This article is proudly sponsored by PLANET9.
The PLANET9 University Invitational is underway, pitting eight London-based grassroots League of Legends teams with a 2,000 Pounds prize pool up for grabs in the playoffs.
This event is part of a push by PLANET9 in partnership with Acer and Predator Gaming to showcase and work with those grassroots esport communities to expand through its online platform.
As a growing esports platform, PLANET9 works to give casual and competitive gamers exactly what they need to compete in grassroots events or improve their game to try and reach that next level. This is done through hosting pre-established tournaments like the University Invitational, letting players host their own events, or reviewing your stats and gameplay to improve performance.
There are also more social-focused aspects of the platform where users can interact with brands, influencers, and more.
The main function users might be interested in is the Coaching system, where players can search for and select a trainer who fits that they are looking for based on skill level, experience, price, and more. For example, if you want to find someone better than you to look over your League gameplay and provide feedback on where you can improve, you can browse different coaches until you find someone who fits what you need.
To celebrate the PLANET9 University Invitational, Acer and PLANET9 are giving away a Predator Triton 500 laptop and Predator Gaming Utility Backpack, a total of 2,600 Pounds, along with 15,840 Riot Points. You can learn more about the giveaway on the PLANET9 website.
The competition started with eight London-based teams competing in a group stage event, with just four making it through to the playoff stage, which begins on Nov. 21. All eight teams were divided into two groups of four by area within London, with the first group representing central London and the second group made up of Greater London teams.
University College London and University of Roehampton London both dominated their portion of the competition to claim a spot in the semifinals. JOJO, Roehampton’s top laner was the player to watch during that period, while London South Bank University made a spirited showing, climbing out of the lower bracket with three straight wins to make the playoffs.
The finals will be a single-elimination bracket with a playoff for the third spot, with the top team taking home 1,000 Pounds and the title of PLANET9 University Invitational Champion.
The PLANET9 University Invitational in partnership with Acer and Predator Gaming will have its final stage on Nov. 21, with the live broadcast being hosted on the HudL.gg Twitch channel.
If you can’t wait until the finals, you can head over to PLANET9.gg and start your own esports tournament right now.
