When a multiplayer game garners a large and active user base, what’s the next step? Host your own eSports league, and that’s what EA and Respawn Entertainment are doing with the launch of the Apex Legends Global Series.
For a game this is about to complete its first year since its release in February 2019, EA is putting a prize pool of more than $3 Million.
As per their rules, PC players from more than 60 countries worldwide are eligible to compete. Best news out of the eligible countries is that four of them include the Middle East region: Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia (you will need have an EA account).
From EA’s recent quarterly earnings call, the game has already clocked in more than 70 Million players worldwide. A big enough justification for EA to have their own tournament series; the game was released in February 2019 and surged to popularity in the months that followed.
Tournament Structure
There will be 12 live events. These will be overseen by Respawn Entertainment and its parent company EA, or by the tournament’s event production partners PGL and GLL.
The tournament is divided into different stages of qualifiers as follows:
- Online: Entry point in the tournament that will have open registration for eligible countries.
- Challenger: These may have open registration or be invitation only; focused on regional competitions and awards the winner with a reserved spot in the upcoming Major.
- Premier: Global live events with top teams from the Online tournaments.
- Major: Features top teams from Online tournaments, Challenger events, and Premiere events. This is where the best teams from around the world compete for the largest prize pool. These will be capped to 100 teams with three players in each team.
There will be a total of four Majors, leading up to the grand finale Championship event. Only 60 teams will qualify to compete for the $1 million prize pool.
Players will earn Apex Legends Global Series Points for their performances in Online, and certain live events. Those atop the standings will be invited to the four Apex Legends Global Series Majors, the highest competitive live event tier.
Most teams will first need to first qualify through an online tournament. Teams then need to progress through live regional “Challenger” and global “Premier” events. At each step of the Apex Legends Global Series, teams will earn points. The teams with the most points will receive an invite to the Majors.
Although the tournament is open only to the PC platform, I decided to contact EA to clarify it. An EA spokesperson has confirmed to me that console players can also compete, as the game will have full controller compatibility. If you prefer keyboard and mouse or a dedicated gaming controller, you can pick whcih one to use for the tournament.
Looking ahead
Even in the competitive battle royal genre of games, Apex Legends was recently awarded “Best Multiplayer Game” at The Game Awards 2019.
Interested in competing and already have a team of three players? Register for the Apex Legends Global Series on Battlefy (you will need a valid EA account to link your registration). The first online tournament begins on 25 January 2020, and concludes with the first Major from 13 – 15 March 2020.
You can watch it live online once the tournament begins, as EA will share more details on it in the near future.
Image Credits: Apex Legends media from EA