RumbleMonkey is a new platform which allows gamers worldwide to legally play head-to-head matches for real money. It will kick off with Hearthstone and begins its closed beta on March 27th.
The service will ‘support multiple competitive games in the future’, though there is no definitive word of which quite yet. Hearthstone fans eager to compete and that believe in their own ability can sign up for the waiting list for RumbleMonkey’s free closed beta.
Jacob Rapoport, CEO, RumbleMonkey commented: “We’re excited to make real-money esports accessible to everyone. The beauty of our platform is that anyone can put their skills to the test and compete for money, without having to invest the time needed to go pro. Playing for money adds an extra level of intensity to competitive play. We also think streamers will find our platform particularly exciting.”
Rapoport is an ex-Microsoft engineer who has put together a team in Seattle comprised of developers from companies like DotaBuff and Nintendo. Hearthstone is the dominant digital CCG, as evidenced by Newzoo, and it remains a tier one esports title.
On RumbleMonkey when opponents play for money, each pays an entry fee to compete for the prize. As such the funds are secured before a match begins, so victors are guaranteed to receive their winnings. The platform awards prizes to winners ‘based on a consensus of native game data, rather than a manual agreement between players’.
The service is said to be sophisticated enough to detect whether disconnections between opponents stem from rage quits or server issues, and as such users should be protected from potential exploitative behavior and awarding cash if an opponent intentionally drops out early.
