The World’s Best VALORANT Competitors Will Race to Plant the Spike in a New Tournament Starting July 22, as part of the first VALORANT Ignition Series
SEATTLE — July 7, 2020 — PAX, the high traffic event series in North America and Australia celebrating all things gaming, teams up with Riot Games to host the PAX Arena VALORANT Invitational Powered By Seagate from July 22 – 26, as part of Riot’s first Ignition Series of tournaments for their new hit title.
This marquee summer showdown for 5v5 character-based tactical shooter VALORANT joins the rich tradition of PAX Arena esports events. Sponsored and co-organized by Riot Games with promotional support from Seagate as the Title Sponsor, the PAX Arena VALORANT Invitational will bring together 20 teams—including 16 pro organizations and four influencer squads—to throw down for their share of a $25,000 prize pool, starting Wednesday, July 22 at 2:00 pm PT.
Eight teams will advance to the single-elimination quarter-finals on Friday, and four teams will compete in the semifinals on Saturday. From there, the remaining top teams will fight to reach Sunday’s best-of-five Finals and take home the winning prize of $10,000.
Starting 2:00 pm PT on Wednesday and Thursday, viewers can tune in for the tactical engagements streamed from the participants’ individual channels. PAX Arena on Twitch takes over on Friday at Noon PT with host WTFMoses and casters Goldenboy, Gaskin, Puckett, and Pansy, with Saturday and Sunday’s action kicking off at 2:00 pm PT. The event will also co-stream from Riot’s official VALORANT Twitch channel.
The champion team of the PAX Arena Invitational will take home $10,000, with shares of the prize pool going to the top eight teams. Viewers can look forward to S-tier competition from the world’s best VALORANT competitors, player interviews throughout the series, and giveaways of Seagate’s critically acclaimed gaming hard drives and solid-state drives.
“For 16 years, gamers the world over have called PAX home, and we want to welcome VALORANT to the scene,” said Jerry Holkins, PAX and Penny Arcade co-founder. “We’re thrilled to host the world’s best talent – in the matches, and behind the desk – for a virtual esports showdown that our extended PAX family can rally around.”
“PAX events have been a staple in esports and gaming for years. We’re proud to partner with PAX to build on their tradition of bringing communities together, and start a legacy with VALORANT esports in North America,” said Matt Archambault, head of NA esports partnerships and business development at Riot Games. “Combining our region’s top VALORANT competitors with A-list broadcast talent and partners, the Invitational will be a tournament fans won’t want to miss.”
For more information on the invitation-only PAX Arena VALORANT Invitational Powered by Seagate, follow PAX on Twitter and Facebook, the PAX Arena Twitch channel, and the official VALORANT Twitch channel, where PAX Arena’s livestream will be co-streamed.
About PAX
PAX, or Penny Arcade Expo, is a festival for gamers to celebrate gaming culture. First held in Seattle in 2004, PAX has nearly doubled in size each successive year, with PAX Prime 2014 selling out of tickets in a matter of minutes. Connecting the world’s leading game publishers with their most avid and influential fans, PAX expanded with a second show in Boston in 2010, and a third in San Antonio in 2015, making it the three largest gaming shows in North America. The first international PAX was held in Melbourne, Australia in 2013. In 2017, Penny Arcade established PAX Unplugged, its first tabletop focused show, held in Philadelphia.
About ReedPOP
ReedPOP is a boutique group within Reed Exhibitions – the world’s leading event organizer. Launched in 2006, the group has become the number one producer of pop culture events across the globe as well as a full-service digital content provider and media company. Delivering once-in-a-lifetime fan experiences curated specifically for localized audiences, ReedPOP currently features events in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, India, Africa, and Australia, including: New York Comic Con (NYCC), Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2), PAX West, East, South, and Australia, Emerald City Comic Con (ECCC), MCM Comic Con, BookCon, Oz Comic Con, EGX, Comic Con India, Comic Con Paris, Comic Con Seoul, Comic Con Africa, Star Wars Celebration, and ComplexCon. ReedPOP also runs and operates Gamer Network and its portfolio of leading gaming websites including Eurogamer, RockPaperShotgun, and GamesIndustry.biz. The staff at ReedPOP are a fan-based, globally focused group of professionals that are uniquely qualified to build and serve the communities with whom they share a common passion.
About Penny Arcade
Penny Arcade has been the world’s most popular web comic for over 20 years, with over 3.5 million readers. Started in 1998 in the living room of Mike Krahulik & Jerry Holkins, it has grown into a media empire encompassing multiple beloved properties such as Lookouts, Automata, and beloved D&D live-play series Acquisitions Incorporated. Penny Arcade was responsible for the creation of Child’s Play, a gaming charity that has raised over $45 million dollars for children across the world. They are also the founders of PAX, the number one consumer gaming festival in North America, with hundreds of thousands of loyal visitors every year.
About Seagate
Seagate crafts the datasphere, helping to maximize humanity’s potential by innovating world-class, precision-engineered data management solutions with a focus on sustainable partnerships. Learn more about Seagate by visiting www.seagate.com or following us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and subscribing to our blog.
