Esports entertainment company Allied Esports has announced a partnership with 3D motion capture product supplier Xsens.
As a result of the agreement, Allied Esports will bring live animated casters to its three-day, €5,000 (£4,305) CS:GO Legend Series tournament.
RELATED: Allied Esports receives $100m purchase offer from Bally’s Corporation
The company’s casters will be transformed into animated characters through the use of Xsens’ MVN motion capture systems. According to the release, the technology has been used in films and series such as Black Panther and The Mandalorian.
Jud Hannigan, CEO of Allied Esports, commented: “As gaming and esports viewership continues to grow, we need to push the boundaries of competitive content to provide new and engaging viewing experiences for our audiences and partners.
“We’re thrilled to make history again with the Legend Series and use Xsens’ innovative motion capture animation technology to create a first-of-its-kind broadcast experience in esports.”
The live motion avatars are expected to provide fans with a ‘fun and engaging’ viewing experience specific to the title. Moreover, the partnership also looks to create opportunities for brand and product integration.
Allied Esports’ CS:GO Legend Series tournament will be cast by Robert Jan Kortooms and Thiadrik Oldersma, with teams such as Apeks, Club Brugge, Nexus and NLG announced for the competition.
RELATED: Allied Esports renews HyperX naming rights for Esports Arena Las Vegas
The event will take place from April 10th -12th and is set to be produced out of Allied Esports’ AE Studios in Hamburg, Germany. Moreover, the competition will include ‘wagering opportunities’ for bettors due to Allied Esports’ data and video rights partnership with GRID.
“Allied Esports is taking live esports broadcasting to the next level by adding live animated casters to the tournaments,” added Rob Löring, Business Director at Xsens. “This is very challenging, and in such a demanding technical environment, Xsens is the only solution to give a reliable performance.”
[primis_video widget=”5183″]
Esports Insider says: Allied Esports’ sale of its assets to either Bally’s or Element has been a major topic over the last few months. So, it’s still good to see the firm look at new esports opportunities, such as partnering with Xsens, during this period. The integration of live animated casters into esports competitions is certainly interesting. If successfully executed, it’s likely that more online competitions could follow suit.