Nerd Street Launches First VALORANT In-Person Tournaments Nationwide at Localhost Gaming and Esports Centers

PHILADELPHIA, PA, December 9, 2021 – Nerd Street Gamers, the national esports infrastructure company, announced today the launch of their first publisher-backed, in person tournaments for VALORANT. These in-person events, also known as LAN (Local Area Network) tournaments allow gamers of all skill levels to compete alongside one another in a competitive and fun atmosphere. The VALORANT tournaments are open to the public and will take place at Nerd Street Localhost gaming and esports centers December 18-19 in Philadelphia, PA and Fullerton, CA.

The tournaments will be run under Nerd Street’s Fragadelphia brand—a grassroots organization launched in 2014 that provides opportunities to players and community members through some of the largest open LAN tournaments in the world for games like CS:GO and VALORANT. Dozens of professional players across multiple games started their journey in esports participating in Fragadelphia tournaments, and Nerd Street is committed to bringing more in-person tournaments back to life under the brand.

The tournaments mark the beginning of a monumental shift back to in-person events, after a temporary pivot to online-only tournaments due to the COVID pandemic. The in-person experience ensures competitive integrity, with all players competing on the same equipment, and allows the community aspect of esports to flourish. Competing in LAN events builds players’ resumes by demonstrating their ability to play under pressure in front of a crowd, which makes them more appealing to enter the collegiate and professional scene.

“The VALORANT community has thrived in an online world and we're excited to start building in-person communities on LAN,” said John Fazio, CEO of Nerd Street. “Our LAN events are about communities coming together in person to experience the truest form of competition, all playing on the same equipment ensuring an even playing field. By connecting VALORANT's pipeline of open competitions to our network of esports venues, we will ensure everyone has a chance to compete on the same equipment as the pros. I can't wait to see the community come together and create the type of memories you only get on LAN."

Nerd Street has been involved in VALORANT since the game was in beta in the summer of 2020. The company was one of the first organizers of online tournaments with thousands of participants  and worked closely with publisher Riot Games to grow the scene into one of the largest esports to date. Professional organizations like Cloud9, TSM, Complexity, and many more scouted Nerd Street’s tournaments, recruiting players from open online events to playing on an international stage.

In VALORANT’s inaugural year, Nerd Street was a key partner and supporter of the game and its passionate community. Alongside T1, Nerd Street produced and operated Riot’s First North American VALORANT Ignition Series Event. Additionally, Nerd Street partnered with FaZe Clan for their Ignition Series tournament. Nerd Street Gamers also saw an opportunity to engage Riot Games — alongside Spectator Gaming — to host the largest all-women VALORANT tournament, the FTW Ignition Series, which symbolized a massive movement for all women esports competitors.

Nerd Street was also the official operator of Riot’s official North American VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT). Aspiring pro players from all over the world had the opportunity to build their stardom through this brand new series that featured both regional and international VALORANT competitions. The company operated and produced all three stages of the event for Riot Games. Lastly, Nerd Street was selected as tournament and broadcast operations provider for VCT Game Changers, Stages 1-3. This event shed light on women in the VALORANT scene through a combination of community events and top-tier competition.

These tournaments and broadcasts have culminated in over seven million hours of VALORANT watched on Nerd Street’s Twitch channel with numerous content pieces created as supplement material.

To join in on the VALORANT LAN action, click here.

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. Through Localhost, its gaming and esports centers across the country, the company provides opportunities for gamers of all ages and skill levels to participate in esports tournaments, camps, team training, private events like birthday parties, and hourly play for a wide variety of video games. Nerd Street has received backing from Five Below, Comcast Spectacor, SeventySix Capital, Elevate Ventures, angel investor George Miller, and Founders Fund.

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