Cleveland, OH – The Cleveland Guardians today announced the launch of its online gaming community, Guards Gaming, in partnership with Rival – a leading fan engagement platform that specializes in building custom-branded gaming communities.

”We are thrilled to welcome our first MLB team to the Rival platform,” said Rival CMO Dan Parise.  “The launch of Guards Gaming creates a new and innovative way the club can engage with their fans and partners.”

Guards Gaming will offer its online gaming community the opportunity to take part in tournaments across a variety of titles, including MLB The Show 23, NBA 2K 23, Madden and more. Tournament participants will play to win Guardians memorabilia, tickets and more.

The Cleveland Guardians first tournament will take place on Friday, April 28 at 7PM ET, featuring MLB The Show 23. The cross-platform (XBOX and PlayStation) winner will receive an autographed baseball from a current Cleveland Guardians player. Fans can sign up at www.rivalgames.com/play/cleguardians.

Guardians Gaming currently has the following additional tournaments scheduled for the beginning of the season:

• Saturday, April 29 at 7PM ET – Madden (PS & XBOX tournaments)
• Thursday, May 11 at 7PM ET – NBA 2K (PS & XBOX tournaments)
• Thursday, May 25 at 7PM ET – MLB The Show 23 (cross-platform tournament)

Leveraging fan engagement platform Rival and its point system and digital currency, players will be ranked on their organization’s leaderboard for skill and participation. Throughout the season, points are awarded based on wins, losses and participation.

Rival powers the gaming communities of more than 45 partners worldwide, across sports properties, media, tech, and brands, including organizations across NFL, NBA, NHL, MLS, English Premier League and now MLB.