Nerd Street Gamers to drive first stage of Valorant Champions Tour

Nerd Street Gamers has been selected by Riot Games to produce and operate the 2021 edition of the Valorant Champions Tour

Esports infrastructure company Nerd Street Gamers has been named as an operator and producer for the 2021 Valorant Champions Tour by Riot Games. The deal will have Nerd Street Gamers lead registrations, operate, and produce all Challengers and Masters events taking place from January until March. Valorant confirmed the news via their official Twitter handle.

Event details

The first Challengers event takes place from January 27th until February 7th, while the opening stage of the Masters tournament begins on March 19th. After March, another company will be selected to host subsequent events.

The company was selected by publisher Riot Games, which unveiled details on the Champions Tour back in November 2020. Commenting on the development, John Fazio, CEO of Nerd Street Gamers, said, “It’s an honour to be a part of Valorant’s growth since its launch last summer. Riot Games’ efforts to provide opportunities for all gamers align with our own mission and further expand the esports landscape.”

A step towards the future

This production undertaking by Nerd Street Gamers to organize the inaugural Champions Tour takes the collaboration between both entities to the next level and is expected to create long-term synergies for the growth and sustainability of the path-to-pro ecosystem.

Elaborating on the company’s previous endeavours, Fazio said, “We are incredibly proud of the work we’ve done with Riot including powering the first North American Ignition Series and hosting the largest all-women Valorant tournament.”

A proven partnership

Philadelphia-based Nerd Street Gamers has a long history of operating tournaments in Valorant. The company joined forces with the likes of T1 and FaZe Clan last year to host Ignition Series tournaments prior to Riot Games opting for a new structure for Valorant esports.

Sharing his views on the collaboration, Chris Greeley, Director of Esports at Riot Games, stated, “Since the launch of Valorant, Nerd Street Gamers has been a strong supporter of competitive Valorant in North America. We are confident that the 2021 Champions Tour will help elevate North American teams to the next level.”

“With various Valorant tournaments under their belt, Nerd Street Gamers was a strong choice to partner with for the first stage of the Champions Tour. We’re excited to continue our partnership with Nerd Street Gamers and continue to build the esports ecosystem together,” mentioned Greeley.