Game developer Ubisoft Nadeo, a subsidiary of Ubisoft focused on sim racing, has revealed the eight organisations that will participate in the Trackmania Grand League 2023 as partner teams.
Each team will be composed of two players and a dedicated streamer as the title’s competitive ecosystem is set to undergo significant changes.
The new Trackmania esports format will also implement 2v2 matches in every Trackmania World Tour league and related tournaments. The eight teams competing in next year’s grand league are French organisations Solary and Karmine Corp, London-based team Into the Breach, Czech team SINNERS Esport, Swiss organisation Team BDS, Berlin International Gaming (BIG), Swedish team Alliance and American newcomer Gamers First.
With this new team format, Ubisoft Nadeo plans to strengthen the connection between the game and its competitive scene whilst also providing a clear and accessible path to pro play.
Apart from the changes to the team format, Nadeo recently announced one of its most ambitious expansions: the Trackmania World Tour. The TMWT will be its annual esports circuit which will include two already-known leagues: the Trackmania Grand League (TMGL) and the Trackmania Challenger League (TMCL). The latter will bring four regional tournaments in North Central and South America (NCSA), Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Europe.
Through a recent blog post, Nadeo explained that the changes were needed to ‘improve the quality of life’ of the game’s esports ecosystem and ‘add another dimension’ to its competitions.
As of writing, Nadeo hasn’t announced any sponsors for the 2023 Trackmania World Tour. The main partner of the Grand League World Cup 2022 was Toyota Gazoo Racing, the motorsport subsidiary of the well-known car manufacturer.
Trackmania was first included as a competitive title at the Electronic Sports World Cup in 2006. As the game grew in popularity, the Trackmania World Championship was finally established in 2018, with Nadeo joining as a sponsor at the time.