Checking game-publisher restrictions before activation

Game publishers can control how their titles, marks, footage and competitions are used. Before buying assets or announcing creative, check the current rules for the exact game, event, territory and competition tier; approval from a team or organiser may not be enough.

Identify the applicable rule set

Write down the game, circuit, organiser, territory and competition tier, then find the publisher’s current policy for that exact context. Riot’s VALORANT developer portal distinguishes community competition tiers and lists sponsor and trademark rules.

On the Riot Games Developer Portal, open “VALORANT Tournament Policies” at developer.riotgames.com. Check “Community Competition Tiers” and the sections “II. Trademarks or Affiliation”, “VI. Broadcasting”, “VII. Sponsors & Partners”, “VIII. Merchandising” and “IX. Riot Games’ Rights to Content”.

For official Riot esports events, use the “Competitive Operations Library” at competitiveops.riotgames.com. Its listed documents include “LoL Esports Global Policies (2026 Edition)”, which covers sponsorship guidelines, and “VCT Official Competition Ruleset (2026)”, which covers equipment, conduct, match procedures and disciplinary actions; use the relevant game, territory, league and category filters.

Compare the sponsor’s category with the restrictions in the applicable sponsor rules; a section heading is not a list of permitted categories. The “VALORANT Developer API Policy” prohibits betting or gambling functionality in monetised developer products, but that rule does not itself establish a sponsor-category ban.

Check every planned use separately: event names, game imagery, match footage, player likenesses and broadcast overlays. Confirm whether the applicable rules allow each use in the planned channels, or require a custom licence or direct publisher approval; do not assume any asset type is automatically cleared.

Riot’s rules can change and should not be generalised to other publishers. Check the current rules for the exact title and competition rather than relying on a policy for another game or tier.

Riot Games Policy Sources: Developer Portal vs Competitive Ops Library

Key Compliance Metrics for VALORANT Sponsorships (Australia)

Put the check into the workflow

Ask the organiser to identify the permission basis, the rights owner and any publisher approval or licence needed for each planned use. Request written approvals that cover the activation; if the category or use is unclear, have counsel or the relevant rights owner review it before producing assets.

Do not infer an approval route, licence type or turnaround time from a policy heading or library entry. Ask the relevant rights owner to name the process and confirm any timing in writing before production.

Record the policy version or access date in the project file and set a recheck before launch. If a use is disallowed, revise the creative or rights package; a small audience does not make it harmless.

A compliant activation should state the sponsor relationship clearly and avoid implying official publisher endorsement that has not been granted.