Esports cup to be held for first time in Greater Hamilton

The Australian Esports League are bringing their Esports Cup to Greater Hamilton on 29th and 30th May as part of Southern Grampians Shire Council’s Event Attraction Program for a free, competitive gaming event for all ages.

The event is the first Esports event hosted by the AEL in Western Victoria and will also be live streamed from The Hub in Hamilton’s CBD and broadcast online to an audience of up to 20,000.

Over the two days, the video game tournament will feature some of the most popular Esports games including Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Rocket League, Just Dance 2021 and Mario Kart 8 plus there will be a drop-in Free Play Zone open to everyone who wants to get involved in some gaming.

Southern Grampians Shire Mayor Bruach Colliton noted “young people in our region, my own kids included, have told us these are the kind of events they want more of. The huge numbers attending the Hamilton Library’s first ever online gaming event last week just goes to show how popular Esports and gaming are with young people.

“Council are committed to doing more to support youth and provide access to events outside of traditional sports for young people in our community, so we hope to see heaps of people getting involved with this event.”

AEL Executive Producer and Chief Executive, Darren Kwan added “we are proud to be hosting an esports cup in the Greater Hamilton region in partnership with the Southern Grampians Shire Council. Events like these foster participation in esports, showcase talent and energise youth.

“We look forward to seeing the best of the best gamers in Western Victoria coming along to compete, meet like-minded people and celebrate their passion for gaming culture.”

On Saturday, High School students will compete in Super Smash Bro’s Ultimate (SSBU) and Rocket League, with the beginning of the SSBU Opens event and the Just Dance 2021 competition taking place in the afternoon.

Sunday is for the drivers, with the Mario Kart 8 tournament kicking off in the morning and the top-16 players in the SSBU Open’s event finishing off the day. Players will be able to try out all the latest gaming gear and spectators can also get in on the action with shoutcasters commentating the games.

The total prize pool on offer is valued at $1,225 and includes cash prizes as well as gaming accessories.

The Greater Hamilton Esports Cup forms the fun finale to a whole week of tech-focussed events in the Greater Hamilton region as the Digital Innovation & Smart Agriculture Festival returns to the Hamilton Showgrounds. It’s all about ‘Creating Smart Regions’, with a packed program covering Smart Agriculture & Smart Communities.

On Friday 28th May, Council’s FREE DigiHub event connects tech fanatics, STEAM students, tinkerers & gamers of all kinds with drones, virtual reality, 3D printers, animation devices, robots and gadgets. Plus, connect with a variety of education providers for insights into career pathways in digital creative industries, with other surprises from stallholders as part of the expo.

Find the Greater Hamilton Esports Cup event on Facebook 

Image courtesy of disafestival.com.au/2021/04/16/esports/