The MotoGP eSport Championship is set to return in 2021, with an expanded format and new challenges designed to ‘test the ability of gamers from around the world’.
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The season will commence on March 18th with the Pro Draft. Players will compete through four Online Challenges to move onto the competition’s next phase, the Pro Draft Selection. In total 25 names will qualify for the next stage, this includes the top 22 players from the Online Challenges alongside the three winners of last year’s Rising Stars Series.
For its fifth season, Online Challenges in the Pro Draft will have a new format for 2021. The first Online Challenge will see players compete with a ‘legendary’ rider and bike from recent MotoGP history.
Between February 3rd – 11th players will vote to choose one of the 12 names on social media channels, these include Mick Doohan, Kevin Schwantz, and Max Biaggi among others. The name and bike with most votes will be who the gamers compete against in an Online Challenge. Additionally, players will compete to set the fastest lap time at the USA’s Laguna Seca track.
Following the conclusion of Pro Draft on April 11th MotoGP teams will select one of the 25 competitors to represent the side during the Global Series.
The Global Series will look to move the competition from online to on-site in May, with players competing for the Championship crown and a range of prizes, such as a BMW M performance automobile as first prize, provided by MotoGP eSport partner BMW M.
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This year’s Global Series will consist of eight races held across four rounds from May to November. According to the release, the idea is to have on-site events for these races, with the final once again hosted in Valencia and the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana. Nevertheless, on-site events are dependent on the current global situation.
Esports Insider says: Seeing MotoGP reinvent its esports tournament and expand its format will certainly benefit the title’s competitive ecosystem. Showing that the firm can work around the circumstances of the pandemic, MotoGP continues to move forward and highlight that esports can develop despite the continued pressures of the current climate.