Australian fighting game event runners and community. Hosts of BAM: Battle Arena Melbourne, Australia's largest fighting game/open entry esports event.
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.
If you ask the question, “why are the CouchWarriors events all called Ranbats?” It’s short for Ranking Battle – a long standing tradition in the community, offering players an incentive to compare their progress and get ever stronger! Today we’re announcing an update to the point system to make it more inclusive of players of all levels.
Of course, all our Ranking Battle live events are not just about tournaments, they’re perhaps moreso about socialising, casual matches and even long sets, with a great opportunity to learn and improve.
By also having tournaments this adds some goals and structure for a day’s play – and the point system is part of that. Tying all our offline and online events together via the points is CouchWarriors League – the league ladder tracks each game and region, which you can filter here on the website. This has been a great way to determine seeding and invitations for events, and prize rewards.
Now as we dive into the 2nd half of this year’s season under CouchWarriors League, we’ve updated the system, in consultation with the tournament teams.Lets take a look:
What’s new and why do we like it?
Expands the point system down to all participants, not just top 4-8
This means participation is encouraged for those who think they can’t place, they can build up a small base of points just by entering consistently.
We have kept the weighting towards offline tournaments vs online, however all points totals are increased, so if you play consistently, even online, you have a chance to post a good score
This provides a nice second split/half season boost as we go towards finals. We won’t reset the points completely, but it provides an effective reset for those actively playing thanks to the increase.
Still acknowledges season 1 players who get a kick start, recognizing due to COVID, its been an uneven year for live events.
The system gives more scope for flexibility in determining prizes and finals seeding.
The point system will be in effect from July events onwards! Yes, that means you can earn more points for playing any of the current tournaments! Register here
Rewards
We recognise this year has been uneven due to Covid, so some regions may have more events than others. This is why we will award end of season prizes to the top players in every game – in each region.
So if you’re the best player in a feature title in your state, or online, which is treated as its own region, you’ll be rewarded!
Current online feature titles are Street Fighter V, Guilty Gear Strive, Tekken 7 and Super Smash Bros Ultimate. These run monthly, so there’s a tournament each week and a prize will be allocated each month.
An additional two titles, while not guaranteed to run an online tournament each month, are staples of offline and will also have an end of season prize: Dragon Ball FighterZ and Super Smash Bros Melee.
Prizes are to be announced as the season progresses. You can count on support from our excellent sponsors Astro and Mwave for starters.
Regular titles you find at your local ranbat are all tracked in the points system, and at minimum we will add rewards at the finals.
Finals
On finals we will be planning to conclude the CWLeague season at CWC – CouchWarriors Crossup – in December with a boosted prize pool and more, to be announced.
If it is impossible for us to run a live finals event, we will run an online invitational using the league ladder. Last year there were over $5,000 in prizes and we are aiming high for this year. We will have more to share on this soon, but rest assured those points are worth striving for!
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
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.
It’s time for the CouchWarriors Annual General Meeting!
Another successful year behind us, despite big challenges of COVID-19, we have a lot to talk about and a lot to be excited for.
CouchWarriors Mission Statement:
CouchWarriors is a non-for-profit association that was created in 2006 to help grow the Fighting Game Community. We aim to do this by providing services and events for the community such as: creating welcoming spaces for new and veteran players to learn and play, running monthly ranking tournaments, hosting our national-level tournament Battle Arena Melbourne (BAM), and providing support and resources for companion events in the community.
Annual General Meeting:
Our AGM is open to the public, if you feel like you would like to be a part of CouchWarriors and to help out with tournaments and building up the fighting game community in Australia, please feel free to come along. Our scene is built on the passion and dedication of volunteers and organisers.
Membership:
To apply to become a member, please use this form. If you already participate in CouchWarriors and haven’t filled in this form before, please make sure you fill it in so we update our official membership.
Nominations:
2021 Officer roles and positions of the President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer will be determined at this event via the nominations of the CouchWarriors Committee. The first round will be recieved via nomination. Nominees can make themselves known by emailing us at [email protected].
Only CouchWarriors Committee Members can cast votes, be nominated and elected.
At the AGM we will discuss an agenda of the following:
– Review of majors including BAM, Ranking Battles and Conventions,
– Financial review,
– Review & clarification of our mission statement.
– Report from each interstate team
– Our direction and strategy moving forward
– Review of event and management structure
– Look ahead to 2021
– Questions/Roundtable
The secretary will add a detailed agenda based on last year’s AGM agenda soon.
It has been a tough month or two for any community that relies on live events – our FGC included. Those following our social media accounts will know that the realities of the coronavirus pandemic have forced CouchWarriors to make a number of changes to our 2020 plans, including postponing tournaments or moving them online. To ensure an easy reference for our community over the next few months, we’re collecting those announcements in one place.
Date: 17th of November 2019. Time: 11am (booking to 5pm) Venue: Level 11, 179 Queen St Melbourne. (
It’s time for the CouchWarriors Annual General Meeting!
Another successful year behind us, we have a lot to talk about and a lot to be excited for.
CouchWarriors Mission Statement:
CouchWarriors is a non-for-profit association that was created in 2006 to help grow the Fighting Game Community. We aim to do this by providing services and events for the community such as: creating welcoming spaces for new and veteran players to learn and play, running monthly ranking tournaments, hosting our national-level tournament Battle Arena Melbourne (BAM), and providing support and resources for companion events in the community.
Annual General Meeting:
Our AGM is open to the public, if you feel like you would like to be a part of CouchWarriors and to help out with tournaments and building up the fighting game community in Melbourne, please feel free to come along. Our scene is built on the passion and dedication of volunteers and organisers.
Nominations:
2020 Officer roles and positions of the President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer will be determined at this event via the nominations of the CouchWarriors Committee. The first round will be recieved via nomination. Nominees can make themselves known by emailing us at [email protected].
Only CouchWarriors Committee Members can cast votes, be nominated and elected.
At the AGM we will discuss an agenda of the following:
– Review of majors including BAM, Ranking Battles and Conventions,
– Financial review,
– Review & clarification of our mission statement.
– Report from each interstate team
– Our direction and strategy moving forward
– Review of event and management structure
– Look ahead to 2020
– Questions/Roundtable
The secretary will add a detailed agenda based on last year’s AGM agenda soon.
CouchWarriors Expands Further Nationally with South Australia and New South Wales
After successful growth from Victoria into Queensland, Fighting Game Esports Events organisation brings in Adelaide and Sydney organisers under the CouchWarriors umbrella.
CouchWarriors has announced today it is broadening its brand to support esports events in the fighting game and Smash Bros communities of Adelaide and Smash Bros community in Sydney.
The request from these scenes to join the banner comes after a successful expansion into Brisbane last year, which saw events grow to an average of 160 attendees each month, and launch a successful national major, Sunny Side Up, with over 450 attendees.
Alongside, events in CouchWarriors home base in Melbourne also saw a big growth for the FGC. Over 1,500 unique competitors attended the national major, BAM (Battle Arena Melbourne) in May, and players across ANZ are participating in the BAM Path To EVO league, in which CouchWarriors sponsored three players to the largest worldwide tournament, EVO in Las Vegas.
Altogether, the Fighting Game esports scene is strong and healthy.
Now, Adelaide FGC and Smash, and Sydney Smash organisers will be working under the CouchWarriors banner to bring the winning formula to monthly events and add to the nationwide circuit of events.
Regular CouchWarriors events in Adelaide and Sydney will start with:
CouchWarriors SA “Cheese League” Monthly Ranking Battle
These events join BAM, Sunny Side Up and the FGC end of year event, CouchWarriors Crossup, which will be on December 14 at Bayview on the Park. Details here.
You can find all the events listed regularly on the CouchWarriors Facebook events page here, and announced on the Couchwarriors website.
Look for announcements on how these events and more fit in to the 2020 season of #BAMPathToEVO www.bampathtoevo.com.au
About CouchWarriors
CouchWarriors, established 2006, is an expert in gaming tournaments and esports events. A 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 professional tournaments at the national level. Both beginner to expert players have room with our inclusive approach, from an experienced tournament team.
CouchWarriors also offers commercial events services from tournament organisation and administration, live streaming, event management and staffing.
Brisbane has been lacking a major FGC national event for some time now and thanks to the Couchwarriors team in Brisbane we will finally have a national series grace the sunshine state once again!
Sunny Side Up will be the 2nd fighting game major that Couchwarriors has run this year with BAM11 having being the largest open entry esports event in Australia once again breaking its own record and Couchwarriors Crossup being planned for a sequel later on in the year.
Sunny Side Up is being held at the University of Queensland on the 10th and 11th of August with Australia’s best players gearing up to make the journey to Brisbane, it is expected to be a thrilling weekend of pure FGC action.
Sunny Side Up will earn double points in the second installment of the BAM Path to EVO series! This series finale of the first iteration of the Path to EVO series saw three players win trips to compete at Evolution 2019 in Las Vegas! Information on the BAM Path to EVO series can be found at http://www.bampathtoevo.com.
Schedule: To be announced
Dates: Saturday, August 10th – Sunday, August 11th 2019
Location: University of Queensland Union Building, St Lucia, 4067, QLD
$40 Soft-boiled Egg Registration (Ends Sunday 30th of June Midnight)
$60 Hard-boiled Egg Registration (Ends Thursday 9th of August Midnight).
$70 on day registration (Gold and Silver tournaments, cut off 1hr before tournament start)
Registration for all Platinum level tournaments and Smash titles ends July 31st!
Tournament Entry Fees:
$10 per Platinum and Gold tournament
$5 per Silver and DIY tournament
Spectator:
$10 Weekend (can convert to Venue entry)
IMPORTANT:
If you don’t have a pass, then you will not be allowed onto the venue
Please ensure you have your pass visible at all times.
Picking up your Ticket/Pass:
You will need to show a valid form of ID (PayPal Receipt / Smash.GG Account / License) when speaking with the TO’s to pick up your pass.
Speak to our TO’s at the Registration Desk to pick up your passes. Once you have your pass, you will be free to play casuals or when scheduled, play your tournament matches.
The Games
Platinum Games:
Super Smash Bros: Melee Singles
Super Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition
Super Smash Bros: Ultimate Singles
Tekken 7
Gold Games:
Super Smash Bros: Project Melee
Super Smash Bros: Ultimate Doubles
Super Smash Bros: Melee Doubles
Mortal Kombat 11
Dragonball FighterZ
Silver Games:
Project M
Soul Calibur 6
UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH Exe:Late[st]
Guilty Gear Xrd REV2
BlazBlue: Central Fiction
BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle
MORE SILVER AND DIY GAMES TO BE ANNOUNCED!
Make sure to make your way up to the Sunny Side for Sunny Side Up this August!
The team at CouchWarriors would like to humbly thank Ellis Johnson for his work along with his team in Queensland for the CouchWarriors Community. It’s thanks to the efforts of him and his team that we have been able to extend our events and community to the Sunshine State.
