We’re still a few weeks away from the next Mortal Kombat game, but that’s not stopping developer NetherRealm and e-sports organization ESL from jump starting the competitive scene.
The two companies announced the Mortal Kombat X Pro League today. This will have the top players in the world coming together at ESL tournaments to show off their skills. Mortal Kombat X is due out April 14 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, and the “ESL MKX Pro League” preseason starts just days later on April 19. E-sports is one of the ways that developers are trying to engage their most dedicated fans, and the success of a fighting game largely depends on how well it does with pro gaming. This sort of league action can keep excitement high with potential competitors and the thousands of people who watch them in livestreaming tournaments.
In addition to working as a promotional tool, e-sports and fighting game competitions are growing into a $500 million business.
ESL released a silly trailer for its Mortal Kombat X league – – check it out below:
Once the season gets under way, anyone can compete in the open tournaments. Those who move on will have a chance to compete in weekly tournaments worth $1,000. As the season comes to an end July 11, the finals competition will have at least $50,000 in prize money up for grabs.
This isn’t the first Mortal Kombat game to find traction in e-sports or among the fighting-game community. Mortal Kombat 9 had a respectable tournament at the 2014 Evo event, which is the largest fighting-game competition in the world. While the beloved Street Fighter games almost always headline Evo, competitors have carved out time for games like Mortal Kombat 9 and Super Smash Bros. Melee.
We’ve asked NetherRealm if its agreement with ESL will prevent a Mortal Kombat X at Evo 2015, and we’ll update this post with the company’s response.