Calyx and Riot Games partner to host Intel Arabian Cup Playground

Calyx, a subsidiary of Hockwood Games, and Riot Games MENA have announced a team up that will see them host and livestream the first ever Intel Arabia Cup (IAC) for amateur gamers across the GCC and Iraq.

The two-season long esports tournament will provide the gaming community with a new competitive series featuring two highly popular titles - VALORANT, League of Legends as well as LOL: WildRift - as well as an entry point towards competing in international leagues and tournaments. Calyx-operated IAC Playground will be the 'Official VRC' to qualify for a slot in the VRL season two, and two of the top teams from the LOL IAC Playground will qualify for the IAC Prestige Season two Open Qualifiers.

The IAC Playground is an official amateur-league qualifier tournament open for all ranks and teams. It will consist of players from the GCC and Iraq sub-region. This tournament will be a part of the ‘Road to VRL’ and the ‘Road to Prestige’ program, where players get a chance to qualify to the higher divisions. The IAC Playground VALORANT tournament will carry the highest number of points (deemed as a Tier 1 VRC tournament) of any VRC tournament. The IAC Playground will have a total prize pool of $30,000 over two seasons.

To be streamed on play.calyx.gg, YouTube, Twitch and Facebook, the tournament will see gamers compete over two seasons for a prize pool of $15,000 per season across VALORANT, League of Legends and LoL: WildRift competitions. Local talent from the Middle-East will now have the opportunity to compete in global leagues and face renowned gaming pros in the industry via this partnership between Riot Games and Calyx.

Sunderesan Iyer, VP of Business Development at Hockwood Games, said: “Our vision for Calyx is to be the home of esports in the region. Through this partnership with Riot Games once again, we are providing a professional platform to support the regional gaming community. We are proud to now offer a way for amateur gamers to compete on the global stage with Riot.”

Hakim Abu Nahel, competitive experience professional at Riot Games MENA region, said: “The IAC Playground is a grassroots circuit designed to provide a fantastic competitive experience to our League of Legends, VALORANT and WildRift players across the MENA region.”

He added: "We are proud to announce that the Playground circuit will also act as a stepping stone for aspiring teams and players to compete for an opportunity to qualify for higher tiered Roadmap such as the VRL for VALORANT and IAC Prestige Division for League of Legends. We are very excited to once again work alongside our long-term partners, Calyx to deliver this amazing journey and great opportunity for our players.”

rohma@khaleejtimes.com