Milligan University eSports Team and Visit Johnson City are collaborating to bring a video gaming tournament back to our region for the second year in a row.
Esports, or competitive video gaming, is growing worldwide. Visit Johnson City and Milligan University will host the second annual Battle at Buff Nation in April, but this year it will look different.
“We are very excited to bring this event back to East Tennessee. The inaugural event was very successful and we look forward to growing the event into a regional competition,” said Micah Ridley, head coach of the esports team at Milligan.
The inaugural event took place on Milligan’s campus with gamers competing in person, head-to-head, in front of a live audience. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all matches will be hosted virtually this year. Event organizers are still planning improvements for this year’s competition, including professional commentators, product demos, giveaways, and a larger prize purse.
“Though COVID-19 has required us to pivot, we are excited to build upon the momentum from the 2020 event. Our great partnership with Milligan University and Sharp Business Systems of Tennessee is a strong foundation, and set us on a trajectory to build a world-class event,” said Gavin Andrews, Visit Johnson City’s director of sport development.
The event will take place April 9-11. Singles competitions will be held for games, including Fortnite and Super Smash Bros. Team events include League of Legends, Valorant, Fortnite, Super Smash Bros. and Rocket League.
Access for spectators is free. Registration to compete is open now through March 12. To register, visit visitjohnsoncity.regfox.com/battle-at-buff-nation.
