TL;DR
- $10,000 prize pool tournament with open qualifiers leading to main event on January 26th
- Double-elimination bracket with best-of-one qualifiers, best-of-three semis, and best-of-five finals
- Features mix of amateur teams like Ninja’s Time In and professional squads including Cloud9 White
- Major upsets already occurred with established teams eliminated during qualifier rounds
- Final qualifiers and main event broadcast on WSOE Twitch and YouTube channels

The World Showdown of Esports makes its competitive Valorant debut with a significant $10,000 online tournament that showcases both emerging talent and established professional organizations.
Attention Agents//
Join us on January 26th for
#WSOE
Online V:
@PlayVALORANT!Want a shot at the $10K prize pool? Open qualifiers begin on January 18th!
????Register here:
https://t.co/aSY4nkbJro
????More info:
https://t.co/Cw3YDAlouV
pic.twitter.com/hSAaje92cz— WSOE (@WSOE)
January 7, 2021
This tournament represents a strategic expansion for WSOE into the rapidly growing Valorant competitive scene, providing valuable competitive experience for teams preparing for the upcoming Valorant Champions Tour circuit.
WSOE format and schedule
The competition employs an online open qualifier system utilizing a double-elimination bracket structure, where all initial matches follow a best-of-one format. Only the top four squads emerging from the qualification bracket will advance to the main event stage, where they’ll compete in best-of-three semifinal encounters before progressing to a championship-deciding best-of-five grand finals series.
Qualification rounds commenced on January 18th and continue through January 20th. The concluding qualification matches alongside the main tournament will be streamed live across WSOE’s official Twitch and YouTube broadcasting channels, with the primary competition scheduled for January 26th.
Strategic consideration: The format transition from best-of-one to best-of-five creates significant adaptation challenges for teams, requiring flexible strategic approaches across different match lengths and formats.
Participants at WSOE’s Valorant tournament
The open qualification system ensures diverse participation from numerous amateur organizations seeking to establish their competitive credentials. Among these emerging contenders, the most prominent is Tyler “Ninja” Blevins’ squad Time In, alongside other notable amateur collectives including Sedated, The Slimy Boogermen, and Big Frames. Additionally, multiple collegiate esports programs are competing in the event, representing the growing pipeline of competitive talent development.
Several professionally signed teams are also participating, utilizing the tournament as valuable preparation groundwork ahead of the Valorant Champions Tour. These established organizations include competitive rosters such as Renegades, Complexity and the particularly notable Cloud9 White lineup.
The competition has already witnessed substantial unexpected results during qualification stages. Veteran organizations including Pittsburgh Knights and eUnited have been eliminated from contention, while Complexity and Renegades continue battling through the lower bracket pathway. Cloud9 White’s decisive victory against Renegades generated significant attention within the Valorant community, while notable amateur eliminations include Sedated and Sakura Storm.
Common strategic mistake: Underestimating amateur teams’ preparation level – many emerging squads study professional VODs extensively and can surprise established organizations.
The broadcast coverage for the remaining qualification matches begins January 20th at 3 PM Pacific Time, providing comprehensive viewing opportunities for the Valorant community.
For teams and players looking to improve their competitive approach, studying the strategies employed by successful squads in this tournament can provide valuable insights for your own gameplay development. Check out our Class Guide for insights on role specialization that translates well to Valorant agent selection.
Optimization tip: Advanced viewers should focus on observing team composition strategies, economic management decisions, and post-plant execution techniques that differentiate top-performing organizations.
Action Checklist
- Watch final qualifiers on January 20th at 3 PM PT via WSOE Twitch/YouTube
- Analyze team compositions and agent selections from successful squads
- Study economic decision-making patterns from professional teams during broadcasts
- Note strategic adaptations between best-of-one and best-of-three/five formats
- Review our Complete Guide for competitive principles that apply to Valorant
No reproduction without permission:Game Guides Online » WSOE Valorant tournament participants and schedule are set Complete guide to WSOE's Valorant tournament format, schedule, teams and viewing details
