The Virtual Athletics League (VAL) has partnered with co-hosts Springboard and LIV to launch a pilot season of Tower Tag, a multiplayer VR location-based experience from VR-Nerds. VAL will also be teaming up with the VR Master League (VRML) to provide casting for the season, which begins November 19.
Tower Tag features futuristic-style laser battles atop virtual towers and has gained a following around the globe, with locations in more than 40 countries. In Asia, Tower Tag has been featured at events such as the 2019 Cartoon & Animation Festival in Shenzhen, China. The VAL tournament will take place at arcades throughout Europe and North America.
Like other VR esports, Tower Tag combines technology and athleticism. Players are virtually launched onto skyscrapers over a darkened city at dusk and they must combine shooting skills, coordination, and strategy as they dodge and weave their way around neon-colored towers in order to gain an advantage over their opponents in the 3 v 3 competitions. According to Nima Zeighami, Regional Manager (America) for VR-Nerds, the game is easy to pick up, but nearly impossible to master, which makes for intense competitions at higher levels of play in particular.
Location-Based VR Experience
“Since its initial launch, we believed that in order for Tower Tag to become the new standard of what a VR esports title should look like, we would need mass adoption in the location-based entertainment space,” said Phillip Steinfatt, founder at VR-Nerds and co-founder of Tower Tag.
“After reaching our adoption goals in Asia,” Steinfatt continued, “it seemed like an obvious move to partner up with other leading community builders like SpringboardVR and the Virtual Athletics League, who both have proven to be not only professional but also very passionate about cultivating VR esports in the location-based VR communities.”
Community Involvement
Community has become a theme throughout the VR esports industry and when players find a game they love, a friendly community, or an arcade where they feel welcome, they tend to return. This is important for location-based entertainment centers because they need those repeat customers. Events such as the Tower Tag Tournament encourage even greater cohesiveness.
Another important aspect of building community and hosting a successful tournament is providing the opportunity for people to spectate both locally and remotely.
“The developers have clearly done their homework into what makes a watchable experience for those at home,” stated Ryan Burningham, founder of Virtual Athletics League. “For the finals we are thrilled to welcome VRML and their casting experience to Tower Tag.”
The VR Master League is a community-driven platform that was established in early 2017 by DaKinMan. The organization has now grown to include an extensive network of individuals who are dedicated to the growth of VR esports.
Experienced casters from the VRML will split casting duties with the VAL for Tower Tag Season 1.
Schedule
- November 10 – November 16: Team formation and seeding dates
- November 19: Season launches
- November 23: Finals
- November 25: Finals (accommodation date)
Prize Pool
- $1050 – First Place Team – ($350 per team member)
- $450 – Second Place Team – ($150 per team member)
- $300 – Third Place Team – ($100 per team member)
- $210 – Fourth Place Team – ($70 per team member)
Details
- There is currently a maximum of 16 NA teams, and 16 EU teams with each team containing 3 players each. Additional brackets might be generated if there is additional interest.
- All participants must create an account at http://app.valvr.com/signup and register as a “player.” Approval for participation in the Tower Tag tournament is not automatic, but once an account is created VAL admins will reach out to confirm participation.
- In order for an arcade to participate, arcade owners must also register at http://app.valvr.com/signup and register as an “arcade”. VAL admins will reach out to coordinate team signup upon approval of the application.
- Players must be 13 or older to participate. Players who are under 18 but over 13 must have permission from a parent or guardian.
- Players using gaming handles or other aliases must have appropriate nicknames.
- All players and arcades must agree to the VAL PvP strike and ban policy regarding attendance.
- Please refer to the official Tower Tag Tournament Rules Packet for additional rules and information.
Social Media Links
Virtual Athletics League
SpringboardVR
LIV
VR Master League
