Nerd Street Gamers Furthers Riot Games Partnership with VALORANT Esports

Company selected as tournament operator and producer for additional stages of the inaugural 2021 VALORANT Champions Tour and the Recently Announced VCT Game Changers Tournament I

PHILADELPHIA, March 9, 2021– Nerd Street Gamers, the national esports infrastructure company, announced today it was selected as the official tournament operator and producer for two upcoming VALORANT initiatives. Nerd Street Gamers will operate and produce all three North American stages of Riot Games’ 2021 VALORANT Champions Tour along with the first tournament in Riot Games’ VALORANT Game Changers Series. Riot Games’ selection of Nerd Street accentuates the ongoing synergy between the organizations.

The opportunity awarded to Nerd Street for producing and operating the final two stages of the NA VALORANT Champions Tour is a testament to the organization’s capabilities and strengths as a partner.

Additionally, the VCT Game Changers Series I is a new Riot Games program that focuses on creating opportunities and exposure for women and other marginalized genders. This new initiative aligns with both organizations’ missions to provide opportunities for gamers of all demographics and skill levels. Riot Games and Nerd Street worked closely on a similar initiative in 2020, the FTW Summer Showdown, which boasted the largest prize pot for an all-female VALORANT tournament to date.

“Our focus on consumer access requires that we invest heavily in amateur ecosystem development to increase opportunities for gamers,” said John Fazio, CEO of Nerd Street Gamers. “Riot’s support of the amateur ecosystem, by fueling these open tournaments, is the largest factor of the success we’re seeing. We are proud to empower them with our competitive infrastructure to execute their vision and reach as many gamers as possible. ”

Released in June 2020, VALORANT is a relatively new game within the industry but has quickly evolved and gained popularity among players. Through various initiatives and tournaments, such as the first North American VALORANT Ignition Series Event and FTW Ignition Series, Nerd Street and Riot Games are creating a solid foundation for VALORANT to be a leading esports category.

“Our relationship with Nerd Street Gamers has been a core driver in the growth of the VALORANT competitive scene. With the company’s expertise in esports tournament operations, we can distinguish our VALORANT tournaments as a force in the industry rooted in high-quality professional-grade opportunities,” said Matthew Archambault Head of Esports Partnerships, Riot Games NA & OCE. “Nerd Street has continuously proved to be a trusted partner and we are excited to extend our relationship with the Champions Tour, and level it up with VCT Game Changers Series. ”

Nerd Street’s core approach is to provide integrity-driven opportunities for gamers of all skill levels. The organization took lead in the buildout of open qualifiers for some of the largest VALORANT tournaments in 2020 that provided fair opportunities for amateur players to earn their spot next to the pros in tournaments that would typically be invitation-only. The companies anticipate creating this same experience for gamers in 2021 and beyond.

Stage 2 of the 2021 VALORANT Champions Tour kicks off on Thursday, April 1. Players interested in competing can follow @nerdstgamers on Twitter to keep up with the latest announcements and registration information. Fans can continue to tune in to the Champions Tour throughout Stage 2 and 3 at twitch.tv/nerdstgamers and twitch.tv/valorant_esports_na.

Open qualifiers for the $50K 2021 VCT Game Changers Series I will kick off with open qualifiers starting on Friday, March 19 and the main event on Thursday, March 25. Players can register to compete in the qualifiers by heading to nerdstgamers.com/valorant. Fans can tune in to all of the action at twitch.tv/nerdstgamers and twitch.tv/valorant_esports_na.

About Nerd Street Gamers

Nerd Street Gamers (Nerd Street) is a national network of esports facilities and events dedicated to powering competitive opportunities for gamers. The company promotes greater access to the esports industry, laying a national framework for esports talent development and high-quality gaming tournaments. Nerd Street has received backing from Five Below, Comcast Spectacor, SeventySix Capital, Elevate Ventures, angel investor George Miller, and Founders Fund.

For more information, follow @nerdstgamers on Twitter or visit http://www.nerdstgamers.com.

Media Contact:
Brownstein on behalf of Nerd Street Gamers
nerdstreet@brownsteingroup.com
(410) 562-9639