The Valorant competitive scene is booming and the next big event will be exclusively for female players. The FTW Summer Showdown is coming September 12.
Have there been female-only events in the past? Yes. Were any as high profile as this one? Not really. The For The Women Summer Showdown is a big collaboration between Nerd Street Gamers, G FUEL, T1, and Spectacor Gaming offering female players a chance to shine, and $10,000 in prize money. Spectacor Gaming Communications Manager Kelsey Rowley commented:
The whole mission of FTW is to get women together across all sectors of esports to pave the way for the next generation of gamers. Since VALORANT’s explosive release earlier this year, we’ve seen the new title’s competitive ecosystem flourish. As an industry, we have the unique opportunity to engage, develop, and provide opportunities for women to succeed at all levels within the VALORANT community from the ground up – and this is just the beginning.
Senior Marketing Director at Nerd Street Gamers Paige Funk added:
We want to give more women a seat at the table in this industry – both for competitors and for women seeking a career in esports. We’re excited to team up with Spectacor Gaming, T1, and G FUEL to host our first all-women VALORANT invitational and spotlight female gamers who are making strides in the industry. From the players to the logistical staff, this tournament is a testament to the power that women have to drive the gaming industry forward today and in the future.
FTW is older than the current event as the Spectacor Gaming initiative was launched back in 2019 to connect, support, and inspire the growth and advancement of women across all sectors of the gaming landscape.
Valorant FTW Summer Showdown: The Teams
The tournament will feature a total of eight teams, seven professional ones coming with direct invitations, and an amateur one that’ll have to make it through qualifiers. You’re a female Valorant player and want to join in with your squad? Look no further as there’s still time to register for the qualifiers.
It’s hard to tell which teams will get a direct invitation, but the female roster of Dignitas will surely be there. As for the rest, we’ll just have to wait and find out!
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The Format
The format for the event is nothing out of the ordinary. First, it’ll kick off with a group stage splitting the eight teams into two groups of four. All matches there will be best of one. The bottom two teams from each group get eliminated while the top two will advance to the playoffs. Once there all the series will turn into a Bo3. It’ll be a single-elimination bracket, so a loss means direct elimination.
When and Where to Watch it?
The official live stream for the event will be the Nerd Street Gamers Twitch channel which can be found here. You’ll be able to tune in and enjoy both the qualifiers and the main event there. The qualifiers kick off on September 5 at 3:00 PM ET/ 9:00 PM CET, while the main event is set for September 12, 3:00 PM ET / 9:00 PM CET.
Stay tuned for more Valorant news and check out EarlyGame or the EarlyGame Youtube channel for more content.