Australian fighting game event runners and community. Hosts of BAM: Battle Arena Melbourne, Australia's largest fighting game/open entry esports event.
In the coming months we want to shine a spotlight on some of the hard-working, stylish and upcoming players making their name in CouchWarriors League.
This time, we spoke to SFV competitor Jason “2fast2fed” Barrett, who just broke through with his first CWL Online top 4 this month in a head-turning performance:
Read more
Battle Arena Melbourne stands out on the FGC calendar not only because it’s Australia’s largest fighting game tournament, but because it is more than “just a tournament”.
BAM lives up to its status as a Major by bringing together the widest possible audience for fighting games – whether they be competitors, casual players, or simply fans of these games and their iconic characters.
This year’s Alley will feature both returning artists and exciting new residents!
The BAM Artist Alley is always a major draw for attendees as they pass through between main stage matches or en route to their setups. This year we will again be hosting a group of talented and passionate local artists whose work features fighting games and other pop culture themes.
So take a look through these introductions and remember to check out their booths while you’re enjoying BAM2022!
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.
CouchWarriors and Twitch extend esports partnership with 2018-19 Fighting Game Ranking Season: BAM Path to EVO
Thursday, 27th September – CouchWarriors and Twitch TV have announced BAM Path To EVO, a qualifying path for ANZ fighting game esports players across multiple local and upcoming online events. The series, featured front page of #1 gaming streaming platform Twitch TV, starts as of this month. Points earned will be tallied on a combined league ladder, leading to the national championships at BAM (Battle Arena Melbourne). From there, champions in three games will go on to EVO World Championships in 2019.
This new phase of the esports partnership will support ongoing events across the ANZ fighting game community. Players at monthly CouchWarriors, Ozhadou and Standing Fierce events around the region will be able to earn points to see who is performing best at local tournaments, while event streams feature on the front page of live streaming platform, Twitch.TV
Players in Street Fighter V, Tekken 7, and Super Smash Bros 4 WiiU will each earn points tallied on a shared leaderboard at BAMPathToEVO.com.au, and the top scorers will receive travel and a qualifier opportunity at BAM11 in May, 2019. The top ANZ player at BAM in each game, will once again travel to Las Vegas, USA, to participate in the EVO World Championships!
The first phase of the partnership began in May at Australia’s largest Fighting game major, BAM. Three champions then played for Australia at EVO. Now, the pathway is now open to more players around Australia and New Zealand, starting this month.
National Ladder and Community Partners
The centralised ladder has launched on BAMPathToEVO.com.au and will grow in features as event results roll in. For more information on the ranking points system, visit https://www.couchwarriors.org/bam-path-to-evo-with-twitch/
The first three states to join the series with their regular events will be in Victoria and Queensland through CouchWarriors, Sydney through Ozhadou, and New Zealand through Standing Fierce.
Next events and where to watch
Each regional points champion will be provided travel and entry into BAM11!
Online tournaments each month
In addition to the local community events, further points are available for participants in one online tournament each month per game. More details of each tournament and how to sign up will be shared on couchwarriors.org/bam-path-to-evo-with-twitch/ and BAMPathToEVO.com.au very soon.
Events for everyone
Players in other fighting games will still earn local ranking points. So if you love playing more than SFV, Tekken and Smash 4, players are always encouraged to build their local scenes by playing all games they would like to learn or compete in.
To find out more about each fighting game community in ANZ, visit:
CouchWarriors: www.couchwarriors.org
Ozhadou: www.ozhadou.net
Standing Fierce: www.standingfierce.com
How to join as a partner event or sponsor the series: [email protected]
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About Twitch
Twitch is the leading social video service and community for gamers where tens of millions of people come together each day from all over the globe to interact around live and on-demand content. This includes watching, talking, and chatting about video games and esports, as well as traditional sports, anime, music, the creative arts, and other shared interests. Twitch also runs TwitchCon, the annual convention for celebrating the Twitch community. For more information about Twitch, visit our Press Center, Twitter feed (#Twitch), and Blog.
About CouchWarriors
CouchWarriors, established 2006, is an expert in gaming tournaments and esports events. A community run not for profit with over 10 years experience, grown from the vibrant fighting game community.
Hosts of Battle Arena Melbourne (BAM), Australia’s largest open entry esports tournament event. CouchWarriors offer casual and grassroots events, scaling to tournaments at the national level. Both beginner to expert players have room with our inclusive approach, from a professionally minded tournament team.
CouchWarriors also offers commercial events services from tournament organisation and administration, live streaming, event management and staffing. CouchWarriors have supported events including Melbourne Esports Open, Madman Anime Festival and PAX Australia.
For more information
www.facebook.com/couchwarriors | www.twitter.com/couchwarriors
Contact
Press [email protected] | General [email protected]
As BAM has grown, we need more people to help make everything run smoothly, helping the event and community while still having time to enjoy and have fun.
So if you have some spare time to assist, whether it be during Friday setup, Sunday packdown, or during the main events on Saturday and Sunday, please click here for the Volunteers Application Form.
Volunteering for BAM makes you a part of the event, helps your fellow players and spectators, and is heaps of fun! While you’re rostered on in alternating shifts, you are a friendly face of the community, and in your down time you get to take part.
Based on your shift, each volunteer will also be provided food and drink, entry to the event and afterparty, and our ongoing thanks!
So let us know if would you like to join the CouchWarriors BAM10 team, we need you!
Special CouchWarriors invite: Join Nintendo’s ARMS Community Night!
There will be food, drink, prizes and all the ARMS action you can swing a glove at!
When: Saturday September 9th at 9pm
Where: 338 Queensberry St, North Melbourne
Cost: Free! Just show this invite graphic on your phone.
Guest article by Anthony Albert Schweitzer Ducusin aka “Tones”
Hello everyone. Tones here, I’m out in Chicago lining some things up for myself.
The other day I was walking through the Harold Washington Library when I noticed in the people in the teens’ chillax area playing smash.
Top floor of the Harold Washington Library. Such a beautiful building
Talked with the staff there and when they tell me about this Hugo guy, a local teen that has been organizing regular competitions and how “he’s extremely passionate and outgoing, we let him run and lead things.” So I talked about how the scene is back in Melbourne Australia, about how I’ve part of this group called Couch Warriors and how we’ve been doing events since 2007.
They invite me to the “Library of Smash” tournament where Hugo will be doing his thing.
Here is his story…
Like a lot of us Hugo has always enjoyed playing video games, he got involved with the offline Smash scene. Found it fun, awesome and hype and all that cool stuff but was put off by how salty rude it can get.
So what does he do?
At the age of 16 he goes out and creates his own scene with the culture he thinks the scene deserves – a positive and friendly competitive environment.
Library of Smash 6. Events have been going for about a year now
Now they are frequenting 50 a tournament, he has single handedly TOed a 74 man tournament all the way through despite a fire break out in the middle of it. Sounds pretty serious yeah? Well, he calls it semi competitive.
What it is though is just super hype and friendly. He understands the importance of building community.
Hugo: “My main objective for my tournaments is to show people that a video game tournament isn’t all about winning. It is about having a good time with others. ”
Taylor works at the Library and is Hugo’s right hand girl for tournament duties.
This is his final year at this location because he’s finishing his senior high school year, so he’s looking to duplicate – to create a self-sustaining system while he moves off to further himself, leaving his mark with the scene no matter where he goes. As for what he wants people to take away from his work:
Hugo: “I wanted people to see that if you have the passion and effort, you can do so much for the things you enjoy, no matter what it is”.
Be sure to send him some love if you’re in the area. Hugo is a positive ball of energy doing good things for the e-sports scene on the ground level. Was a pleasure to meet him in the area of Chicago at Library of Smash and to send him some love.
Anytime Hugo buddy. Cheers, Tones.
Sharing some Esports love
For details on the space and their social media: http://www.chipublib.org/hwlc-youmedia/