Microsoft announced it will sponsor the Gears eSports Pro Circuit for Gears of War 4. The series of tournaments, held around the world, will have a total of $1 million to win for top eSports teams as they play the upcoming sci-fi shooter for the Xbox One and Windows 10.
Major League Gaming (MLG) and Gfinity will organize the tournaments. Microsoft stated:
Players worldwide can earn "Gears Pro Points" by competing in regional MLG GameBattles online ladders and in daily and weekly tournaments. Gears Pro Points qualify players for the international circuit open LAN events that take place every 1-2 months from the Gears of War 4 game launch in October 2016 to July 2017. The Gears Pro Circuit features more international crossplay and competition than ever before in Gears of War history as top teams from North America, Europe, Latin America, and Oceania will qualify via Gears Pro Points to be flown around the world to compete against each other at these events. Teams that don't qualify for the top travel spots will still be able to compete at local events or any international event of their choosing. Gears of War players will enjoy large open events with a double elimination format playing the new Escalation competitive game mode (5v5) on Gears of War 4.
Six tournament locations and prize pool amounts have been revealed so far:
- Nov. 25-27 in Columbus, Ohio - $250,000
- December 2016 in London, UK - $100,000
- Spring 2017, in Mexico City, Mexico - $75,000
- Spring 2017 in Columbus, Ohio - $100,000
- Spring/Summer 2017 in Paris, France - $75,000
- Summer 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada - $250,000
In addition, Microsoft and MLG will sponsor a $25,000 tournament for the actual launch of Gears of War 4 in Columbus, Ohio sometime in October, and there will be yet another tournament with a $100,000 prize pool at a "surprise" location. Gears of War 4 will officially be released on October 11.
