At a Valorant event in France, there were riots between fan groups. The consequences: police intervention, ejection and disqualification.
What should have been a heated but fair duel ended in chaos: at the offline event of the French Valorant league, Challengers France: Revolution, fans of the eSports organizations DVM and Joblife came to blows.
Eyewitnesses report a dispute in the stands that led to physical violence. According to the reports, the violence was started by DVM fans who are said to have attacked Joblife supporters. Among them were the influencer ‘Fakemonster’ and friends and family of Joblife CEO Toma ‘JLTomy’ Abdellaoui. The event could only continue after the police arrived.
The accusations are serious: on X, visitors report tear gas spray and brass knuckles. So far, there is no evidence of such weapons being used – but the willingness to use violence has been documented. Ex-football pro and DVM influencer Harrison Manzala was also involved: he knocked a filming spectator’s cell phone out of his hand and later apologized for it on X.
DVM relies on short videos for education
Joblife expressed its concern afterwards, DVM initially avoided official statements. Instead, the organization published video clips of a livestream with CEO ‘Medjalive’ and Manzala. In numerous one-minute clips, the message is clear: they see themselves as innocent.
The mood? Testy. Even before the event, the atmosphere between the two fan bases was heated. The rivalry between DVM and three-time champions Joblife has been simmering for months. The event was supposed to be an emotional but peaceful showdown – it became a security issue.
The league cracks down: DVM is kicked out
On the same day, the organizer excluded a large number of DVM fans from the tournament – followed by the complete disqualification of the organization. Particularly bitter: DVM was seeded in the playoffs and, after their semi-final defeat in the last split, still had hopes of winning the title.
It is still unclear what will become of the players. Stefan ‘Sayonara’ Mitcu, who is currently on loan from Team Vitality, had a particularly strong regular season. Fans hope that the team will remain intact and will be allowed to continue under a different banner.
The French scene is outraged – Riot remains silent
The French eSports scene is reacting in unison: fan groups of other teams strongly condemned the incidents. Many continue to call for a tough approach against DVM. Riot Games itself has not yet commented on the situation.
But action must follow: in five months, the World Championship – the biggest stage in Valorant eSports – is set to take place in Paris. The recent riots cast a long and dark shadow.
