Riot’s response to Champions tech issues sparks backlash from pro players

The first six days of VALORANT Champions Shanghai have been affected by numerous tech issues. However, on September 20, things escalated as many problems invalidated the match between 100T and FUT Esports. During FUT’s anti-eco round in the first half on Split, Doğan "xeus" Gözgen suddenly couldn’t shooting anymore, ultimately costing his team the 1v3. Beyond the issues themselves, Riot’s management of the situation has also been controversial, as it has denied FUT an obvious rollback.

On Thursday, Riot Games acknowledged that the experience at Champions has fallen below its expected standards, citing repeated mouse issues and confirming changes to the tournament desks, while also apologizing for the xeus bug and admitting that the affected round should have been replayed.

Despite the apology, Riot confirmed that the match result would stand, a decision that has sparked criticism and raised concerns about the handling of technical issues at the final VCT Champions event before the 2027 overhaul. With all the issues and Riot’s questionable handling of the situation, pro players indeed didn’t wait long to react on social media, and overall, Riot's management has drawn heavy criticism.

The most criticized part of the statement was probably that Riot advised players to use wired mice, since the interference issue still hasn't been solved and Riot still has to change the metal desks. Nongshim Redforce player Park "Ivy" Sung-hyeon took the situation humorously and joked about it on X: “It’s the first time in my life playing VALORANT on a wired mouse that can’t even use 4000Hz but let’s do our best (Please, I really hope there are no issues with my seat)”

Even if the post has a jokey tone, it’s clear players are scared to get on stage, since they never know what to expect from their seat. Former pro player Shahzeeb "ShahZaM" Khan also described the situation as “crazy,” as forcing players to play with a gear they’re not used to at the most important tournament of the year is a crazy decision.

Maximilian "Demon1" Mazanov, known for his precise aim, said that if you have low sensitivity and have to use a wired mouse, you will struggle, since moving it a lot with a wire likely isn't as comfortable as doing it without one.

The whole situation around wireless mice seems weird, since the same issue is happening at the League of Legends Asian Games, where the committee has banned them because of communication issues. Even players like Kim "Zeka" Geon-woo, Choi "Zeus" Woo-je, and Ryu "Keria" Min-seok have admitted their struggles, and in a game like VALORANT, being precise and comfortable with your mouse is incredibly important. Hence, the issue itself might even more impactful than in League of Legends.

Like yesterday, FUT players didn’t wait long to react to Riot admitting a rollback should have been allowed. The first one to explode was Volkan "sociablEE" Yönal, who crashed out while reading the announcement. The whole community also exploded with different opinions: many thought Riot’s mistake inflated the whole game, while others took it easily, saying the match would have ended the same way.

Heretics player Mert "Wo0t" Alkan also shared his concerns on X:“Its been 5 years that you make the tournaments urself and you have been the worst so far we as a players asking for many things in the stage and back stage and nothing changed so far. Many players work for that stage for a whole year and you don't have the right to have low standards.”

Players are therefore unhappy with the situation, both on stage and behind the scenes. While we don’t know the full picture of the issues they are facing, it’s becoming clear that Riot has to improve production and management to provide a better experience for both players and fans, as waiting hours because of tech pauses can ruin everyone’s experience.