As far as I know, Leo Faria, the director of the esports division at Valorant, has apparently gotten in touch with TenZ and inquired about the price to get the star player back into the VCT competitive scene. And as always, TenZ, who is very straightforward, just said that they would begin with new fing monitors and adjustable desks. I’m joking, that was actually his answer. But Leo Faria very quickly returned that the new monitors were already being shipped and he would не fing excuses from that time onwards. The whole conversation is absolutely invaluable and is currently the hottest topic among the Valorant community.
The entire turmoil really显yheats the veil of the pro gamer’s suffering in the VCT. We are talking about a multi-million dollar e-sports league with Riot Games as its operator, yet they still face issues related to equipment? One player said that during LAN tournaments the tables were set so high that some players couldn’t even properly put their feet on the ground. The situation must be hellishly uncomfortable when you are trying to perform in the top league. And what about the problem of monitors? Is the difference between the player’s home set-up and what is available to him at the venue really that significant? It is pretty common for a lot of the pros to have home monitors with a refresh rate of 540hz, thus if they have to play on dated tournament monitors that is a downgrade that can hugely affect the player’s performance.
Public reaction, in general, has been sensational. Some fans even went to the extent of saying that comments like “TENZ IS COMING BACK!?!?!” are the most accurate reflections of the audience being tired of not witnessing him on the competitive scene live. However, at the same time, there have been some serious discussions regarding the issue of e-sports equipment in the Valorant industry. One user commented, “Yeah honestly its a shame that on champions there weren’t good monitor and adjustable desks in 2025” and this actually highlights how long the issue might be existing.
On top of that, the comments section has endured vigorous debates comparing the community of Valorant to that of other games. Some users are accusing the game of being the root cause of the players’ toxic behavior, claiming that there are “way more people crashing out and being toxic” in Valorant than in CS2, while others are asserting that the community of Valorant is not that bad compared to the naysayers. This side discourses has been running concurrently with the news of TenZ and it is hard to imagine how people are unable to reach a conclusion as to which game has worse toxicity while the issue of professional equipment standards is being discussed. The internet can be a strange place sometimes.
This is a very significant matter as it is an indicator of Riot’s management practices in the esports sector. One of the commenters captured it well when he remarked, “Because Riot management is too lazy to resolve the issue if big players do not come to speak about it.” This suggests that the only ones who can express their grievances and get things changed are the high-profile gamers like TenZ, which is quite concerning. Should not the basic equipment standards be automatically granted in a professional esports league?
It is still that moral debate of professional players’ push and pull in terms of competition, but there is still the major discussion about TenZ’s possible return to competition. Some doubt he can still make it, one said “TenZ for me is washed, but ok, we shall see.” However, others argue that it would be wrong to think that way as players do not usually go pro just for the money and also that streaming can often be more lucrative anyway. In fact, it is this complex discussion about professional players’ motivations and choices that is constantly evolving.
In fact, the equipment issue is mainly one of prestige rather than just the top-quality gear. One techie fan explained it like this, “there ips in a comp game either oled or tn should be the standard especially when emea uses oleds and na uses tn but champs and shi use hyper x ips and there ass if u have used other shot u can’t go back to it.” To non-techies, the distinction among monitor types is so significant that it can actually result in a different outcome of the game at the professional level.
And while we are on the topic of the adjustable desks, a debate has started on how necessary are adjustable desks when players are already using adjustable chairs, to which others replied that proper ergonomics is a vital element for peak performance. For instance, if you are competing in the highest stakes matches for hours, having your setup just right could really pay off. It is not just about comfort – it is about getting through the long tournament days and being consistent and focused.
Moreover, the timing of the whole situation is also quite interesting. There has been a general sentiment that the current year is “by far the most boring year of Valorant since franchising” and the league is “deadass cooked without tenz.” Whether you agree with that view or not, it does imply that Riot could be under some pressure to bring back the popular players in order to boost viewership and engagement. No doubt, TenZ’s return to the competitive scene would create a lot of excitement.
Incredible as it sounds, Leo Faria reacted to TenZ’s demands so quickly. The fact that he made it clear right away that new monitors were already on the way seems to suggest that Riot was already aware of the equipment issues and was on the lookout for solutions. However, it was a high-profile gamer publicly calling them out that actually made the process move, which says a lot about how things work in esports.
As the replies went into discussion people even started to make comparisons with other games and how they handle their professional scenes. One user mentioned s0m, another top-notch player who quit streaming to compete again and ended up winning champions. The trend of popular streamers returning to the competitive arena is definitely one worth monitoring.
Another point that one needs to emphasize is that the equipment problem has an international dimension to it. It appears that different regions have different standards when it comes to monitors, as EMEA uses OLEDs while NA goes for TN panels. This division among regions might create unequal conditions during international tournaments, and any global sport like Valorant would not want to face such a mess.
Thus, at the end of the day, the interaction between TenZ and Leo Faria has stimulated a larger debate on the issue of professional standards across esports. It is not only about TenZ coming back to VCT but ensuring that the right equipment is provided for all the players to perform at their peak. The fact that there are still discussions about basic items like monitors and adjustable desks going on in 2025 is insane, especially when you consider the amount of money involved in esports nowadays.
So what is the latest news? With new monitors on the way and TenZ contemplating a return to competition, the Valorant scene might just be in for some exciting developments. The question remains whether this will really lead to TenZ’s comeback or not, but at least it is paving the way for important discussions regarding equipment standards and player treatment in professional esports. And definitely, that is a plus not just for the players, organizations, and fans but for all the involved parties as well. The whole episode is a revelation about the video gaming industry; as in a million-dollar industry, sometimes you need a superstar to shed light on the basics that should have already been established.
