The highest viewership at VCT LOCK//IN saw more than 850k peak viewers tune in to watch NRG and LOUD face off in an elimination match.
The LOCK//IN quarter-final match between Brazilian LOUD and North American squad NRG on Feb. 19, has set a new high for the event after the match LOCK//IN viewership peaked at 852,720 viewers.
The new peak viewership record is the combination of multiple language streams. The English and Portuguese language streams are by far the most popular, with the match between giants LOUD and NRG tapping into both communities. For the match between LOUD and NRG, the Portuguese stream alone attracted 312,615 peak viewers.
Match | Peak Viewership |
|---|---|
| NRG vs LOUD | 852,720 peak viewers |
| LOUD vs KC | 588,848 peak viewers |
| NRG vs KOI | 559,508 peak viewers |
| Gen.G vs LOUD | 491,984 peak viewers |
| CLoud9 vs DRX | 482,791 peak viewers |
Ahead of the event there were complaints about the single-elimination format, but the event has clearly caused a resurgence of excitement amidst the VALORANT fanbase. LOUD, who are playing on home turf in Brazil, have seen huge interest in their matches.
What is more with nine matches left to play in the playoffs, there is still plenty of excitement still to come.
LOUD vs. NRG: the El Classico of VCT
LOUD and NRG have arguably the biggest rivalry in the history of VALORANT. NRG signed the core of OpTic Gaming, a team that faced off against LOUD five times last year. LOUD emerged the victor at the most important event of 2022, VCT Champions Istanbul, defeating the North American squad 3-1 in the grand finals.
With both teams facing some roster changes, LOUD vs NRG at VCT LOCK//IN was expected to be a game for the ages, and the viewership numbers across the world showed this.
The previous record for the highest viewership during the tournament was during the LOUD vs Karmine Corp game, which peaked at 588 848. This was a 30% increase and shows that this match was definitely a favorite for the entire VALORANT community.
This also bodes well for future viewership, considering that both NRG and LOUD are teams that are part of the same Americas league in the VCT, and will regularly face off against each other.
Related articles
What is the highest viewership of any VALORANT event?
The highest viewership for any VALORANT event was at VCT Champions 2022, a match between LOUD vs OpTic game.
The match peaked at a massive 1,505,804 viewers. With more than a week's worth of broadcast days remaining, VCT//LOCK IN is sure to see new records appear, but whether they'll break the all-time one remains to be seen.
What is VCT LOCK//IN?
VCT LOCK//IN is the first official international LAN event for 2023's VALORANT season. 30 partnered teams who are part of the three major international leagues plus two representatives from China converged in São Paulo, Brazil. The $500,000 event started on Feb. 13, and runs until March. 4.
