Showdown Closed Alpha is LIVE on @solana. Showdown is the first platform that lets gamers wager on their own matches, against friends or foes using $SOL or $USDC. Players can compete and profit from their victories on some of the world’s most played games, starting with Counter-Strike 2 and Chess, with more leading titles coming soon. Access is exclusive, you’ll need a referral code from existing players, or you can join the waitlist on our site or open a ticket in Discord for review. This is the start of a new era in gaming, where your skill becomes your asset. Compete. Win. Profit. Bet on yourself.

Today, we’re excited to announce some of the participants from Showdown’s pre-seed round. We’re honored to welcome: @sreeramkannan (Founder, EigenLayer), @sandeepnailwal (Co-Founder, Polygon), @nickwh8te (Co-Founder, Celestia), @eulerlagrange (Co-Founder, Opacity Network), @ArcanumCapital, @3point0_vc, @npcgroup_xyz, @questbookapp They join a select group of early-stage funds and angels who believe that millions of gamers deserve a fair shot at monetizing their passion and talent — without gatekeepers, fraud, or waiting weeks to get paid. In just a few short months on @monad_xyz's testnet: - Showdown went live with fully automated prize pools and trustless skill-based wagering on AAA titles like Counter-Strike 2 and Chess (with Fortnite being battle-tested as we speak). = We’ve hosted top SEA Counter-Strike teams, grandmasters in chess, and a growing wave of creators who run matches and stream showdowns. - Showdown has partnered with over 15 colleges and gaming communities to bring competitive tournaments to grassroots players - the backbone of any real gaming ecosystem. - Showdown is building a robust anti-cheat and a simple but powerful clan system - so friends can squad up and challenge the world. - Showdown has distributed more than 1000+ skins for Counter Strike 2 players. For every match played, every wager settled, every player who put their skills on the line - you validated what we believed: The next frontier for gaming isn’t just new titles - it’s financializing skill for everyone. What’s Next? More games: Expanding beyond CS2 and chess into more titles that players love. Mobile-first: A seamless mobile app so playing, wagering, and cashing out feels as smooth as it should. Stronger clans & creator tools: Enabling community leaders, streamers, and tournament organizers to run trustless, profitable events for their fans. Anti-cheat innovation: Deepening our fairness stack so skill always wins. Global growth: From local college leagues to global open tournaments — everyone’s invited. We wouldn’t be here without: - The players who signed up early and took a chance on a new way to compete. - The communities and college gaming clubs who ran the first tournaments and gave us honest feedback. - The creators and streamers who helped us reach new players, one battle at a time. - The investors and advisors who saw the same potential we did - [and pushed us to make it real. If you’re a player who wants to earn for your skill, a creator who wants to host matches for your community, or just someone who loves the thrill of fair competition - we’re building this for you. The Showdown has only just begun.

Did someone say Fortnite? We just launched a Showdown x Monad branded server on Fortnite, called the Pit! Players can: 🎯 Progress their Battle Pass 🏆 Complete achievements 📈 Climb an incentivized leaderboard (soon) This is Showdown’s next step in bridging web2 gameplay with web3 infrastructure — seamlessly, trustlessly, and at scale. Phase 2 will see deeper level of integrations into Showdown's modules. Hop in, earn, and play better!