Mobile network company EE has extended its long-standing partnership with British competitive gaming culture brand Excel Esports to host an all-women esports tournament at a UK gaming festival next month.
Come September, the Valorant Women’s Cup will feature the best up-and-coming gaming talent from the country competing in a team-based Valorant tournament for a share of the £10,000 prize pool.
Scheduled to commence on September 7th, the three-day Insomnia71 event will take place at Insomnia the Gaming Festival at the NEC in Birmingham, UK. During the event, up to 80 players divided among 16 teams will participate in Valorant matches, powered by EE’s Full Fibre broadband.
Mark Carter, commercial director of Excel Esports says “Our overarching mission is to create a safer and more inclusive gaming community for everyone, and we believe the Valorant Women’s Cup is the perfect platform to showcase the nation’s emerging women’s gaming talent.”
The last two matches will be held on the festival’s Esports Stage on Saturday, 9th September.
Inclusive gaming
This competition signifies another important step in both EXCEL and EE’s dedication to supporting the next generation of female gamers. All women in the UK who are 16 years or older are encouraged to register and participate.
“We are committed to making gaming as inclusive as possible, using our platforms and partnerships to nurture the next generation of women in gaming and this tournament is another step in this journey. We hope this tournament inspires more women gamers to get involved with esports,” said Magda Lojszczyk, head of sponsorship at EE.
Attendees at Insomnia71 can visit EXCEL and EE at the entrance to the Esports and LAN Party Hall, to obtain EE Advocacy Cards as well as obtain their very own Valorant-themed trading card, similar to Pokémon trading cards.
Also, attendees will get to meet members of Excel Esports like Fortnite content creator Jackson ‘Rezhexx’ Bradbury and popular FIFA player Spencer ‘Gorilla’ Ealing.
Registrations for the tournament are open now through Challenger Mode. Sign-ups are exclusive to women in the UK above the age of 16. Tickets for Insomnia71 are also available for purchase here.
Isa Muhammad is a writer and video game journalist covering many aspects of entertainment media including the film industry. He's steadily writing his way to the sharp end of journalism and enjoys staying informed. If he's not reading, playing video games or catching up on his favourite TV series, then he's probably writing about them.
