A new competitive opportunity for women in esports
With a mission to provide a platform for women gamers, ESPORTSU, Xbox and Paidia Gaming have together to launch three events concluding with the Collegiate Esports Commissioners Cup (CECC) in May.
A women’s qualifying VALORANT event will send one team to CCES, which is the biggest collegiate esports program across North America. With over 64 teams in participation across various tournaments, the event will take place in Texas this year at the Esports Stadium Arlington from May 6-7, 2023.
Paida Cup: Women’s Valorant Matchmaking Season
Additionally, XBOX, ESPORTSU, and Paida will also launch the Paida Cup. Women’s Matchmaking Season. This is a national
“We are thrilled to partner with Xbox and Paidia on this important and ground-breaking new initiative.” said Jim Connelly, Chief Revenue Officer for CSMG/ESPORTSU. “Together, we will continue to push the boundaries to open doors and make the esports gaming space more inclusive, by shining the spotlight on the incredible talents and skills of women gamers.”
Xbox, ESPORTSU, and Paidia will create custom content to highlight the players as well as coaches. The content series dubbed the “Road to CECC,” as well as “Cast This,” aims to provide more opportunities for upcoming shoutcasting talent.
"At Paidia our mission is to provide an inclusive and safe place for women and diverse gamers to connect, learn and play," says Jill Kenney, CEO of Paidia Gaming. "Initiatives like this one are paramount to closing the equity gap that has dominated our industry for decades. We couldn't be more excited to partner with Xbox and ESPORTSU to create a series of events and content that celebrates women gamers and the power of positive play."
The matches will be broadcast on ESPORTSU’s Twitch channel.
What is the CECC Texas?
The CECC Texas will run from May 5-7, 2023, and will include tournaments in Super Smash Brothers Ultimate, Overwatch 2, Rocket League, and VALORANT during the “May Madness” of collegiate esports. In addition to the esports tournaments, there will also be other attractions such as the Vendor village, Career Fair, cosplay opportunities as well as Meet & Greets with celebrities in the industry.
Opportunities such as this are important to help develop the esports scene for women in gaming. At the highest levels in Valorant, Riot Games has its Game Changers tournament which is awarded the same prestige and opportunities as the men’s tournament. G2 Gozen are the 2022 Game Changers champions after a thrilling series versus Shopify Rebellion GC.
Stay tuned to esports.gg for the latest collegiate news and updates.