VCT Americas Kickoff final breaks regional VALORANT viewership record, surpasses shroud debut

Both the VALORANT Champions trophy and the peak viewership records still reside in the Americas region, as the VCT Americas Kickoff event set a new record for regional viewership, surpassing the competitive return of one of the most popular FPS streamers.

The VCT Americas Kickoff grand final between Sentinels and LOUD hit the 823,008 peak viewer mark, the highest ever for a VALORANT match not taking place at an international event like Masters, Champions, or LOCK//IN, according to Esports Charts. Previously, that record belonged to the opening match between Sentinels and The Guard at the 2022 VCT NA Last Chance Qualifier, which was also the pro VALORANT debut of shroud.

The shroud signing was one of the most prolific roster changes made in pro VALORANT’s short history, as Sentinels brought the former CS:GO pro turned superstar streamer out of competitive retirement and put him next to the once-dominant core of TenZ, ShahZaM, and dapr after a tough 2022 season. Coincidentally, Zellsis also played alongside this roster at the LCQ, and eventually would make his way back to Sentinels for the 2024 VCT season.

That event showcased the viewership power of Sentinels, as all three of their matches posted higher viewership peaks than the eventual grand final between 100 Thieves and The Guard. Though an even stronger viewership storm descended upon this past weekend’s Americas Kickoff final, as arguably the two most popular teams in Sentinels and LOUD reached the grand final.

As a whole, the Americas Kickoff tournament put up elite viewership numbers. The Kickoff generated roughly 22.5 million hours watched, more than the entirety of the VCT EMEA league did last year, and with less than half of the airtime. Needless to say, the Americas Kickoff drastically outperformed bot the EMEA and the Pacific Kickoff.

But Sentinels and LOUD aren’t done setting viewership records this year, as they head to a Masters Madrid event that’s stacked with some of the biggest viewership-driving teams in VALORANT, including EDG, Karmine Corp, Paper Rex, and Gen.G. Masters Madrid could easily be another record-shattering event for VALORANT viewership.