With the release of Tejo, the global direction was to celebrate in-game leaders, so we created a unique tournament format where IGLs became the sixth players on each team. We reached out to some of the most well-known IGLs, who not only drafted their own rosters but also competed through strategy, wildcards, and direct calls.
From the observer view, IGLs guided their squads with tactical pauses, comms, and special wildcards that could completely change the flow of a round. These included moves like muting the opposing IGL, forcing defenders to rush, or taking on high-stakes challenges such as predicting enemy positions during “Special Delivery.” To make it even more dynamic, casters had a “Golden Buzzer” during the semifinals, which rewarded standout IGLs with the chance to reuse a wildcard in the finals.
The event was brought to life with a fast-paced announcement video narrated by Morgan, fiery visuals that matched Tejo’s daring persona, and Colombian coffee–themed invitations that each IGL sent to their chosen team captain. Together, the competitive format, creative rules, and strong production highlighted the brilliance of IGLs in a way the community had never seen before, blending gameplay with entertainment to celebrate leadership at the core of VALORANT.