The largest esports tournament organizer in Europe ESL is getting into mobile esports. ESL announced the Vainglory Cup on May 5, a series of tournaments that culminate in a Final set for June.
Vainglory is a traditional MOBA that features two teams of three players each fighting for control of the “Halcyon Ford,” the game’s only map. The mobile-only MOBA that launched late last year for iOS and has wracked up a sizable following and some positive reviews.
The game’s main map features one single lane for turrets and minions, and a jungle that has “control points” for players to fight over. Each game ends when one team manages to overwhelm the other and destroy the Vain crystal. Currently, the game has 14 playable heroes.
The tournament is currently only open to players on the European server, but should serve as an excellent proof of concept for future tournaments. If it succeedes, Vainglory could get the full ESL treatment—recurring open and major tournaments for regions around the globe.
The Vainglory Cup will be streamed live from the ESL studio in Frankfurt, and will likely feature many popular European streamers of the game. As for now, the tournament is only open to iOS users and Android users in the Android opt-in beta.
This marks a first step into esports for Super Evil Megacorp, Vainglory’s developer. The team has much bigger plans when it comes to esports, however. “We’re at the very beginning of eSports on touch screens,” said Kristian Segerstrale, COO at Super Evil Megacorp, “and we’re excited to begin what will be a long journey.”
