Just one day before Team Envy is set to play against X10 Crit in the VALORANT Champions Berlin, the team’s dedicated Skye player, Victor Wong, produced a positive result from two of his mandatory PCR tests, making him ineligible to compete on-stage with his team. Thankfully, Riot Games has prepared multiple contingencies in case of situations like this, allowing players to continue competing without endangering other players or staff.
NV Victor isn’t the only player to receive a positive test during the tournament. Team Liquid’s Nivera also produced a positive result from his mandatory PCR test just a day before and will be subject to the same limitations as Victor. Both players will be playing isolated from their teams inside quarantine facilities connected to the LAN, preserving the network stability and competitive aspect of VALORANT Champions Berlin.
Riot Games has received praise for taking well-planned steps in handling the situation that doesn’t disrupt the tournament for both the competitors and the fans. Alex Francois, who is the Head of Competitive Operations in VALORANT mentioned that the company has prepared for any possible situation that may arise in advance.
People also voiced their concern about having a second player test positive in the span of two days, stating that the spread may get out of control. However, positive results from PCR tests aren’t always an indication of contracting Covid-19 as there have been a large number of false positives reports globally. That is not to say that the threat isn’t real in either case. Regardless, Riot Games has already stated that they will ensure every precaution to move forward with the tournament while taking the player’s health and safety as a priority.
