Nick Aucello
My Road to Tokyo
For years, I've been deeply involved in creating video game content for myself. For 2023, Rosewood gave me an opportunity to take charge of the new @ValorantEsports TikTok account. Stepping into the world of VALORANT and running a social media account for such a massive game was a dream come true. We started off with a bang, hitting a million views within the first few weeks of the account's launch.
This past June, I had the opportunity to travel to Tokyo to cover my first ever international event for Masters Tokyo, part of the 2023 VALORANT Champions Tour. Twelve of the world's best teams met in Tokyo to cement their qualification into Champions and establish how the best of the best from the International Leagues compare.
It was a thrilling experience, especially since it was my first time venturing outside the United States. I arrived in Tokyo a few days before the rest of the team in order to capture b-roll for a concept.
Although these first days were initially intimidating, they allowed me ease into the culture shock and embrace this once in a lifetime experience.
Once the rest of the team joined in, the real fun commenced. Esports events are akin to sporting events, and our aim was to find a perfect balance between being the first to showcase significant moments and delivering premium content that brought our followers into the heart of the event. It was a whirlwind experience, with all of us brainstorming ideas and seizing every big opportunity on the fly. Our combined efforts propelled us to become the go-to account for VALORANT esports coverage on TikTok, nearly doubling our entire audience size during the event's duration.
Being present at VALORANT Masters Tokyo was undoubtedly one of the most exhilarating highlights of my career.
Being present at VALORANT Masters Tokyo was undoubtedly one of the most exhilarating highlights of my career. The event was colossal, with sold-out crowds each day I was on-site. Witnessing firsthand the fans' passion for both the game and the esports league was incredibly inspiring. Riot's remarkable production level created an atmosphere that was part sporting event and part movie theater experience, ensuring that not a single moment felt dull.
In the first 3 and a half months on TikTok, we achieved several milestones of surpassing 100k followers, maintaining engagement rates above benchmarks, and having our content extend beyond the platform with fans creating memes use on Twitter! I genuinely believe that our success stems from the deep passion I have for my work and for the game itself. As a fan, I create the content that I'd love to see, and that connection resonates with our audience. My advice to anyone seeking a similar role: be a fan! Understand your audience, immerse yourself in their world, and produce the kind of content that you'd be thrilled to watch yourself.