Major League Baseball announced on Wednesday that the league will host a new Home Run Derby VR Championship during next week’s All-Star Game festivities.
Qualifying for the inaugural tournament will take place in D.C. at both the Fan Fest and Play Ball Park activities on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and will be followed by a 32-person bracket-style competition on Monday afternoon, Jul. 16, prior to the real Home Run Derby at Nationals Park. All three hours of Monday’s knockout stage play will be live-streamed on Twitch, YouTube, Facebook, and Mixer, with commentary from nine-time MLB All-Star Fred Lynn, MLB Network’s Alexa Datt, and pro gamers RealShelfy and Fuzzy.
MLB released Home Run Derby VR on PlayStation and HTC Vive back in April, touting the game as the first VR title built and released by a U.S. pro sports league. This weekend’s tournament will run on the HTC Vive platform and use a proprietary bat controller. An enterprise version of the VR Derby has been in use at a dozen ballparks and at various exhibitions since last summer.
SportTechie Takeaway
MLB has been more measured than its North American peer leagues in considering its entry point into esports. This initial foray shows an interest in gauging what the market will support and will no doubt make for a popular installation in conjunction with the All-Star Game. A 90-second video game like Home Run Derby VR is an important first step for the league, but probably won’t form the basis for a major esports endeavor like the NBA’s 2K League or the Madden NFL Club Championship.