New All-Women’s Valorant Tournament Arriving in September

Spectator Gaming and Nerd Street Gamers have come together to host a first-of-its-kind all-women’s VALORANT tournament event which will take place on September 12. Spectator Gaming is a gaming division owned by Comcast NBCUniversal. The FTW Summer Showdown will feature a $10,000 prize pool and the tournament’s abbreviation, FTW stands for “For the Women.”

Given the recent spate of sexual scandals that have rocked the gaming world, women are taking a central piece in yet another event designed to showcase their prowess as gamers. The event has already secured several sponsors, including G FUEL, the esports energy drink.

Five ambassadors will be joining the event with Spectator Gaming’s T1 professional esports outfit also joining the race. The official statement released by Nerd Street senior marketing director Paige Funk emphasized the company’s commitment to showcasing women’s strength in esports. He specifically said:

“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.”

Before the main event takes place on September 12, teams will be able to sign up for a qualifying event. The event’s format will feature eight teams split into two groups. Each two top teams from the groups will make it into the playoffs.

The playoffs will have a tighter schedule and come with a single-elimination format, meaning any team failing to secure a game will have to withdraw from the race.

Not TR1 and Nerd Street’s First Valorant Rodeo

Both T1 and Nerd Street have been quite active in the VALORANT community in the capacity of organizers. In fact, T1 and Nerd Street both held events during the Ignition Series.

Back to the FTW event, though, Funk has said that everyone involved with the upcoming tournament is committed to revealing “the power that women have to drive the gaming industry forward today and in the future.”

Spectator Gaming has been involved with the For the Women initiative since it launched it in 2019. The whole idea, said communications manager Kelsey Rowley, was to get women together from across the entire esports ecosystem.

Fans interested in seeing girl power would be able to do so at the Nerd Street Gamers Twitch channel at 2 pm CT. The tournament has kept the names of participants under tight wraps to build up excitement for the upcoming event.