Riot Games Inc. will require that bloody imagery be removed from tournaments featuring its new video game Valorant, a move designed to make the title more attractive to potential sponsors and broadcasters.
Prior to Valorant’s launch, Riot met with more than 100 esports organizations to discuss adapting the game for competition. Virtual blood was a popular topic of conversation. Previous titles that feature gun violence, such as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, are wildly popular among gamers but have missed out on some commercial opportunities because of the graphic nature of the game play.
