Dorna announces 2021 MotoGP eSport Championship
Further expanded and "more hotly-contested than ever", the MotoGP eSport Championship will be back for 2021 "with an expanded format and a host of new, exciting challenges designed to test the ability of gamers from around the world".
"Kicking on from a highly successful 2020, this year marks the series' fifth season. Recent figures show the MotoGP eSport Championship is not only increasing in size, but also continuing to build its audience. Since 2017 the championship has accumulated 80 million video views, 338 million impressions and 10.5 million engagements. 50% of those numbers are courtesy of fans between 13 and 24 years old - combined with 23 Online Challenges, seven on-site events plus four virtual events, that makes the MotoGP eSport Championship one of the biggest racing competitions in the gaming landscape.
"The slickly-produced format of its dramatic Global Series showdowns – aired by 16 broadcasters across the globe – also resulted in MotoGP's eSport competition being nominated for the prestigious Sports Technology Awards in 2020, in the 'Use of Esports by a Sports Brand' category. Continued growth and evolution mean that current MotoGP teams are placing greater importance on the performance of its representative in the Global Series".
In 2021, the MotoGP eSport Championship will once again be played on the Official MotoGP videogame from videogame developer, publisher and longstanding partner Milestone. The Pro Draft kicks off in March as four Online Challenges decide which names make it into the next phase - the Pro Draft Selection. A total of 22 names can qualify for this phase (with the three winners of last year's Rising Stars Series also achieving a place, meaning there will be 25 in total). In the Pro Draft Selection, MotoGP teams pick the competitor to represent them in the main event - the Global Series.
