While esports like CS:GO and League of Legends (LoL) are massively popular, attracting ever growing numbers of fans whilst offering even bigger prize funds, the virtual reality (VR) is hot on their heels. Last year Oculus, in partnership with ESL and Intel created the VR Challenger League featuring multiplayer titles like The Unspoken and Echo Arena that anyone could enter. Today, Oculus has again teamed up with ESL for a new-look VR League: Season 2.
For season 2 Oculus has expanded the lineup of vidoegames available, Echo Arena and The Unspoken return but are this time joined by Survios’ Sprint Vector and military simulator Onward. Up to seven titles are said to be participating across the five-month competitive period with three more still to be revealed.
The competition begins tomorrow 18th May, with a month of magical combat in The Unspoken. This will then be followed by a month of frenzied racing in Sprint Vector starting on 4th June. The titles for July and August will be revealed nearer the time.
For Echo Arena fans a four week competition will return on 20th May. Last year Echo Arena saw 258 players across 98 teams worldwide compete. Additionally, later in the year Echo Combat will be introduced to the VR League, with its own competition.
“Oculus is committed to fostering long-term growth of the VR esports ecosystem, and Season 2—with its new format and additional games—is an amazing next step on this exciting journey,” says Oculus Head of Esports Christopher K. McKelvy in a statement.
Oculus’ VR League will also support the VR Master League with an Onward Invitational event from 16th – 17th June. The live event will be held at the ESL UK Studios, also benefiting Stack Up, a charity supporting US and Allied veterans with gaming.
VR League Season 2 will feature a prize pool in excess of $220K USD. The VR League is open only to legal residents of the 50 U.S./D.C., Canada, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and United Kingdom, who are over the age of 13. For further updates on the tournament, keep reading VRFocus.