Major League Baseball players will compete against one another in an official esports competition called the MLBPA Fortnite Challenge, beginning on Monday. The MLBPA partnered with esports event organizer UMG Media Corp. to host the tournament, which will include both active and retired MLB players.
Fans will be able to watch online matches through the UMG Twitch channel. A championship series will commence in Las Vegas in December 2018 at The Wall Gaming Lounge inside the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino. The finals will consist of 16 teams competing for the MLBPA Challenge Series title and cash prizes. Nationals shortstop Trea Turner, Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr., and Twins relief pitcher Trevor May have already confirmed their participation in the tournament.
“We’ve all watched Major League players compete against each other on the field, now we’ll have the opportunity to test their video game skills against each other, as well,” said Evan Kaplan, the MLBPA’s director of licensing and business development, in a press release. “We’re excited to team with UMG JMG Series Corp for this new series.”
The press release also indicates that fans and players will be welcomed into the lounge to watch the championship series. Arizona Diamondbacks’ minor league pitcher West Tunnell claims the tournament will offer $1500 worth of weekly prizes and a $7500 championship title prize.
I just got invited to play in @UMGEvents and the MLBPA Fortnite weekly series !!! $1500 weekly and a shot at $7500 in a grand finale event in Las Vegas. Let’s gooooooo baby, time to get to work
— West Tunnell (@WestTunnell) September 29, 2018
SportTechie Takeaway
First released in 2017, Fortnite has quickly become a huge success story and is one of the biggest brands in esports. It has also captivated the world of baseball. Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts flaunted the game’s signature celebration moves in a game this year, while several players on the Houston Astros did the same after victories.
One of the players already confirmed for the MLBPA Fortnite Challenge, Minnesota Twins reliever Trevor May, spoke to SportTechie back in January about his passion for esports. May is the founder and CEO of Esports Lab, a company focused on statistical and analytical scouting of esports coaches and players.