It looks like hockey will joining the growing trend of tsports getting into esports. The National Hockey League will host the 2018 NHL Gaming World Championship, where fans of the virtual ice can compete for a share of a $100,000 prize pool and a chance to be a part of the 2018 NHL awards.
The tournament is open to all challengers, and sign-ups are already live on tournament platform FaceIt. Qualifiers will take place on March 24 and 31, where eight players from each region (United States, Canada, and Europe) will move on their region’s finals for a spot at the world championship.
Though qualifiers are open to both Xbox One and PlayStation 4 players, all games from the regionals-forward will be limited to PlayStation 4. Sorry, Xbox players. It all culminates in a championship at the new Esports Arena Las Vegas, at the Luxor in Las Vegas. Pretty snazzy!
As more sports game communities get their shot to compete in the virtual realm, it’s nice to see the hockey folks get a nod.
Compete is Deadspin and Kotaku’s joint site dedicated to competitive gaming.