Riot Games has announced that esports infrastructure company Nerd Street Gamers will operate and produce the League Championship Series (LCS) Proving Grounds last-chance qualifier tournament.
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The tournament, renamed ‘Nerd Street Power Play’, provides a final opportunity for amateur and academy League of Legends teams to enter into LCS Proving Grounds. So far 14 teams have qualified for the event with two spots set to be decided during Nerd Street Power Play.
Earlier this month, Riot Games expanded its partnership with Nerd Street Gamers for the publisher’s North American VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT). According to the release, the infrastructure company has also been working behind the scenes with Riot Games to produce and stream LCS Academy tournament broadcasts.
Matthew Archambault, Head of Esports Partnerships at Riot Games NA & OCE commented: “Nerd Street Gamers has been a trusted partner to Riot Games’ North American esports, from the earliest stages of our competitive VALORANT ecosystem. We’re excited to continue expanding our partnership with Nerd Street in LoL, as we continue to build out our regional ecosystem with high-quality experiences for amateur, semi-pro, and pro teams.”
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Nerd Street Power Play is expected to commence on March 22nd with the finals taking place on March 25th. The competition will be streamed live on Nerd Street Gamers’ Twitch channel.
John Fazio, Founder and CEO at Nerd Street Gamers, added: “The League of Legends community continues to be one of the strongest and most passionate groups in esports, and we’re excited at the chance to work more closely with them through this partnership.
“Nerd Street is here to provide an opportunity for all esports fans and players, and working with Riot Games on this last-chance qualifier is only the beginning for our involvement and dedication to League.”
Nerd Street Gamers is the third tournament operator to produce a Tier 1 Proving Grounds qualifier tournament, with Unified Esports Association and Giant Slayer involved in the previous two.
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Esports Insider says: Nerd Street Gamers has developed a strong relationship with Riot Games over the last 12 months, particularly in VALORANT. The new partnership sees the company enter into the League of Legends amateur scene, which opens up the question of whether Nerd Street Gamers will look at Riot’s other titles in the near future.