Four sleeps to go. The first BrisVegas event of the year — BrisVegas Autumn — kicks off on Friday, with competitive Counter-Strike and StarCraft 2 returning once again to the Sunshine State.
But this time, there’s a huge boost to the stakes — the CS:GO tournament will feature a record $10,000 AUD prize pool for the iconic event.
Eight teams will compete over the three-day tournament, with players of varying levels vying for the crown of Brisbane CS:GO — from our established champions through to our brightest up-and-coming prodigies.
Alongside an expanded cast and crew behind the scenes, long-time supporters Jordan “Elfishguy” Mays and Mitch “Conky” Concanen will be present to jump on the cast and get involved with the tournament.
“[Elfishguy and Conky] have both been threatening to come to an event in a while and cast, so we’ve made that happen for BrisVegas Autumn,” said event organiser Daniel “mavrick” Lang.
“They’ve both been amazing supporters of the grassroots over the years so it’s great to have them at the event and helping out.”
Last year wrapped with BrisVegas Summer, which featured StarCraft 2 for the first time with backing from the team behind AusCraft.
The popular RTS returns to BrisVegas this week; but with double the entrants, a $2,500 AUD prize purse and with the likes of Esports Media House’s James “jimNeso” Cowan and Emma Kuldemir at the production helm, it’s levelling up in a big way.
“StarCraft 2 has had a rocky start to the year globally but the community support is still there which is great to see — we’ll have double the turnout for this event compared to our last one,” said Mavrick.
“I think it’s great to see such strong support for a title so late into it’s cycle as an esport.”
December’s iteration of BrisVegas saw a massive upgrade in venue — moving out of the small music school in the northern suburbs and across to the Kedron Wavell RSL Club.
It’s a necessary move, said Mavrick — BrisVegas’ growth over 2022 made a smaller venue untenable.
“Last year we ran the event out of a music school which was a lot of fun — and a little cosy — but I really think it helped capture the essence of the event.
“We desperately needed the extra space, so finding our new home at Kedron Wavell really showed just how great the event could look.”
Alongside the venue upgrade in December, BrisVegas saw renewed interest and support from sponsors like Rivalry and Zowie — who return in 2023 to push the grassroots event to the next level.
“I think if you look at where we were a year ago versus now, it’s such a massive difference,” said Mavrick.
“The consistency and growth we’ve seen — with thanks to sponsors like Rivalry, Zowie and Gigabyte — has allowed us to reach new heights.”
Mavrick reflected on the lessons he’s learned over a busy 2022 — and the past decade for that matter — with competitive integrity a key takeaway. It’s something he’s achieving through the supply of competitive equipment from the organiser itself, as opposed to previous BYOC (bring your own computer) formats.
“We required a few lessons along the way, we trialled a bunch of different tech upgrades and formats. In the end, having BrisVegas itself owning and supplying the tournament PCs and levelling the playing field really added a crucial element of competitive integrity.”
“The capability of running three to four events each year has seen improvements each time. Each event there’s a lesson learned, as the team and events grow so does the communication and process surrounding it.”
BrisVegas Autumn kicks off this Friday, with Counter-Strike and StarCraft 2 featured. Matches will be broadcast live from the Kedron Wavell RSL on Twitch.
For those in the greater Brisbane area, spectator tickets are still available.
