Japan’s Zeta Division has opted out of competing in the APAC Last Chance Qualifier. The LCQ slots initially intended for Chinese teams have been redistributed to other regions.
Zeta Division out of APAC LCQ
One of Japan’s Masters Berlin representatives, Zeta Division, has declined to participate in the APAC Last Chance Qualifier. The announcement was made by both the organization and Riot Games on September 24th.
The Japanese side failed to qualify for Valorant Champions on circuit points, coming second to Crazy Racoons. Despite this, the team earned enough points to earn a slot in the LCQ, one of two Japanese teams fighting for a single Valorant Champions slot against eight other teams from the APAC region.
Emphasis on rebuilding
Zeta Divisions press release on its website regarding its decision explained that because of the results of VCT Stage 3, the organization believe it would be best to focus its energy on rebuilding their team for the coming 2022 season. The decision comes with the “long-term success in the Valorant scene” in mind.
Reallocating LCQ slots
Riot’s official announcement about Zeta Division dropping out also came with additional information on the reallocation of slots to the APAC LCQ. Two places in the ten-team LCQ tournament have been redistributed to Korea and Japan. The two slots that have been reallocated were originally for teams coming from China.
Riot stated that it was “due to logistical issues that have the potential to impact the overall competitive integrity of the tournament” that forced them to reallocate the Chinese slots. With this and Zeta Divisions withdrawal, Japan’s fourth-place, Northeption, and fifth-place FENNEL have advanced to the LCQ. Additionally, Korea’s fourth-place team DAMWON Gaming also advances to the LCQ.
The APAC LCQ will begin on October 11th to 17th and will be played out online. DAMWON Gaming, Northeption and FENNEL have yet to confirm if their Valorant rosters will be competing in the APAC LCQ.
