VALORANT returns to Localhost Philly for Precision Protocol

VALORANT returned to Localhost Philadelphia last weekend as Nerd Street hosted the inaugural Precision Protocol LAN tournament. Sixteen teams packed the esports and gaming venue in the heart of Philly vying to be crowned Precision Protocol champions and win a share of the $1500 prize pot.

Virginia Tech won the tournament with a 2-0 victory over James Madison University in the final of the eight-team single-elimination playoffs. Virginia Tech didn’t drop any maps in the tournament including the playoffs and the group stage.

Two big upsets happened in the playoff bracket when Rutgers beat George Mason and when Practice Squad beat Rowan. In the group stage, the 16 teams were divided into four groups of four, and the top two teams from each group advanced to the playoffs. Teams that missed out on the playoffs got to play in a redemption bracket with the NOVA Nighthawks (Northern Virginia Community College) coming out on top and securing a free ticket to the upcoming MACS VALORANT LAN in April.

The tournament had a collegiate flair to it with all the teams either representing colleges and universities or consisting of collegiate players. Twelve teams officially represented their colleges and universities, while the other four teams consisted of collegiate players, like the Hokie Hawks which included a mix of Virginia Tech and Northern Virginia Community College players.

Virginia universities were particularly well-represented at Precision Protocol. James Madison University sent three teams to the tournament -- varsity, academy and junior varsity teams. It was their varsity team that faced off against Virginia Tech in the final. George Mason University, who won Nerd Street’s MACS VALORANT tournament in October, also competed and reached the playoffs. Northern Virginia Community College and the College of William & Mary were also at the tournament. Outside of Virginia, Syracuse, Rowan, Drexel, Rutgers and the New Jersey Institute of Technology also traveled to Philly for Precision Protocol.

Lead photo credit: JustusArts / Flickr