"Shooting at bodies and drinking tea from tea bags—that's normal," confirms the head of VALORANT esports

Toxicity isn't anything new in FPS games, and VALORANT is no exception. Sometimes it even reaches the highest levels of esports. Throughout the history of the VCT, there have been several instances where players have taunted opponents with tea bags, used nonsensical sprays, or shot at corpses on the battlefield.

For several years, there has been debate over whether such behavior is permitted in professional circles. Riot has intervened on multiple occasions, adding some confusion to the discussion. For example, tournament organizers issued a warning to Paper Rex during the VCT Champions semifinals after players pelted downed opponents with tea bags and sprayed paintballs. Some tournament organizers continue to view such bad manners as undesirable during broadcasts, while others (and many players and fans) see it as part of the competitive banter in the game.

After the updated VALORANT Champions Shanghai rules appeared to ban BM behavior, esports fans were more confused about these rules than ever before. However, new comments from VCT officials seem to confirm that “shooting at corpses and carrying tea bags is fine.” Here’s a quick summary.

Is tea bagging allowed at VALORANT Champions Shanghai?

As VALORANT Champions Shanghai 2026 approaches, fans have noticed a leak of rule changes clarifying BM behavior. The official Champions Shanghai rulebook states:

“During the VCT Champions Shanghai event, the following in-game actions are prohibited: shooting at corpses […] and selling tea in tea bags or engaging in other inappropriate in-game behavior.”

The rules also specify that players who violate these rules will be penalized by the authorities responsible for the competition.

The head of VALORANT’s esports division confirms: “Shooting at corpses and taking tea in tea bags is fine.”

Although not without precedent, these rules differed from those of previous Champions tournaments. Players were curious whether this decision would be extended to future tournaments and become permanent.

However, on September 18, Leo Faria, head of VALORANT’s global esports division and VCT commissioner, offered an answer. “Shooting at corpses and participating in ‘tea bag’ pranks is fine,” he said.

Faria described the rule changes for Champions Shanghai as a “one-time [measure] due to cultural considerations.” These rules mean that gameplay will continue to respect the local audience and the Chinese VALORANT region.

“We’re not going to over-sanitize the sport and suck the fun out of it.”

Faria also reiterated that “edginess is good,” and the team has no intention of tightening the VCT’s code of conduct regarding jokes. “We’re not going to over-sanitize the sport and suck the fun out of it.”

Nevertheless, he warns players that their offensive remarks are “at your own risk.” If they go too far, there’s still a chance they’ll be punished by their own teams or VCT authorities.