May 9-10th: 36-Hour Gaming & Entertainment Festival in Irvine, California with over $30,000 in prizes, registration open now.

This May, four Southern California gaming organizations are teaming up to host one of the largest and most ambitious convention-style gaming events in the nation. This self-described “gaming festival” combines the competitive thrill of a large-scale tournament with the casual atmosphere of a festival experience. Held in the massive Bren Events Center in Irvine, California, Press Start 2015’s all-weekend experience will feature celebrity appearances, industry panels, and a full array of festival attractions on top of an already record-breaking $30,000 in-house prize pool.

“Press Start is a collaborative effort from some of the most established community gaming organizations in Southern California,” says Tomber Su, Executive Director of Press Start. “Our dream is to build a player-centric event for all skills and ages that also showcases the top talent in both competitive gaming and event production.”

Purchasing a player badge on the Press Start website grants you all access to the 36-hour festival experience, featuring a full selection of special guests, industry panels, demo gaming stations, and casual tournaments, in addition to automatic entry into $30,000 worth of competitive tournaments for League of Legends, Starcraft, Hearthstone, and more.

Melee Insert:

Press Start will also be hosting a separate tournament for the massively popular competitive fighting game “Super Smash Bros: Melee,” featuring a $10,000 static prize pool and a star cast of high-level players like Leffen, MacD, Shroomed, SFAT, and Hax. With 512 spots open for both solo and partner play, Press Start’s Melee tournament will be one of the largest of all time.

“While our goal is to create the ultimate festival experience for players of all skill levels, our tournaments are the highlight of the weekend,” says Kevin He, Press Start’s Tournament Director. “Thanks to our sponsors and players, Press Start will feature some of the largest non-professional prize pools ever seen in the grassroots and collegiate gaming scene. We are extremely excited to take this monumental step forward for our community.”

For more information on the Press Start gaming festival and its tournaments, events, registration details, and more, check out their website and social media links below.

Press Start Website: www.startlan.com
Press Start Facebook: www.facebook.com/StartLANOfficial
Player Seats: www.lanreg.org/pressstart/irvine2015

To sign up, go to startlan.com/tournaments