0movie and music industries combined, and competitive gaming\u00a0\u2014 esports \u2014 has morphed into a full-fledged global spectacle that rivals, and even dwarfs, many traditional sports.\u00a0 The passion for esports is undeniable, transcending age, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":20731,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_pr_autopilot_social_copy":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph_description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph_image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph_image_id":0,"_yoast_wpseo_twitter_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter_description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter_image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter_image_id":0,"_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":24,"_extra_hide_author_box":"1","_extra_featured_post":"","_partner_post_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-42349","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized 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