eNews
VALORANT Champions 2024 heads to seoul
Mumbai: The 2024 VALORANT Champions tour season has begun! This season boasts 44 of the best teams in the VALORANT competitive ecosystem across four International Leagues – VCT Americas, VCT CN, VCT EMEA, and VCT Pacific. As the season progresses, we’ll follow the journey of these teams through the Kickoff Tournament, two International League Stages, and two Masters events – with all roads leading to Champions in Seoul, Korea.
The Road to Champions
Kickoff Tournament
Dates: Feb 16 – March 3
The Kickoff Tournament will be the first look into the teams within each International League. The results from the tournament will determine the top 8 teams who we’ll see at Masters Madrid. For more information on the Kickoff format, check out this article.
Masters Madrid
Dates: March 14 – 24
Masters Madrid is the first global event of the 2024 VALORANT Champions Tour. In Madrid, we’ll see how the top 8 teams from the Kickoff Tournaments stack up against one another and determine front runners in the season. Masters will commence with a Swiss Stage, followed by a four-team double-elimination bracket.
International Leagues Stage 1
Dates: April 3 – May 12
Following Masters Madrid, we’ll return to International League competition with Stage 1. These competitions will run from April to early May, determining the top 3 teams from each league to qualify for the next global event, Masters Shanghai.
Masters Shanghai
Dates: May 23 – June 9
Twelve teams who have qualified from the Stage 1 competition will face off in Shanghai for the second Masters event of the season. Teams will compete through an intense two weeks, with one team establishing themselves as the current number one in the world.
International Leagues Stage 2
Dates: June 15 – July 21
Stage 2 will begin immediately after Masters Shanghai and serve as the last stretch until Champions! Stage 2 competition will qualify the top 3 teams from each IL to VALORANT Champions. Additionally, each IL will qualify a 4th team based on Championship points accumulated throughout the year.
Champions Seoul
Dates: Aug 1 – 25
All roads lead to Champions. After multiple events throughout the year, we’ll see the best 16 teams come together in Seoul for the final event of the 2024 VCT season. Champions will take place over three weeks, pitting the best teams from around the world against each other to determine the 2024 VCT World Champion!
With an expanded roster of teams and competitive talent around the world, this season is shaping up to be one of the most exciting in VCT history.
For the latest updates and comprehensive coverage of the VALORANT 2024 season, stay connected with us at VALORANTEsports.com and follow us @VALORANTEsports.
eNews
Piyush Thakur steps down as Inshorts’ chief revenue officer
Former vice president and cro says exit marks a new chapter after close to a decade of building revenue and partnerships at Inshorts Group.
NOIDA: Piyush Thakur has stepped away from Inshorts Group after nearly 10 years with the company, marking the end of a long tenure that culminated in his role as chief revenue officer.
In a farewell note, Thakur said he was “turning a new page” after almost a decade at Inshorts, calling it one of the hardest professional decisions he has made. He added that his exit was not driven by uncertainty about the future, but by reflection on a long association with the company.
Thakur joined Inshorts in October 2016 as vice president and spent around seven years in the role before being elevated to chief revenue officer in April 2024, a position he held until April 2026.
He said his tenure was defined by “thousands of mornings, late nights, product debates and breakthrough moments”, as the company evolved into a large-scale digital news platform used by millions.
In his note, Thakur emphasised that Inshorts’ growth was a collective effort across teams, adding that engineers, designers, sales teams and customer support staff all contributed to building the platform. He said the company’s success was not the result of individuals but of “everyone who stayed, passed through, and left their mark”.
Before Inshorts, Thakur worked across several digital media and business development roles. At ESPN, he served as senior regional manager from October 2015 to October 2016, focusing on growth initiatives, strategic opportunities and video distribution.
At Times Internet, he worked for nearly three years, including as head of business development from April 2015 to September 2015 and chief manager from January 2013 to March 2015. His responsibilities included monetisation of mobile platforms, managing media and developer partnerships, and driving revenue across digital properties such as The Times of India and The Economic Times.
Earlier, he worked at Brandmovers as head of business development from June 2012 to June 2013, handling digital, mobile and social media marketing solutions, client development and strategic consulting. During this period, he also worked on advertising revenue, brand strategy and CRM-based solutions.
At Inshorts, Thakur’s role focused on revenue strategy, mobile and media partnerships, and growth initiatives across platforms. His profile highlights experience in mobile product management, digital business models, partner ecosystems and revenue expansion in high-growth environments.
