Esports Down Under: Melbourne Excites with Latest Event

Melbourne will be the host of one of Australia’s biggest esports open tournaments, advertising the Overwatch Contenders Finals and the League of Legends OPL (Oceanic Pro League) finals over two days promised to be packed with excitement. The event has been timed to perfection; occurring during the bye week leading up to the AFL finals. The intent could not be more clear: Victoria wants this event to be huge, and for Australian media to pay attention to the growing esports market.

The Melbourne Esports Open will be held at the Rod Laver and Margaret Court Arenas located near Richmond Station. These grounds are no stranger to esports events; the All Stars League of Legends International Wildcard Tournament was played here in 2015. That landmark event was the first time an international League of Legends event had touched Australian soil, and has seemingly paved the way for esports growth.

Currently, Australia’s largest esports tournament is the IEM (Intel Extreme Masters) event held in Sydney. The main attraction, CS:GO (Counter-Strike: Global Offensive), invites six of the top teams across the globe to come enjoy the last of spring in the Qudos Bank Arena, much to the pleasure of local and international fans alike.  The most recent IEM Sydney, held in May 2018, promoted prize money of over $300,000 and over 8 million viewers. The situation can no longer be ignored, but one question remains at large: How can Australian media best capture esports to grow our local environment?

Melbourne Esports Open is part of the answer. Sponsored by JB-HiFi, and in partnership with the Victorian Government TEG, this event will provide a number of critical answers. Will the Melbourne Esports Open hold up to the success of IEM Sydney? How will the Australian media react to a rapidly growing market? How effectively can this event be run, and what risks do we face?

Re:Cover will be attending, and we will provide videos & photos of the day’s events as they unfold, reviews of the risks faced and controls placed and analysis on the events success. For more information regarding the event, follow their official twitter account. Undoubtedly this will be an event to remember.

Photo Courtesy of Rod Laver Arena Website