Riot Games has asked players at Valorant Champions Shanghai to use a wired computer mouse after technical difficulties have plagued the event.
Citing “repeated mouse interference,” Riot issued a statement saying the issues related to the material of the desks at the competition.
Riot also noted in the statement that round 2 of Split between FUT vs 100 Thieves should have been rolled back, due to interference from the technical issue.
Riot Games asks Valorant Champions players to use wired mice
Now well into its second week of competition, Valorant Champions Shanghai remains plagued by technical issues, which Riot Games acknowledged in their statement, saying, “The experience at Champions so far has not met the standards we expect for players or fans. Repeated mouse interference issues have caused multiple tech pauses and disrupted our most important tournament of the year.”
Riot then outlined steps being taken to alleviate the issue, noting, “This includes replacing the custom metal desks we fabricated with ones made from a different material.”
The incident is not the first time this year that Riot has noted issues caused by desks, with Masters London altering their desks to include a lip and light bars to avoid clutch ‘cheating.’
Riot added, “Until then, we are asking all players to use a wired mouse connection to minimize further disruption, which many players have already opted to do.
We understand that peripheral settings are a significant part of how players perform and that muscle memory matters. This is not an ideal solution, but it is the best option available right now.”
Indeed, the vast majority of FPS pros had long moved away from wired mice prior to Valorant’s initial release, making the adjustment a potentially uncomfortable one for many players, some of whom will be young enough to have never used one competitively.
Riot Games acknowledge FUT vs 100 Thieves rollback “error”
The statement follows a high-profile incident between FUT and 100T where mouse interference potentially proved decisive in the outcome of the contest.
The incident occurred on the first map of FUT’s series with 100 Thieves, following a pistol victory for the FUT roster, with Yusuf ‘xeus’ DoÄŸan Gözgen equipped with a Spectre.
Upon swinging into a fight with Jordan ‘vora’ Pulwer in a 2v1 scenario, the player could not fire his weapon, seemingly because of mous interference, subsequently dying and leading to a round loss.
The round was not replayed and resulted in a substantial momentum swing in 100T’s favor as the Americas team went on to take the map and the series in 2-0 fashion.
Riot’s statement continued, “We also want to specifically address the issue that occurred during yesterday’s match between FUT Esports and 100 Thieves. During round 2 on Split, xeus experienced an issue that affected his ability to fire his weapon. Following an official post-game evaluation, we concluded that a round rollback should have been allowed. We take responsibility for that error.
After considering the available options, we have decided that the match result will stand, as other options would result in overturning a victory by a team that competed under the same conditions and was not responsible for the error.
Champions represents the highest standard of VALORANT competition. So far, this tournament has not met that standard. We are continuing to work hard to address these issues and remain committed to applying the tournament rules objectively and transparently.”
While the statement acknowledges a rollback should have happened, it does not outline exactly why the referees did not choose to roll back the round at that moment, leading some community members to express discontent with the statement.
Regardless, the result will stand as per Riot’s statement, meaning 100T are in the playoffs and that FUT will have to purge themselves of tilt before their lower bracket match with the winners of T1 vs JDG Gaming.
Do you think the match should have been replayed? Let us know your thoughts on the Insider Gaming Discord server.
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Darragh is an Esports Journalist for Insider Gaming specialising in Counter-Strike. He loves to explore how esports teams work, or why they very often do not.
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