eSports roundup w/c 08/08

FIFA eWorld Cup kickoff begins

The 2018 World Cup is sadly over, making way for the FIFA eWorld Cup – a virtual tournament that began in London last Thursday with goals galore and multiple Cristiano Ronaldos and Lionel Messis showing off their talents on a digital stage.

The three-day finals saw 32 elite players, picked from a global pool of 20 million starters worldwide, strutting their stuff for the chance of winning a shiny trophy and $250,000.

The group stages, with 16 playing the FIFA 18 game on Xbox One and the other 16 on PlayStation 4, started with an online audience only until the doors were opened at the O2 Arena in London's docklands.

The semi-finals and final took place on Saturday after plenty of group stages and knockout rounds, with most of the teams featuring the same top players in virtual form.

Manchester City investing in its own eSports team

Manchester City is diving even deeper into competitive video games to future-proof its sporting dominance. The club, a current Premier League champion, is set to invest heavily in its very own eSports team to ensure it wins trophies in the future in the burgeoning sport of video gaming.

The team has also recently signed a big money deal with earphone maker Turtle Beach, giving their game players a competitive edge when taking on the world’s best at blockbusters such as FIFA 18, Call of Duty and Fortnite. The headset designers proudly boast that they’ve got some of the best products in the business, offering an edge over rivals with poorer audio earphones.

“As the leading brand in gaming audio we’re thrilled to team up with the Premier League Champions. No matter what the game, competitive play is about total immersion, and that is what the Manchester City players can expect from our Elite Pro series,” said Juergen Stark, CEO of the Turtle Beach Corporation.

Canada to welcome eSports gaming stadium in 2019

Richmond is on its way to opening the area’s first ever stadium created specifically for eSports. The facility will be considered the city’s home for eSports events and play host to all tournaments, major events and a smattering of other happenings.

The arena is set to feature enough seating for up to 250 spectators, 40 gaming setups, a casual gaming area open to all players, a broadcast facility with a full suite of options, and additional food and beverage facilities to keep event attendees and staff happy and fed while they get down to some serious gaming.

The exciting Gaming Stadium will mirror the same features seen in regular sports-themed facilities, which only proves how popular the medium has grown to be in the last few years.