Riot Orders Wired Mice at Valorant Champions After Desk Interference Plagues Shanghai Event

Riot Games has asked players at Valorant Champions Shanghai to use wired computer mice after technical difficulties have plagued the event. The company cited "repeated mouse interference" caused by the material of the custom metal desks at the competition venue.

Now well into its second week, Valorant Champions Shanghai has experienced multiple technical pauses that disrupted gameplay. Riot acknowledged the severity of the situation in an official statement: "The experience at Champions so far has not met the standards we expect for players or fans. Repeated mouse interference issues have caused multiple tech pauses and disrupted our most important tournament of the year."

To address the problem, Riot outlined immediate and longer-term solutions. "This includes replacing the custom metal desks we fabricated with ones made from a different material," the statement said. In the interim, Riot asked all players to switch to wired connections. "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."

Riot acknowledged the adjustment poses a challenge for professional players. "We understand that peripheral settings are a significant part of how players perform and that muscle memory matters. This is not an ideal solution, but it is the best option available right now." Most competitive first-person shooter players moved away from wired mice years ago, potentially making the switch uncomfortable for many competitors, including younger players who may never have used wired mice professionally.

The desk issues contributed to a controversial moment during the tournament. In round 2 of the Split map between FUT Esports and 100 Thieves, player Yusuf 'xeus' Doğan Gözgen experienced a malfunction that prevented his weapon from firing during a critical 2v1 engagement. The incident resulted in xeus's death and a round loss for FUT, with no rollback issued at the time. 100 Thieves went on to win the map and series 2-0.

Riot later acknowledged the error in its official statement. "During round 2 on Split, xeus experienced an issue that affected his ability to fire his weapon. Following an official post-game evaluation, we concluded that a round rollback should have been allowed. We take responsibility for that error."

However, Riot decided to let the match result stand. The organization explained its reasoning: "After considering the available options, we have decided that the match result will stand, as other options would result in overturning a victory by a team that competed under the same conditions and was not responsible for the error." The decision meant 100 Thieves advanced to the playoffs while FUT faced elimination in the lower bracket.

Riot's handling of both issues reflected its commitment to tournament integrity. "Champions represents the highest standard of VALORANT competition. So far, this tournament has not met that standard. We are continuing to work hard to address these issues and remain committed to applying the tournament rules objectively and transparently."

This incident echoes earlier desk-related complications at Valorant esports events. At Masters London earlier in 2026, Riot modified desk design by adding lips and light bars to prevent unfair advantages.