Riot asks Valorant Champions players to use wired mice after desk interference
The request is a stopgap measure as Riot plans to replace custom metal desks blamed for technical pauses.
Riot Games has requested players at Valorant Champions Shanghai to use wired mice after repeated interference from custom metal desks caused technical pauses.
The tournament organizer said it plans to replace the desks with ones made from a different material, with the wired connection intended as a temporary measure to limit further disruption.
"Until then, we are asking all players to use a wired mouse connection to minimize further disruption, which many players have already opted to do. We understand that peripheral settings are a significant part of how players perform and that muscle memory matters," Riot said.
The request comes as the tournament enters its second week, with Riot acknowledging the repeated interference had interrupted matches and said the experience had not met its standards for players or fans.
The workaround has a competitive cost as well as an operational purpose, as players may need to adjust to different peripherals during a major event.
Riot described the measure as imperfect, while presenting it as the best available option to reduce further interruptions.
The issue became especially consequential during round two of Split in the series between FUT Esports and 100 Thieves.
FUT player Yusuf "xeus" Doğan Gözgen could not fire his weapon during a 2v1 situation, and the round was not replayed at the time.
Riot later concluded that the round should have been rolled back and accepted responsibility for the error.
It nevertheless decided the match result would stand, citing the competing implications of overturning a win by a team that played under the same conditions and was not responsible for the fault.
100 Thieves won the series 2-0 and advanced to the playoffs, while FUT faced a lower-bracket match.
The incident demonstrates how hardware failures can become questions of tournament governance when they affect a live round and the initial ruling is not reversed.
Desk design has also been part of Riot’s event operations elsewhere: at Masters London, desks were altered with a lip and light bars in response to concerns about clutch “cheating.”
The Champions Shanghai tournament places those production decisions within a high-stakes competition where consistent player conditions matter.
Riot said it would continue working to address the interference and apply tournament rules objectively and transparently.
The planned desk replacement is the stated longer-term response, while the wired-mouse request is a stopgap.
The statement did not set an end date for that request or outline a future policy for wireless peripherals.
The episode adds to the operational scrutiny facing major esports events, where stage infrastructure and technical procedures can affect both player experience and confidence in results.
Similar concerns about event delivery have surfaced at other competitions, including EVO Japan.
