MechWarrior is getting into esports.
MechWarrior Online developer Piranha Games announced today that it’s holding a world championship series for its mech-combat shooter this year. Regional matches begin at the end of May with the finals taking place in Vancouver during the first Mech Con on December 3. The starting purse for the tournament is at $100,000. Research projects esports will generate $2 billion in revenue by 2018.
$100,000 might seem small compared to the millions that games like League of Legends and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive give out for its tournaments, but MechWarrior Online is from a more obscure genre (giant fighting robots can’t compete with MOBAs these days). The free-to-play game actually released back in 2012, although a Steam version came out last winter. According to Piranha Games, fans have played more than 10 million matches of MechWarrior Online.
If you’re interested in signing up for the tournament, so you can do here.