Microsoft doubletaps Gfinity and Major League Gaming for $1m Gears of War 4 tour
Microsoft and games studio the Coalition has enlisted esports organisers Gfinity and Major League Gaming (MLG) to organise global professional heats between players of its upcoming shooter title, Gears of War 4.
A $1m prize pool will be opened to regional winners of the tour as Microsoft looks to make the Gears of War 4, an Xbox One and PC exclusive title, the defacto shooter game of esports professionals, playing catchup with the likes of Call of Duty and Counter Strike.
Martin Wyatt, head of publisher relations at Gfinity, told The Drum that the deal helps Gfinity “build a rich track record of working with publishers and commercial partners on a truly global scale”.
The company will now be integral in growing the “participation and viewership of Gears of War 4” which has been a mainstay franchise for Microsoft since it launched with the Xbox 360. Gfinity now has the chance to “bring an exciting, new and fresh title to the first person shooter genre of competitive gaming,” with the Gears of War partnership,
A $1m prize money pot has been committed to the tour which will be hosted by MLG (Columbus, Las Vegas) and Gfinity (London, Mexico City and Paris) across select venues.
On this sizeable fund to attract new players, Wyatt said: “It’s also important to have the right level of reward in place for players who invest time, effort and passion in trying to become the best Gears of War players they can be. So undoubtedly it will drive an increase in participation which is tremendous because ultimately it drives the growth of the community.”