It’s the newest race to the bottom of the barrel, and everyone becomes perilously endangered every time it happens.
Rumors have begun circling around Twitter that tournament organizers for Valorant are finding talent willing to work for free, devaluing the rest of the talent in what many are referring to as a race to the bottom.
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The problem is multi-pronged: Riot is very much holding an ‘almost anything-goes‘ mentality regarding the competitive scene for Valorant, where organizations can host tournaments and invite teams for the chance to win a cash prize for ranking high enough.
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These organizations can have over $100,000 up for grabs in the prize pool, which entices the teams to play to help keep on the lights. The organization hosting the tournament gets some PR, teams get to compete, and everyone wins.
Yet with tournaments comes a need for people to cast, and spectate: everything in production needs dedicated individuals to manage. Syndicated matches, such as Overwatch League, typically has multiple observers in a single map to offer a producer, or director, multiple vantage points to select from to show the best action on the stream.
‘Ttours’ be damned.
These casters can then begin making a name for themselves after being thrust into the spotlight, adding some steam to their streaming channels that helps pay bills in between events.
The best way for inexperienced casters to nab a match from a more distinguished professional? Offer to do it for free.
This cuts out the most experienced casters, as TOs can find talent willing to work for the dreaded ‘experience’ paycheck that modern corporate America is so hard-up for, drops the floor on paychecks that TOs are willing to cut, and generally pisses off the entire talent scene.
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Some may call it ‘bad taste’. Others more experienced in contract work would call it resoundingly stupid; if you set a precedent for being the cheapest date, you don’t have much wiggle room on Friday night past the local fast food joint, your ‘experience’ in dating (or casting, observing, and what have you) not mattering.
If you’ve been wondering what the consequences could possibly be for developers not having a hands-on approach to tournaments, here’s your huckleberry. Hopefully, you also didn’t miss the call-out of a Pulse Arena failing to give promised pay to the winning teams.
Organizations are more than willing to take on cheap (and free) labor, however much it may incite your ideal colleagues and ruin your chances in the future of tournaments. They just have a tournament that needs staffing.