ESL, AT&T Launch Mobile Esports League

ESL Mobile Open will feature Asphalt 9: Legends, Clash of Clans, and PUBG MOBILE

ESL and AT&T are launching the ESL Mobile Open, a U.S.-based mobile-esports league. The inaugural season will feature competition in three titles — Asphalt 9: Legends, Clash of Clans, and PUBG MOBILE — with an annual prize pool of $330,000. The league will offer amateur players a chance to show off their skills via online competition and at major esports events, including Dreamhack Dallas, ESL One New York, and Dreamhack Atlanta.

The first year of the ESL Mobile Open will span three seasons, with the inaugural season launching March 18. Each season will comprise three phases, starting with Open Qualifier play allowing players of all skill levels to participate in four weeks of competition. Next, the field will be cut to the top 50% of the players, who move on to the Closed Qualifier stage. From that number, the field will be narrowed even further, with the best players featured in live broadcasts produced by ESL. Coming out of those matches, finalists will qualify for the inaugural finals to be held at DreamHack Dallas (May 31 – June 2).

“We believe that mobile will provide the opportunity to bring the next generation of esports enthusiasts into the fold,” says Yvette Martinez-Rea, CEO, ESL Gaming North America. “A first in the industry, ESL Mobile Open was developed to provide anyone with a phone access to compete at the highest levels with both established and emerging mobile esports titles. AT&T is a natural for this program with their commitment to innovation in esports and gaming and by promoting broad access for players of all types and levels.”

The announcement marks the most significant development to date to come from AT&T’s mobile-esports sponsorship deal with ESL, which began in June 2018.

“This is a perfect example of why we chose to work with ESL starting last year: they’re leaders in advancing the technology for esports players at all levels, in addition to delivering great tournament play for fans anywhere,” says Shiz Suzuki, AVP, sponsorships and experiential marketing, AT&T Communications. “Our sponsorship investments help us grow customer relationships by connecting with their passion for esports, and we’re looking forward to working with ESL to bring online mobile gameplay to our customers and any amateur gamers that want to get onboard with this new league.”

To register and play Clash of Clans and PUBG MOBILE, players can visit the ESL Mobile Open website and sign up through ESL Play today. For Asphalt 9: Legends, players can enter through the Daily Events tab in-game starting March 18.