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SXSW® Gaming has announced that Arena of Valor and Clash Royale will make their first appearances on the SXSW Gaming Tournament Stage, with more titles to be added soon. Featured Speakers announced today include The Know co-host Ashley Jenkins, who will be joining a conversation with Brendan ‘PLAYERUNKNOWN’ Greene; and former American pro CS:GO player Jordan ‘n0thing’ Gilbert, who will be joined in conversation with DBLTAP GM Duncan McMonagle. Gilbert will also join the first-ever DBLTAP Fan Squad experience, where he will take to the PC Arena at SXSW Gaming to compete with fans and attendees. Additionally, the programming lineup for the inaugural Discovery Stage has also been announced.
Panel programming makes its return to the SXSW Gaming Expo floor with the introduction of the Discovery Stage. The Discovery Stage will be central to the SXSW Gaming experience this year, hosting visionaries, creators, performers and players in fan-centered talks and workshops. Sessions at the Discovery Stage include conversations with gaming legends Richard Garriott, Koji Igarashi and Warren Spector, the latest updates on Sonic the Hedgehog from the team at SEGA, how top gaming developers use Dungeons and Dragons for creative breakthroughs, and many more.
Featured Sessions consist of thought-provoking conversations around gaming culture and esports with thought-leaders, developers, and personalities from all corners of the industry. Featured Speakers include Christina Alejandre (GM of ELEAGUE & VP of Esports, Turner Sports), Steve Arhancet (Co-CEO and Owner, Team Liquid) in conversation with esports journalist Travis Gafford, Rick Fox (Partner at VVP, Echo Fox owner) with Lang Whitaker (Grizz Gaming), Brendan Donohue (Managing Director, NBA 2K League) with Jason Concepcion (The Ringer), Brendan ‘PLAYERUNKNOWN’ Greene (Creative Director, PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS), Sam Mathews (Founder and Chairman, Fnatic), Nate Nanzer (Commissioner, Overwatch League), Rahul Sood (CEO, Unikrn), and Pete Vlastelica (President and CEO, MLG).
Once again the SXSW Gaming Opening Party and Closing Party will return for 2018 with entertainment from Mega Ran, NerdOut!, Sammus and more. Celebrating its fifth year, the SXSW Gaming Awards will also return to honor the best games of 2017 across 24 unique categories. The SXSW Gaming Awards Ceremony will take place Saturday evening, March 17 from 8-10pm at the Hilton Austin Downtown.
SXSW Gaming is open to all SXSW registrants and SXSW Gaming wristband holders. Wristbands for SXSW Gaming are on sale at sxswgaming.com. Three-Day Gaming wristbands are available at $39 for the early-bird rate and for $49 at walk-up. Single-Day Gaming wristbands (available for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday) are available at $20 for the early-bird rate and $25 at walk-up.
Featured Speakers
Jordan ‘n0thing’ Gilbert with Duncan McMonagle (GM of DBLTAP and SVP at Minute Media)
Gilbert is one of the world’s most well-known and experienced professional gamers, he burst onto the scene in 2008 playing for Evil Geniuses in the early Counter-Strike (CS 1.6) series. That same year he was named Esports Player of the Year at the Esports Awards, following it up with another nomination in 2009. Gilbert has more tournament wins than any active North American player and has seen a lot of his success with one of the biggest esports organizations in esports, Cloud9. Today, Jordan remains an inactive player on Cloud9 and can be found creating content on YouTube or live streaming on Twitch. Duncan McMonagle is the GM of DBLTAP and SVP at Minute Media.
Fireside Chat with Jordan ‘n0thing’ Gilbert & DBLTAP
Ashley Jenkins (co-host, The Know)
A former contestant on television’s The Amazing Race and founding member of Ubisoft’s all-female professional gaming group, the Frag Dolls, Ashley Jenkins recently redirected her on-camera prowess to found Rooster Teeth’s news division, The Know. The Know is one of the largest destinations for geek news on the internet, covering video games, movies, TV, consumer tech, and science with a casual, lighthearted spin that’s attracted more than 1 million subscribers on YouTube and nearly a half million viewers per day. Jenkins will join Brendan ‘PLAYERUNKNOWN’ Greene for the the previously announced Featured Session PLAYERUNKNOWN: From Mod Creator to Creative Director.
Discovery Stage
It’s Here! Shroud of the Avatar and What’s Coming Next
With: Richard Garriott (Portalarium), Sarah Dworken (Portalarium)
Exploring Underworld Ascendant with PC Gamer
With: Warren Spector (Otherside Entertainment), Paul Neurath, and Evan Lahti (PC Gamer) (Otherside Entertainment)
Legendary Koji Igarashi Chats Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
With: Koji “Iga” Igarashi (ArtPlay), Evan Narcisse (io9.com)
Dungeons & Dragons in The Writer’s Room
With: Leah Hoyer (Telltale Games), Jen Muro (Lucasfilm), Chris Prynoski (Titmouse), and Ryan Verniere (Riot Games)
Above The Sky: A New Era of Compassionate Gameplay
Jennie Kong (thatgamecompany), Morgan Wilson (thatgamecompany), Sunni Pavlovic (thatgamecompany), Vincent Diamante (thatgamecompany)
Emerging Visions: Game Studios of Latin America
With: Lilia Davis (La Revista Mujer), Jorge Morales (Larva Game Studios), Ana Ribeiro (ARVORE Immersive), Eivar Rojas Castro (Efecto Studios), and Martina Santoro (OKAM Studio)
Nerdcore: Let’s Make Some Music
With: Russell McKamey (Rockit Gaming), Vincent Newsom (Rockit Gaming), and Mega Ran (Mega Ran)
Gotta Go Fast: The Official Sonic the Hedgehog Panel
With: Jasmin Hernandez (SEGA), Tyson Hesse (SEGA), Austin Keys (SEGA), Takashi Iizuka (SEGA), and Aaron Webber (SEGA)
AR Gaming: What’s Now, What’s Next
With: Christine Barron (Mira), John Keefe (SwapBots), Jeremy Kinsky (MERGE), and Matt Stern (Mira)
Bringing Internet Culture to Linear Television
With: Corrado Carretto (Attack Media), Alex Corea (Attack Media), Coral Frederick (Attack Media), Yaniv Fituci (Attack Media), and Kevin Pereira (Attack Media)
Tournament Stage
Arena of Valor
Arena of Valor is a competitive 5-on-5 MOBA experience perfected for mobile, featuring turbocharged teamfights in quick 10-15 minute matches. A variety of champions fit any play style, making the game easy to pick up and play while still providing depth and complexity. Those who have mastered it will be in the spotlight at SXSW Gaming as they battle for the top prize on the Tournament Stage.
Clash Royale
Clash Royale is a real-time multiplayer mobile game from Supercell featuring characters from the company’s hit mobile game, Clash of Clans, and a number of new characters in the Royale family. Players collect and upgrade dozens of cards with Clash of Clans troops, spells and defenses, as well as the Royales: Princes, Knights, Baby Dragons and more. Players must lead the Royale family to victory by knocking the enemy King and Princesses from their towers to defeat opponents and win Trophies, Crowns and glory in the Arena.
About SXSW Gaming
SXSW Gaming celebrates gaming culture via a unique combination of exhibitions, esports tournaments, hands-on play, awards, panels, and Featured Speakers. The Gaming Expo offers the chance to experience the latest games, explore new technology, compete in special events, and watch top players go head to head in a variety of major esports tournaments. Conference sessions let fans and professionals alike look behind the curtain at current and future trends and issues, as well as directly engage with their favorite heroes and personalities. The SXSW Gaming Awards, along with a host of other evening events, offer attendees the chance to network into the night with fellow gamers and gaming professionals of all backgrounds. SXSW Gaming also provides an opportunity for unexpected discoveries and unique interactions between other creative industries with its unrivaled positioning at the heart of the SXSW Conference & Festivals. Taking place from March 15 – 17, 2018 in Austin, TX, SXSW Gaming is open to all SXSW registrants and SXSW Gaming wristband holders.