Kicking off next year, the British-based Gfinity esports organisers will be partnering with a local company to create a league with eight franchises, based around most of Australia’s largest cities.
Mumbrella reports that HT&E Events will run partner with esports promoter Gfinity to run the Australian league, although the report doesn’t mention what or how many games will be involved. HT&E Events is a new company founded between Here, There & Everywhere (previous APN News & Media) and the Irish-based IKON Media & Entertainment.
According to the report, Sydney will have two teams, while Canberra, Darwin and Hobart won’t be represented at all:
Commencing in summer of 2018, the new franchise teams are Adelaide Photonics, Brisbane Deceptors, Melbourne Metattak, Melbourne Rebolte, Perth Subnets, Sydney Blue Surge and Sydney Opsydian.
Image: Gfinity/HT&E/Mumbrella
An online offshoot, called “The Challenger Series”, will supposedly launch in the third quarter of 2017 while acting as a feeder competition for the main event. The report also noted that franchise teams would compete in a weekly league that would be broadcast online:
Franchise teams will compete weekly at dedicated eSports venues, with each event broadcast live online and across other TV and media platforms.
Update (3:00 PM): A spokesperson for screenPLAY has confirmed that they are not involved with Gfinity’s esports league. Given Channel Seven announced their intention to broadcast their own league with screenPLAY’s initial announcement, that means Australia has two esports leagues planned for broadcast television in the next twelve months.
[referenced url=”https://www.kotaku.com.au/2017/06/screenplays-esports-league-will-feature-two-games/” thumb=”https://www.kotaku.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2017/06/screenplay-promo-1-410×231.jpg” title=”ScreenPLAY’s Esports League Will Start With Two Games” excerpt=”Amidst the hustle and bustle of the Mini SNES this morning, it was revealed that the esports league for Channel Seven’s new gaming show, screenPLAY, would feature two games.”]
You can read more about the upcoming league over at Mumbrella.
Comments
8 responses to “Australia’s Getting A City-Based Esports League”
Perth Subnets? Horrible name.
(Like the overall idea though)
It’s a cold day in hell when I click on a link that suggests ‘you can read more at Mumbrella.’
is this WCG all over again?
….what a terrible bunch of names.
Should gone with the following:
Sydney Slappers
Melbourne Hipsters
Adelaide Murderers
Perth Who-gives-a-toss
and so on….
Perth Cashed-up-bogans?
I hope they take another crack at those names and logos, or better yet house existing Australian esports orgs in specific cities – e.g. Melbourne Dire Wolves.
Sydney gets two teams, but there are no Canberra, Darwin or Hobart teams. K.
There’s like 3 gamers in tasmania and maybe 2 in darwin total, so fe
Pffft bugger off, as one of the two in the whole of the NT I want representation 😛
So, what game is this Esports league going to be playing? CS:GO, DOTA2, League of Legends, Overwatch?
Overwatch isn’t a real esport so no. Even the ‘pro’ overwatch scene are aware the fake castle that overwatch currently resides in is crumbling.
I’d wait until the League launches to make a judgment on its long-term survivability. Hard to say it’s ‘not a real esport’ right now though given it’s running a reasonably successful world cup and Apex is entertaining as hell.
What game are they playing
The Brisbane and 2 Sydney logos are great but the others not so, with Perth getting the worst.
The names are not great, but being a local league, aren’t aiming to be super pro global grade anyway, just an aspiring pro player’s 1-2 year stop off on their way to a globally recognized professional team.
Esport betting needs to become legal again nationwide before this league has it’s first match anyway, so that comes first.