MENLO PARK, CA —Last year, Oculus helped launch the world’s first VR esports league, including the first ever Echo Arena North American Regionals at OC4 and a global livestream of the Finals from IEM Katowice. Oculus announced this week a brand-new look and expanded lineup for VR League—and the kick-off of Season 2 with ESL!

VR League Season 2 features a prize pool in excess of $220,000 USD, a more flexible tournament system, and up to seven participating titles in the five-month competitive period—all leading up to the climactic grand finale at Oculus Connect 5!

Oculus hit the ground running on May 18, with a month of competitive urban spell-casting in The Unspoken, followed by a month of fast-paced parkour racing in Sprint Vector beginning June 4.  An additional two titles with prized competition will be unveiled on ESL Play during the months of July and August, plus additional action as three new games make their first foray into esports.

Echo Arena returns on May 20 with the start of a four-week competition. Last year, this fast-paced zero-g title brought out 258 players across 98 teams worldwide, and we’re excited to build upon that initial success as we continue to grow the community. Later this year, we’ll partner with Ready At Dawn to bring Echo Combat to VR League with a ladder-style competition of its own.

“Oculus is committed to fostering long-term growth of the VR esports ecosystem, and Season 2—with its new format and additional games—is an amazing next step on this exciting journey,” says Oculus Head of Esports, Christopher K. McKelvy.

To that end, VR League will also support VR Master League and the grassroots community that’s developed around Dante Buckley’s mil-sim success story with an Onward Invitational event from June 16 – 17. One of three live events to be held at the ESL UK Studios, the Onward Invitational will also benefit Stack Up, a charity that supports US and Allied veterans through gaming.

VR esports represent an exciting and promising area of growth for both the VR industry and the community it supports, and we’re proud to partner with ESL to help change the game. Visit vr.eslgaming.com for more information, and follow VR League on Facebook and Twitter  for regular updates.

Source and photos — The Oculus Team

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