Australian fighting game event runners and community. Hosts of BAM: Battle Arena Melbourne, Australia's largest fighting game/open entry esports event.
About a month ago, we announced that the classic “BAM Bounties” contest would return at Battle Arena Melbourne 2022. Top players from each of the CouchWarriors League featured games will enter the major with a price on their heads! If you’re the first to best these players in their favorite game over the weekend, you can immediately cash in for a bonus prize. Sounds good, right?
Not so fast. These aren’t just random schmucks who lucked into the odd win; with months of bruising competition under their belts already in 2022, our CWL leaders have more than proven their credentials as champions of their chosen games. They’re some of the most exciting and experienced players in the Oceanic FGC!
So to make sure you’re prepared for BAM2022 (in less than 2 weeks!), let’s take a closer look at who you’ll be trying to take down…
We are pleased to announce BAM12’s official cosplay competition! Join us in your best fighting game costume for a chance to win some awesome prizes and your very own BAM Trophy! Not only is BAM Australia’s biggest fighting game event, it’s a gaming festival, so we would like to invite everyone to appear in character!
There’s over $250 in cash and prizes for the Cosplay, Plus, TOP 4 – Passes to CrunchyRoll Expo!
Photography: On the floor of BAM, we will have a photo wall and photographer onsite, so there’ll be great shots to come from the event. We also welcome photographers to join the event!
Cosplay Changerooms: There will be a dedicated space off-floor for Cosplayers to change.
When: May 15 (Cosplay welcome all three days of event)
Cosplay registration: Just register in person at the Registration Desk. You can also pre-fill some info for our judges by entering details on this form
Event Entry: Only a spectator pass ($25 for weekend) is required.
TIMES:
Registration Ends 12:30PM Sunday
Pre-Judging 1pm to 2pm (Marshall at Photo wall 12:45)
Parade: 2:30PM Sunday (Marshall at Photo wall 2:15)
Theme: Fighting Game characters (Has appeared in a fighting game)
Where: Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, Bays 23 & 24
The hype train for Battle Arena Melbourne next month is picking up a ton of steam with each passing week, and we’ve got a couple more announcements here which are sure to help fuel that engine!
Not only has the list of fighting games represented in the tournament schedule grown significantly since the initial announcement, but CouchWarriors have now confirmed the return of the “BAM Bounties” competition – offering special prizes to anyone who can take down the top-ranked players of CouchWarriors League in their favorite game.
There’s a very special atmosphere around the Australian FGC this month – an excitement nobody has felt for several long, major-less years. The twelfth-ever Battle Arena Melbourne finally has a scheduled date and venue, and the biggest international esports tournament on the national calendar is now open for player registration!
Taking place at Melbourne Exhibition Centre from May 13th to May 15th, BAM is a celebration of everything happening in fighting games, right in the heart of the city’s renowned CBD. It’s also the heart of the CouchWarriors League tournament circuit, offering a huge injection of ranking points alongside other prizes and competitions. Attracting champions both domestic and international across a huge range of games, this is the pinnacle of competition for every player (and spectator!) in OCE.
Sunday, July 11th saw a year of pent-up competitive energy unleashed from a highly unusual venue. Inflation Nightclub and Entertainment Complex has been a party fixture on Melbourne’s King Street for decades, but they’d never seen anything quite like the crowd of 240+ FGC diehards hollering over the noise of the venue to celebrate a knockout blow.
With a brief window to take advantage of lowered COVID restrictions but no way to facilitate a full-sized major, an event was planned to carry on the spirit of BAM in the best available venue, and thus we got to enjoy #BANC – Battle Arena Nightclub 2021.
Australia’s premier fighting game esports league and its major event, are now powered by ASTRO GAMING
MEDIA RELEASE: ASTRO Gaming today announced it will be pulling on the gloves and supporting the Australian Fighting Game Community as it becomes the presenting partner of CouchWarriors League and BAM (Battle Arena Melbourne) for 2021-22. As the exclusive partner for headsets, CouchWarriors League will be equipped with ASTRO headsets for events, player prizes and commentators to call the action in top fighting game titles including Street Fighter V, Tekken 7 and Super Smash Bros Ultimate.
CouchWarriors League is the premier esports league for fighting game fans in Australia, with live events across the country in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide, along with online tournaments broadcast to thousands of monthly viewers. The CouchWarriors series of events has been an anchor for the fighting game community (FGC) for nearly 15 years. It welcomes grassroots play from casual matches to major tournaments.
Australia’s largest major FGC event, BAM, returns in May 2022, presented by ASTRO. BAM has been the home of amazing moments on the FGC world stage, featuring international talent as stops for world tours including Capcom Pro Tour and Tekken World Tour.
Most of all, it is a must attend for fighting game fans nationwide both for connecting with the community, and competing in the national championships. Over 1,000 unique competitors joined the fray in 2019.
“We are incredibly excited at ASTRO Gaming as a major supporter of fighting game esports globally, having sponsored major events including EVO World Championships, CEO and Combo Breaker. BAM is the equivalent major event on the Australian calendar having hosted thousands of competitors and world tours. As part of CouchWarriors League, we look forward to being part of the year-round hype and energy of the fighting game scene” Said Daniel Hall, Senior Category Portfolio Manager, Logitech G and ASTRO Gaming Australia.
“The passion and vibrancy of the fighting game scene calls for an equally passionate partner for the CouchWarriors League and we’re thrilled to have ASTRO on board, supporting the players and tournament organisers in the scene. We’re excited for what the partnership will bring to all our events from local live tournaments nationwide, to our regular online tournaments and major events like BAM. The pedigree and dedication to fighting games by ASTRO worldwide is unmatched” Added Daniel Chlebowczyk, Director of Events Engine, the partnership manager for CouchWarriors League.
The next event will be BANC – Battle Arena NightClub in Melbourne on July 11. https://smash.gg/banc
To all the FGC community from the dedicated BAM team, we are announcing the postponenment of BAM 2021. After careful consideration of the COVID safety state across Australia, and discussions with the venue we have taken the difficult decision to postpone.
We are moving BAM to its traditional month of May, 2022. In its place, for those that can attend in Melbourne on July 11th, we will have a special alternative event we dub “BANC” or Battle Arena Nightclub. More on this below
Why Postpone
Due to the Melbourne lockdown recently, with a slow rate of changes to restrictions, the scope of the event has been affected. Adding to the decision, new hotspots in NSW and QLD have diminished the ability for interstate visitors to attend our community’s national event.
In this uncertain environment we cannot guarantee an event befitting the scale and style expected of BAM.
What about my BAM registration?
Our team will remove all registrations and refunds will be issued for BAM progressively over the coming week. The event listing itself will remain so you can keep your bookmark for smash.gg/bam12
We will reopen BAM registration closer to the event.
Alternative Event: BANC
We have an alternative event planned called Battle Arena NightClub (BANC) at the nightclub venue, Inflation in the Melbourne CBD. We recognise there are attendees who would still like to travel on the BAM dates, and take the opportunity to play in a fighting game major.
Looking to make the best we can out of the situation, this event will have big pot bonuses and prizes, at a unique venue.
This event will be in a bar/nightclub venue opening up for us through the day, making for a cool fighting club atmosphere.
Pot bonus – $500 minimum (up to $1,000) We are announcing at BANC there will be a Community prize bonus from CouchWarriors: $500 for each of these titles. If the registrations for each hit 64 or more we will double it to 1,000
SFV
Tekken
Melee
Ultimate
DBFZ
Guilty Gear Strive
BAM Bounties in effect at the Battle Arena NightClub
The recently announce BAM bounties – which reward the top players at the end of June’s CouchWarriors League ladder in 5 feature titles – SFV, Tekken, Melee, Ultimate and DBFZ.
Top of points in each game will receive FREE entry to BANC and a $50 Mwave voucher
However those players are TARGETED.
The first player to beat that player in the tournament for that game at BANC will win a $50 voucher also.
Get hype! The biggest AusFGC news of the year is the biggest AusFGC event of the year: BAM 2021.
Battle Arena Melbourne is making its comeback in 2021. Held from July 9th-11th, #BAM12 will feature the peak of competitive play for fighting games across Australia as part of the CouchWarriors League, as well as a rare chance for our top talent to battle world-class opposition. Expanding the gaming on offer, alongside BAM will be ITZ Gaming PC LAN (more on that below)! BAM’s status as Australia’s top Major on the official circuits brings together players and broadcasters from all sorts of games, and CouchWarriors are going in even harder on that big-tent ethos with this year’s event. Whether you count yourself among the hardcore competitors, niche game specialists, casual fans, artists, cosplayers, or game developers, #BAM12 has something to offer.
We are proud to announce Mwave is supporting CouchWarriors League, which incliudes BAM, as PC Retail Partner!
Mwave have long been a fantastic supporter of the scene, providing digital prize vouchers and the latest awesome tech for our online tournaments in 2020. Building on that tradition, Mwave is officially supporting the league through 2021
To celebrate, MAY IS MWAVE MONTH and we have prizes for May online & offline events across the country.
Each online tournament has Mwave vouchers, $100 1st and $50 2nd.
10 Tournaments at Melb, Bris and Adelaide offline Ranbats in May will receive $50 1st and $20 2nd. (Allocation to be announced)
Social Media prize draw for everyone to enter (coming soon)
Prize Support across BAM tournaments and Door Prizes to be announced soon!
Make sure you show your appreciation by visiting MWave anytime you need PC parts, accessories and tech at www.mwave.com.au
That’s right. BAM is coming back on July 9th to 11th, 2021 at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The FGC’s biggest national event will be returning with the hype, community and competition we all love. This year BAM will be colocated with ITZ LAN, a 1,000 seat BYOC PC LAN. Making this “ITZ BAM” even bigger for the gaming community.
Stay tuned for Registration info and more news and updates!
