Nerd Street announced Wednesday that it has partnered with Western Governors University (WGU) to support competitive gamers at the youth and amateur levels who want to compete in Rainbow Six Siege.
Financial terms of the new deal were not disclosed.
Under the terms of this partnership, WGU will serve as the “official education partner” of Nerd Street and will be “featured prominently in broadcasts and marketing” related to Element, the Rainbow Six Siege league that is operated by Nerd Street in partnership with Ubisoft.
In case you are not familiar with Element, it is a Rainbow Six Siege competitive circuit for Tier 2 and Tier 3 players in North America, aiming to provide a “path to pro” for Rainbow Six Siege Tier 1 esports. Nerd Street launched the first season of Element in 2023. The official fifth season kicks off this month and offers a total prize pool of $15,000 USD. Teams who qualify for Element Five will compete in the latest iteration of Rainbow Six Siege, Siege X.
In addition to sponsoring Element, WGU will support children of military families who want to participate in Camp Nerd Street (a week-long summer camp experience for children ages 8-13) this summer in Philadelphia by providing free camp registration.
“WGU’s decision to support Element and Camp Nerd Street is a win for gamers of all levels – from kids who love playing Minecraft to Rainbow Six players who want to go pro,” said Nerd Street CEO and founder John Fazio. “We believe universities will be a major lever in unlocking educational and career opportunities for gamers everywhere, and we’re excited to work with WGU to empower those opportunities.”
WGU is a private, non-profit online university based in Salt Lake City, Utah, founded in 1997 by 19 U.S. governors.