The VALORANT tournament at the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 crowned 100 Thieves as the champion after defeating NRG Esports in the finals. However, this success comes with a concerning note regarding a drastic drop in viewership.
Viewership Decline Statistics
According to official data from Esports Charts, the Grand Final of VALORANT EWC 2026 recorded approximately 248,000 concurrent viewers at its peak. This figure marks a staggering 45.6% decrease compared to the 450,000 viewers who tuned in for the EWC 2025 finals.
Factors Influencing Viewer Numbers
One of the primary reasons for the decline in viewership is the absence of several major esports organizations that typically draw large fan bases. Prominent teams like Paper Rex, Sentinels, and Gen.G Esports either did not progress far in the tournament or did not participate at all, diminishing the appeal of high-stakes matches.
Competing Events and Viewer Attention
Additionally, the scheduling of EWC 2026 coincided with various other sports competitions and gaming tournaments worldwide. This overlap has led to a divided audience, as viewers had multiple live events to choose from simultaneously.
Comparative Performance Among Games
A noteworthy phenomenon observed by the community is the comparison of viewer counts across different games within the same event. While VALORANT's finals struggled to attract 248,000 viewers, the Dota 2 Survival Stage managed to draw over 264,000 viewers, despite not being a final match. Apex Legends also saw a positive trend, with a 74% increase in viewership during its opening week.
Despite the sharp decline in EWC viewership, analysts suggest that this does not necessarily reflect the overall health of the Riot Games ecosystem. Official tournaments like VCT Masters London 2026 still attracted over one million peak viewers due to overwhelming enthusiasm.
Many fans perceive EWC as an exhibition tournament outside the official Valorant Champions Tour circuit. The decrease in major co-streamers broadcasting match reactions on platforms like Twitch and YouTube has further exacerbated the fall in viewership.
Nonetheless, VALORANT remains one of the most prestigious esports titles, boasting a total prize pool of $2 million. With the current exchange rate of approximately Rp18,000 per USD, this amounts to around Rp36 billion for the winning teams.
Source: https://www.esports.id/read/viewership-valorant-ewc-2026-anjlok-hampir-46-persen-ada-apa-19040
