An esteemed game development studio from Japan announces the upcoming global esports league for fighting games.
Arc System Works, renowned for its proficiency in the fighting game genre, consistently supports the competitive gaming community surrounding their created titles. The Arc World Tour 2024 was recently announced, making it the most prestigious competitive series for several of their game titles. This article aims to detail all relevant information about the AWT 2024, including its schedule and competitive format.
The Games of AWT 2024
The tour will feature three recently developed and published fighting games by Arc System Works:
Tournament Format of the Arc World Tour 2024
The league comprises a number of official as well as community-held tournaments. Winning official qualifiers (Platinum tier) guarantees a direct invitation to the AWT 2024 Finals. Competitors who finish in the top 8 at smaller events (Gold and Silver tiers) earn league points — the highest-ranking players in these standings also progress to the Finals.
However, for the game Uni2, there will be no points standing, only direct invitations for winners of the Platinum tier qualifiers.
Distribution of points for AWT 2024 (image via arcsystemworks.jp).
The AWT 2024 Finals will be held in the spring of 2025, featuring:
Last Chance Qualifiers will be conducted just prior to the main event, offering a final opportunity to competitors to secure an invitation to the finals.
Schedule for AWT 2024
These are the top-tier events within the Arc World Tour 2024, classified as Platinum and Gold:
|
EVO Japan 2024 |
Japan / Tokyo |
April 27-29 |
Platinum |
|
Brussels Challenge Major Edition |
Belgium / Brussels |
May 10-12 |
Gold |
|
Combo Breaker |
USA / Chicago |
May 24-26 |
Gold |
|
Battle Arena Melbourne |
Australia / Melbourne |
May 31 – June 2 |
Gold |
|
Super Tournament |
Korea / Seoul |
June 8-9 |
Gold |
|
Only The Best |
Italy / Napoli |
June 21-23 |
Gold |
|
CEO |
USA / Orland |
June 28-30 |
Gold |
|
The MIXUP |
France / Lyon |
July |
Gold |
|
EVO |
USA / Las Vegas |
July 19-21 |
Platinum |
|
FV MAJOR |
Malaysia / Kuala Lumpur |
July 27-28 |
Gold |
|
VSFighting |
UK / Birmingham |
August 16-18 |
Platinum |
|
ARCREVO in SENZAN |
Japan / Yokohama |
August 31 – September 1 |
Gold |
|
Ultimate Fighting Arena |
France / Aubervilliers |
September 13-15 |
Platinum |
|
Thunderstruck |
Mexico / Guadalupe |
September 14-15 |
Gold |
|
Clash Of The Olympians |
Greece / Athens |
September 20-22 |
Gold |
|
Thaiger Uppercut |
Thailand / Bangkok |
October 4-6 |
Gold |
|
East Coast Throwdown |
USA / Connecticut |
October 11-13 |
Gold |
|
Climax of Night |
USA / TBD |
TBD |
Platinum, only Uni2 |
|
CEOtaku |
USA / Orlando |
December 6-8, 2025 |
Gold |
|
Frosty Faustings |
USA / Chicago |
TBD |
Platinum |
Prize Sums for Arc World Tour 2024
The victors of the GGST and GBVS: Rising Finals will each receive $50,000. The champion of UNi2 will be awarded $20,000.
Prize pool amounts for AWT 2024 (image via arcsystemworks.jp).
Champions of AWT 2023
The previous Arc World Tour in 2023 had the same trio of games; however, only Guilty Gear Strive was structured in a year-long league format. GBVS: Rising and Uni2 were conducted in a more abbreviated format.
The champions of the three final tournaments of AWT 2023 are:
- Ismaila “Verix” Gueye from Senegal emerged as the AWT 2023 Champion for Guilty Gear Strive
- From Japan, Junichi “Fukunaga” Kumano won the AWT 2023 Championship for Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising
- Randy “Knotts” from the USA won the AWT 2023 Championship for UNi2
About Guilty Gear Strive
GGST, an in-house production by Arc System Works, is a popular fighting game with a remarkable anime aesthetic. Its launch in 2021 garnered the attention of both the fighting game community and general gamers. The game boasts beautiful visuals and a striking soundtrack. Recently, a new character, A.B.A, was added to the game.
About Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising
GBVS: Rising, another fighting game by Arc System Works, is based on the popular Japanese social game Granblue Fantasy. It accommodates players new to the fighting game genre with its simplified input mechanics.
GBVS: Rising operates on a free-to-play model featuring a weekly character rotation.
In February 2024, another game from the Granblue universe, an expansive RPG called Granblue Fantasy: Relink, was released for the PS4, PS5, and Windows platforms.
About Uni2
Uni2, from the Under Night In-Birth series, was developed by a different Japanese company named French-Bread, with Arc System Works contributing to its development and publishing. This collaboration mirrors the contributions made by Arc System Works in developing other games such as Dragon Ball FighterZ alongside Bandai Namco.
Uni2 offers players a distinctive storyline. With its wide array of mechanics and character archetypes, every match possesses a unique feel, making it a beloved title amongst anime game enthusiasts.
Stay tuned to esports.gg for comprehensive coverage and updates on the Arc World Tour 2024 and other exciting news in the world of fighting esports.