Buddies for CALM is a community-run Valorant charity tournament series, raising money and awareness for CALM (the Campaign Against Living Miserably) - with every penny donated going straight to the charity.
About CALM
CALM exists to change the fact that suicide is the single biggest killer of men under 45 in the UK, and that every week around 125 people in the UK take their own life. CALM offers life-saving services, provokes national conversation, and brings people together to reject living miserably - and we can't do that alone.
The Event
Buddies for CALM is run by HLC Charity (Andrew_HLC) and has grown every season since launching in 2024.
Season 1 (2024)
Our first event split teams into Low ELO and High ELO brackets, culminating in a weekend of semi-finals and finals watched live on stream. Huge thanks to everyone who took part, donated, and helped make it a success.
Season 2 (2024-2025)
Season 2 opened sign-ups in late 2024, with matches running through summer 2025 and building to a Low ELO final between Hecaton and Arctic Frenzy. The event raised further donations for CALM and brought in new community partnerships along the way.
Season 3 (2026)
Season 3 launches November 2026 with three skill divisions - Low, Mid, and High ELO (Iron to Radiant) - hosted on Challengermode.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I play with anyone I know?
Brackets are set to keep games fair, so you can team up with players of a similar rank - you don't have to pick a bracket yourself, as organisers will look at your team's average rank/elo and place you.
What if someone signs up with a smurf account?
We can't stop anyone from signing up, but suspicious activity or doubt around a player's real rank can lead to the whole team being disqualified. This event exists for fun and for charity, so please play fair.
Can I stream the event?
Yes - let the team know when you sign up and you can be set up with charity overlays, chat timers, and commands for your stream.
Guidelines (Summary)
Full rules live on the Rules page; a few key points for participants, captains, and coaches:
- Each team needs a Team Captain, up to 5 main roster players, up to 2 substitutes, and up to 1 coach.
- Communication between players and coaches must be recorded, with at least one player point-of-view recording per map submitted to the Score Reporting Committee.
- Streams (including casters and players) need a minimum 90 second delay, and must not reveal maps or in-game comms.
- Coaches may only talk during timeouts and before/after matches, must stay muted in voice otherwise, and must not screen share without admin approval.
- The Admin Team may audit screen captures, comms, and camera data at any time during the event and for two weeks afterwards.
This is a summary, not the full guideline set - any questions or concerns should go through a ticket on the official Discord.