DreamHack has partnered with ZOWIE and Esports Management to launch “DreamHack Showdown,” an all-female Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) tournament.
The inaugural all-female tournament is set to take place at DreamHack Valencia from July 5-7 where a $100,000 prize pool will be up for grabs. Paritcipatiating CS:GO players and teams will have access to dedicated player support, professional event facilities and promotion throughout. 
“Inclusivity at our events is a huge part of DreamHack — we aim to be the esports and gaming festival where all groups feel welcome,” said DreamHack AB Co-CEO Marcus Lindmark. “DreamHack Showdown is a step to help create inspirational moments for aspiring female esports competitors worldwide.”
In advance of DreamHack Showdown, there will be LAN qualifiers in Asia and online qualifiers in North America and Europe. The online qualifiers for NA and EU divisions will be run by Esport-Management and take place on June 8 and 9. The eight best qualify CS:GO teams will then go head-to-head live on stage at DreamHack Valencia.
Katherine Amoukhteh, VP of Global Marketing for Esport-Management, said: “Our focus is on supporting esports at the grassroots level and creating diversity in exports through partnering on industry-changing initiatives like DreamHack Showdown.
“We believe in an esports ecosystem where every gamer can embark on a path to become a competitive gamer in a professional, supportive environment, and DreamHack Showdown is an opportunity to show this on multiple levels: to celebrate women currently in the gaming industry, inspire those who desire to participate, and – through our platform – equip them with the tools to become the next champions.”
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ZOWIE will provide additional playing opportunities for players in Asia by hosting the ZOWIE DIVINA Women’s Asian CS:GO Championship in Shanghai, China, from June 20-23, 2019. It will serve as the Asian LAN Qualifier for DreamHack Showdown, with the top two teams proceeding to the finals in Valencia.
“In 2012, ZOWIE started the DIVINA initiative in support of women’s esports. The goal was to provide women with more opportunities to showcase their talent and bridge the gap to pursuing a professional esports career,” said, Chris Lin, Director of Esports for BenQ.
“We are continuing towards that goal, not only with this partnership but by providing teams in the Asian region with the opportunity to compete in a LAN environment. Asia is one of the regions where such exposure is sorely lacking, and we think that the experience teams take back from this will be invaluable in helping build up the scene in their respective countries and communities.
We are thrilled to be working with DreamHack to present the most professional CS:GO championship for women to date.”
Esport Insider says: Its always great to see more tournaments that highlight women in esports. It seems like Dreamhack, ZOWIE and Esports Management have carefully put together an event which will highlight the growing talent in CS:GO.
