Next year’s Omni Arena esports series has received a cash boost to its prize fund taking it up to US$100,000 and making it the largest VR esports competition to date.
Virtuix, developer of the Omni Arena attraction, announced the increase, which has doubled the previous prize pool of $50,000. In addition to cash prizes, winning teams will receive a HP Reverb virtual reality headset.
“Our 2019 esports contests exceeded all expectations,” said Jan Goetgeluk, founder and CEO of Virtuix. “More than 1,000 players in over a dozen countries participated. Given the success of the series, we are thrilled to double our prize pool for 2020.”
Omni Arena is a virtual reality esports attraction featuring four Omni motion platforms that enable players to run around physically inside popular video games like first-person shooters. In Omni Arena’s weekly and monthly contests, four-player teams battle for the top spot on global leaderboards.
“The physical engagement of the Omni combined with competitive, multiplayer gaming is a winning formula for location-based entertainment that results in high repeat play,” Goetgeluk continued. “A $100,000 prize pool attracts gamers who play again and again. Our core players come back to compete every week.
“We are excited to participate in the Omni Arena esports contest series,” said Joanna Popper, HP’s global head of virtual reality for location-based entertainment. “Virtuix has built a competitive gaming experience that requires both video gaming skills and physical fitness.
“Such active esports offer a unique way for entertainment venues to reach a new audience of gamers, build a community of frequent players and showcase the groundbreaking technology that HP is known for.”
