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NASCAR's virtual race was the most-watched esports TV show to date
NASCAR and Fox Sports might have started airing virtual races out of pandemic-induced necessity, but it appears their efforts paid off. Fox has revealed that the inaugural eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race on March 22nd drew 903,000 viewers on FS1, making it the highest-rated esports TV program to date. It was also the most-watched broadcast on FS1 since mass sports event cancellations on March 12th and the most-watched sports broadcast on cable that Sunday, although those last two feats weren't too difficult given the dearth of live sports.
F1 drivers will compete in a virtual grand prix series
With their season on hold because of coronavirus fears, Formula 1 drivers will surely be desperate for a competitive outlet to keep them (and their fans) occupied. So, just like soccer players and NASCAR drivers, they're diving into a virtual version of their sport.
NASCAR is replacing canceled races with esports featuring pro drivers
Sports leagues and broadcasters are scrambling to fill the void now that many live competitions are cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and for NASCAR and Fox Sports that means venturing into relatively uncharted territory. They've announced an inaugural eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series that will replace canceled NASCAR races with "simulation-style" esports competitions. These will involve top-tier competitors, too -- you can expect Dale Earnhardt Jr., Bobby Labonte, Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin among other racers and luminaries from various NASCAR series.
Overwatch League sets its new online-only schedule for spring
After three sets of Overwatch League cancellations due to the coronavirus outbreak, Blizzard is trying to make the best of a bad situation. The company has released the updated Overwatch League March and April schedule. And as you can imagine, it eliminates the need for teams to travel.
'PUBG Mobile' World and Americas Pro leagues have been postponed
PUBG Corporation and Tencent decided to turn the PUBG Mobile Pro League South Asia tournament into an online-only affair due to the coronavirus outbreak. The companies are taking a different approach for the Pro League Americas and World League events, though, postponing them until later in the year. "The health of our players, staff and contractors are our highest priority. While we're saddened to postpone our tournament, we're dedicated to ensure the safety of everyone involved," said James Yang, Director of PUBG Mobile Global Esports.
The NBA's esports league postpones 2020 season due to coronavirus
Just a day after two NBA players tested positive for COVID-19 and the league announced it would suspend activities for at least thirty days, its esports arm followed suit. The NBA 2K League will postpone the start of its season, which was planned for March 24th. Of course, unlike the real game, esports can be played online and the league said in a statement that "in the coming weeks" it will hold preseason competitions remotely. According to NBA 2K League Managing Director Brendan Donohue, "We will continue to evaluate the situation and do everything possible to bring the excitement of the NBA 2K League to our fans through remote preseason exhibitions and other content. We look forward to sharing additional information about these exhibitions and the start of the 2020 season as it becomes available."
Overwatch League cancels all homestand matches through April
Activision Blizzard has cancelled some Overwatch League matches before in response to the coronavirus outbreak, but now it's taking no chances. The league has cancelled all Overwatch League homestand games for March and April. The cancellations won't affect other league events, but there's no question this will be disruptive to the Overwatch esports scene.
'PUBG Mobile' tournament moves online to avoid coronavirus
One of the biggest mobile gaming tournaments is changing format to deal with the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. Tencent and PUBG Corporation are turning the PUBG Mobile Pro League South Asia tourney into an online event due to "unforeseen circumstances" with the virus. It'll still be available to watch online at PUBG Mobile's esports-oriented YouTube channel -- fans just won't get to watch in person.
The esports elders defying their age
For most people, the phrase 'esports athlete' conjures an image of a teenager or twenty-something hunched over a keyboard, controller or fighting stick. That generalization holds some weight: tune into the next Overwatch League fixture, for instance, and you'll see few competitors in their forties. In almost every esport, though, there's at least one player that bucks the norm; a slightly older professional that can easily compete with and, frequently, overcome their younger foe. Like Roger Federer, a 38-year-old tennis legend that still ranks in the world top five, these people seem to defy their age and the notion that only the young have the mental and physical agility required to compete at the highest level. None of them are truly old, of course. Not to the average person on the street, anyway. Inside their respective gaming communities, however, they're old-timers, veterans, part of the 'I can't believe they haven't retired yet' club. Collectively, you could think of them as the esports elders.
Make-A-Wish Foundation gets a fan into 'NBA 2K20'
It's not unheard of for Make-A-Wish Foundation kids to request tours of their favorite game studios, but when 2K heard that 15-year-old Make-A-Wish recipient William Floyd wanted to visit the NBA 2K headquarters in Novato, California, the company decided to go one step further. It created Floyd as a playable roster member in NBA 2K20 and made him available as a free agent to millions of players around the world.
Professional 'League of Legends' is trying to work around the coronavirus
A little more than a month ago, one of the biggest esports leagues in the world -- the League of Legends Pro League (LPL) in China -- was forced to go on hiatus due to the coronavirus outbreak. Understandably, all matches were postponed and the English commentary team flew back to their respective home nations. So what now? Well, today the LPL announced that the 2020 Spring Split will resume on March 9th with an online-only format. "Players will be attending matches from their club headquarters," the league's organisers explained in a tweet. "The only exception are players in quarantined provinces who are currently unable to leave."
Valve wants cities to bid on hosting The International
Cities that have lost out on bids to host the Olympics or other big events may have another opportunity to shine. Valve Software is soliciting bids from "host cities" to put on The International -- the annual Dota 2 championship and one of the top esports tournaments. Today, Valve issued a request for proposal (RFP) document, shared by Polygon, that asks cities to throw their hats in the ring as potential hosts for next year's tournament.
Logitech and Herman Miller team up to design ergonomic gaming furniture
Plenty of gaming chairs look cool, but whether or not they're actually good for your back is another question. Furniture company Herman Miller and Logitech's gaming hardware brand Logitech G want to change that. They're teaming up to create a line of ergonomic furniture for gamers, starting with a gaming chair that could arrive as soon as this spring.
Overwatch League cancels South Korean matches due to coronavirus
A week-and-a-half after it said it would host a slate of cancelled Overwatch League matches in Seoul, South Korea, Blizzard is now postponing those games as well. The move comes after a surge in Covid-19 coronavirus cases in the East Asian country. Like the matches the company had planned to host in Guangzhou, Hangzhou and Shanghai, Blizzard says it's delaying the rescheduled games to "protect the health and safety of our players, fans and staff."
Now 'League of Legends' star Faker is a part-owner of his esports team
Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok has been an esports superstar and key member of the T1 League of Legends team since 2013, and a new three-year contract with the squad adds "part owner" to his title. As first reported by ESPN, while the talented mid laner has said he received "blank check" offers from teams outside of South Korea, the 23-year-old will remain with the only pro team he's ever known. The three year deal is the longest contract allowed under League maker Riot's rules, and according to T1, "Faker will assume a leadership role within the organization after his playing career and will help facilitate global operations." CEO Joe Marsh said in the accompanying statement that "Since T1's inception, Faker has been the cornerstone of our team's success and his undying passion for this organization will continue to drive us forward now that he is a part owner of T1 Entertainment & Sports. Even after Faker's retirement – whenever that may be – he will begin the next chapter of his legacy in a leadership role with T1, helping to mold the next generation of elite esports athletes."
'PUBG Mobile' pro-level esports tournament kicks off
One of the biggest mobile games today, PUBG Mobile, has kicked off an esports tournament for pro-level players, showing just how much the category has grown in recent years. Mobile games accounted for 33 percent of all app downloads in 2019. And according to Sensor Tower, the online multiplayer battle royale PUBG Mobile racked up nearly 555 million user downloads worldwide from the time it launch until December last year.
You'll need a PS4 to join the next 'Fortnite' tournament
Epic Games has run console-specific Fortnite tourneys in the past, and now it's the PlayStation's turn. The game studio has announced a PS4-only Celebration Cup that will run between February 15th and February 16th. The Solo competition is open to almost anyone at level 15 or higher, and will offer a $1 million prize pool that pays cash to over 4,000 top players who compete during a pair of three-hour periods. You might not walk away empty-handed if you don't qualify for a payout, though.
Ninja's management firm is 'actively seeking to diversify' its talent pool
Bridget Davidson helped establish the League of Legends Championship Series nine years ago. Back then, competitors brought their own equipment to world-class tournaments and Riot Games wasn't sure if anyone would tune in to the online stream. The premiere LCS finals lasted three days in June 2011, and nearly 1.7 million unique viewers watched the show online. It was considered a success and Davidson continued to help Riot grow its esports venture. Eight years later, the 2019 League of Legends World Championship drew in a peak concurrent viewer count of 44 million, with an average of 21.8 million online audience members per minute. Hologram music groups performed at the opening ceremony and Louis Vuitton designed the trophy case.
Atari-themed gaming hotels are coming to eight US cities
Atari doesn't have the cultural cachet it used to. After an industry-crashing downfall in the '80s, the video game pioneer has been unable to find its niche, and recently, its oft-delayed retro console has had a troubled development. Atari hopes to find some success by lending what gaming cred it has left to the hospitality industry. The company signed a contract that see Atari license its name and branding to a real estate developer, which will build eight hotels across the US. The first location will break ground this year in Phoenix. Others in Austin, Chicago, Denver, Las Vegas, San Francisco, San Jose and Seattle will follow.
YouTube will stream the CoD and Overwatch leagues in 2020
Activision Blizzard's next big esports bet, Call of Duty League, gets underway today. While the company worked with Twitch in the past on Overwatch League, that's not where you'll be able to watch its latest foray into top-level competitive gaming. YouTube will be Activision Blizzard's exclusive worldwide streaming partner (except for China) for both leagues this year, along with Hearthstone events and other esports endeavors.
