Though E-Sports are becoming increasingly popular all over the world, virtual reality (VR) is yet to break into the scene in a big way. Attempting to change this, the Virtual Athletics League (VAL) have decided to team up with Springboard VR along with HTC Vive, LIV and HP in order to hold a global VR eSports tournament featuring zero gravity VR title Skyfront VR.
The tournament was due to commence on 1st November, with 32 teams will be beginning, all competing for the grand prize of $1,500 (USD). The tournament will end on 17th November, and the entire event will be broadcast on the VAL Twitch channel.
Skyfront VR was launched into Steam Early Access back in November 2017, where it gathered a following, as a regular stream of updates introduced new content for players to enjoy. The title is set in a utopian future where people are raised in floating cities, and the ultimate contest involves zero gravity battle arenas where contestants from around the world compete for the title of ‘Guardian – keeper of the peace’.
VAL’s CEO, Ryan Burningham, explains, “VR is perfect for the next generation of eSports athletes.” But it isn’t just VR that’s perfect. “Skyfront – a game that promotes PvP rivalry and is one of the top played arcade games – was an easy choice for this coming tournament.”
VAL believes that this this will be a big step for VR eSports. Burningham says: “The playerbase may still be small but the audience potential is huge! And we intend to make a spectacle!” Frankly, we at VGR can’t wait to head onto Twitch and watch the tournament. While VR is still behind when it comes to eSports on PC, we’re excited to see what will happen in the future.”
For future coverage on new VR esports titles, keep checking back with VRFocus.