ArenaNet’s PC MMO Guild Wars 2 is the latest game to have its own dedicated competitive league. The developer on Wednesday announced a partnership with the ESL Pro League for a professional tournament series with $400,000 in prizes. The initiative is officially called the ESL Guild Wars 2 Pro League.
League play begins in November with open qualifiers, culminating in a Season Finals LAN event held at ESL studios. A second season will run later. The $400,000 in prizes is divided between the two seasons. After the two seasons wrap up, ArenaNet will hold a World Championship event to determine an ultimate winner.
Further details, including the specific timing and venue, will be announced later. The ESL Guild Wars 2 Pro League replaces the previous World Tournament Series
“We’re seeing massive growth in players joining Guild Wars 2 and competitive play is the fastest growing segment in the game,” game director Colin Johanson said in a statement. “Working with ESL to develop this tournament is a natural next step for us, inviting more players from this growing community to come take their shot at being elite.”
An open qualifier tournament to determine four of the eight teams to be featured in the ESL Guild Wars 2 Pro League will begin in mid-November. The other four teams will be drawn from World Tournament Series finalists and the best-ranking teams of October’s Go4GuildWars 2 Cups. Every team that makes it to the finals is guaranteed a slice of the $200,000 prize pool for each series.
For more on the ESL Guild Wars 2 Pro League, check out a full rundown of rules, schedules, and eligibility information here.
The Guild Wars 2 base game recently became free. Its next expansion, Heart of Thorns, arrives on October 23, featuring Destiny and Uncharted voice actor Nolan North as its main bad guy.
The ESL, meanwhile, recently made headlines for its anti-doping measures put into place after an Adderall scandal.
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