Xbox, collegiate esports brand ESPORTSU and gaming technology company Paidia Gaming have launched a collegiate esports series for aspiring female esports players.
The circuit will see the parties host three events in 2023, in addition to launching the Paidia Cup VALORANT competition.
The collegiate VALORANT qualification tournament is open to all female students enrolled in a college based in the United States and Canada. The winner of the event will secure a place at the Collegiate Esports Commissioner’s Cup (CECC) taking place on May 6th-7th at Esports Stadium Arlington.
Alongside the qualifier, the Paidia Cup gives players another opportunity to compete at CECC, with the top two teams competing in a show match at CECC.
In addition to the tournaments, Xbox, ESPORTSU, and Paidia Gaming will work together to create two content series. One aims to find new female commentary talent through mentoring by ‘industry leaders’ before commentating on VALORANT at CECC.
The second content series focuses on the teams preparing for the competition that begins in February and concludes in May.
Katie Schroeder, Xbox Marketing Lead for North America, spoke on the project: “At Xbox, we believe that gaming is for everyone, and should be ‘Inclusive of all’ and ‘Accessible to all’. Paidia and ESPORTSU share these same values, which is why this collaboration is such a natural fit.
“We are proud to be working alongside Paidia and ESPORTSU in their efforts to create an inclusive online gaming community and to empower gamers around the world to do more of what they love – connect to their community through games.”
