Japanese esports organisation SunSister have announced their first VALORANT roster which will compete under the name SunSister Rapid SunSister Rapid Inactive kreamer Takamasa Suzuki AmeKen Kenji Hisano Peasy Kosuke Kosuke Nishida Niero . The roster largely features players with previous experience competing in Japan's local Counter Strike: Global Offensive scene. As per the organisation's announcement, players will receive at least ¥100,000 ($910~ USD) per month as salary.

SunSister
@SunSister_net
【VALORANTチーム設立のお知らせ】
VALORANTチームに以下の選手が加入となりました。
応援宜しくお願い致します。

[SunSister Rapid]
EROC(@erocVL
kreamer(@kreamer_jp
NoriseN(@n0risen
AmeKen(@ameken3d
Peasy(@peasy_valo

＊2つ目のチームは後日発表致します。
7:09 AM · Jun 6, 2020 ·
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Japan is well known as a powerhouse in the gaming world. As per newzoo, in 2019 the Japanese gaming industry is estimated to have generated $18.6 billion USD in revenue, ranking at third in the world. Despite this, Japan's esports scene has failed grow at the same rate as fellow Asia-Pacific countries such as South Korea and China. BCN Inc. estimated that revenue generated by the country's esports market accounted for less than 0.3% of Japan's gaming industry revenue in 2019.

There is hope that this will change in the coming years. The Japan Times reported in March that the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has plans to aid expansion of the industry, with the aim that it will generate ¥285 billion ($2.6~ billion USD) in economic benefits a year by 2025. This, alongside the relaxation of the application of laws that have previously limited local prize pools to ¥100,000 ($910~ USD), could see Japan finally make a significant global impact in esports.

How the above will impact the growth of VALORANT esports in Japan remains to be seen. Fellow tactical shooter CS:GO has failed to garner significant interest from Japanese gamers in the past. However, the success of games such as Overwatch, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds and Rainbow Six Siege indicates that there is room for competitive FPS titles in the Japanese market. The recent Twitch Rivals event, in which four Japanese teams competed for their share of a $10,000 USD prize pool, could be just a preview of more to come. For now, it is worth keeping an eye on teams like SunSister Rapid as the Japanese VALORANT scene takes shape.

SunSister Rapid SunSister Rapid Inactive kreamer Takamasa Suzuki AmeKen Kenji Hisano Peasy Kosuke Kosuke Nishida Niero 's roster is: