"Guild Wars 2," a popular role-playing video game, is the latest title to join the eSports league. Game developer ArenaNet has announced earlier this week that the ESL Go4GuildWars2 Cup is in collaboration with the Electronic Sports League, a report from Polygon said.
"It's been a wild and exciting ride to see the Guild Wars 2 competitive scene grow from community-organized tournaments, to the ESL Go4GuildWars2 Cups, all the way to this year's World Tournament Series in which players were given the chance to compete for cash prizes and glory around the globe. Over the past year, we've created some unforgettable memories and have seen the popularity of Structured Player vs. Player grow at an explosive rate, securing itself as the fastest-growing area of Guild Wars 2," ArenaNet said, announcing the ESL Guild Wars 2 Pro League.
"With the momentum from last year's successes driving us forward, we're excited to announce that we're taking competitive play to the next level by partnering with the Electronic Sports League to bring you the ESL Guild Wars 2 Pro League," the game developer said.
According to the report, eight teams from North America and Europe will join this year's Guild Wars 2's Pro League. The teams will be competing for a total prize of $4000,000 over the course of two action-packed, seven-week seasons.
"Each season will ultimately lead up to our Season Finals event that will feature the top two teams from North America facing off against the top two teams from Europe. At the conclusion of each season, all North American and European teams are guaranteed winnings from the $200,000 USD prize pool for that season," ArenaNet said.
Polygon reports that the game's Pro League is open to all players aged 16 and up. ArenaNet wants the competition to give "fair chance" to both amateur and professional players.
Meanwhile, "Heart of Thorns," the game's latest expansion, is slated to arrive on Oct. 23. The game's paid expansion features raids for the first time.
