Riot names Leo Faria as Global Head of Valorant Esports

Riot Games has announced that Leo Faria has been named as the new Global Head of Valorant Esports.

In a blog post on Valorant Esports’ official website, Mr. Faria spoke about his excitement to take charge of the game’s competitive branch as Riot Games hopes to “deliver new experiences, bigger matches, and more high stakes competition in every corner of the world” in 2023.

Mr. Faria, who describes himself as a tactical shooter enthusiast since the early 2000s, has been with Riot Games since 2017, according to his LinkedIn page. For two years, he was the head of League of Legends in Brazil before transitioning to the role of Global Head of Wild Rift Esports.

The Brazilian has been in the role of Global Head of Valorant Esports since July, though his appointment was only formally announced by Riot on December 8.

According to Riot Games’ job posting, the Global Head of Valorant Esports will have several key responsibilities. These include developing the game’s esports product strategy, bridging the gap between players and the development team, and monitoring the health of the game’s esports ecosystem.

In September, Mr. Faria was in Instanbul for Valorant Champions. The experience, he said, was touching and showcased the “passion of this community.”

“Seeing everyone — streamers, players, fans, casters, media, game devs — come together to celebrate our biggest moment of the year was truly inspiring,” he said.

“Walking around the event we heard great ideas, fair critiques, and hopeful dreams about how this sport could and should evolve.”