In Los Angeles, a hurricane warning has been issued, resulting in spectators attending the tournament being unable to attend. The final day of the tournament held at The Shrine will be held without the presence of the public.
Unlike recent history, where many people were concerned about players testing positive for COVID-19, the concern is different now. Due to bad weather forecasts and hurricane warnings, the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles should be empty for the semifinals.
Hurricane warning keeps spectators away from VALORANT Champions 2023
Riot Games has decided that the game day to be held today, August 20, will be played without spectators. This decision was made after learning of the predicted path of Hurricane Hilary along the southwest coast of the United States.
The tournament organizers have taken special security measures, as Hurricane Hilary may affect the tournament venue. In addition, the hurricane has already caused severe flooding in some regions of Mexico.
On the evening of August 19, Riot Games issued a statement informing all tournament spectators that they could not access The Shrine today due to the bad weather.
In anticipation of tomorrow's severe weather in Los Angeles, we will not be facilitating a live audience at the Shrine.
Refunds will be available for all impacted ticket holders. #VALORANTChampions pic.twitter.com/BAqMkNvOZ8
— VALORANT Champions Tour (@ValorantEsports) August 20, 2023
At this time, only the public removal for the August 20 matches has been announced. It is important to note that all spectators who have tickets for today will receive a refund.
Schedule of games for August 20
Despite the hurricane warning in Los Angeles, all games scheduled for today, August 20, will be played as scheduled. Each game is expected to start as scheduled.
After today’s match, two teams will be eliminated, as these are lower-bracket matches where permanence in the tournament is at stake. This event is something that spectators have not been able to witness since the 2022 Reykjavik VCT Masters.
Fortunately, the tournament will only be held without spectators despite bad weather. Also, remember that the tournament will not be held at the same venue, and the last matches at The Shrine will occur today. All subsequent matches are held at the KIA Forum. In addition, all teams will rest for three days until the other matches begin, so all spectators are hopeful that the weather will improve before the tournament’s final phase starts.
Now then, today’s matches are as follows:
- DRX vs. Fnatic
- LOUD vs. EDward Gaming
None of these teams want to say goodbye to the season without being able to give a good show to the live audience, so the pressure to stay in the tournament is much stronger.