Success for the First Edition of “Tournageddon 4u”
University gaming ignites with around 100 students from all over Italy
Milan, January 8, 2026 – The first edition of the Christmas Cup "Tournageddon 4u", an online competitive amateur gaming event exclusively for university students and recent graduates, organized by the innovative Emilia-Romagna startup TournAcademy in partnership with the Thesis 4u community, concluded with great success.
The initiative, created to offer a moment of recreation and healthy competition during the Christmas break, saw 19 teams battle it out in the tactical arena of Valorant, involving a total of around 100 players from universities across Italy. This result confirms the growing demand for structured esports events within the Italian academic landscape.
The Partners and the Prize Pool
The tournament saw the strategic collaboration of Nacon Italia (Bigben Interactive group), a leader in the gaming peripherals sector, which supported the event as a Prize Partner. The winners took home a total prize pool worth €1,000, consisting of professional-grade headphones and controllers provided by Nacon. A tangible recognition that transforms a passion for gaming into an opportunity for concrete gratification and access to high-quality equipment.
A Bridge Between Gaming and University
"We are thrilled with the response from the university community," declared Andrea Pizzetti, CEO of TournAcademy. "Seeing almost 20 teams organize, train, and compete with fair play during the holidays demonstrates that gaming is a powerful social aggregator. With Tournageddon 4u, we wanted to create a safe and professional space where students could test themselves, supported by excellent partners like Thesis 4u and Nacon."
The event also represented an important meeting point between the world of gaming and education, thanks to the role of Thesis 4u, which for years has connected students and recent graduates with job opportunities, and which embraced the project, recognizing fundamental transversal skills in gaming such as problem-solving, teamwork, and strategic communication.
Future Prospects
Given the success of this pilot edition, TournAcademy and Thesis 4U are considering making these events a constant in the academic calendar, with the aim of structuring real recurring university leagues and, in the future, bringing the competitive experience physically into Italian universities.