Australian esports promoter has announced the Elite Series – Australia’s first city-based esports competition – will commence in May, with gaming peripheral brand Logitech signing on as a major partner for the competition.
Following the completion of the inaugural Challenger Series, which began in April, the league is preparing for the first Elite Draft, which will see aspiring esports athletes selected by one of six Australian city-based teams before the Elite Series commences next month.
The competition will feature three of the biggest games in esports, with the six franchises each fielding a Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO), Street Fighter V and Rocket League team. The franchises will face off across seven weeks of competition, with an Australian record $400,000 (AUD) prize money on offer.
The Gfinity Elite Series is currently in its third season in the UK. In the first season, 30 players were drafted by Elite Series teams and half of the Rocket League finalists actually came through the draft via the Challenger Series.
The news follows an exciting few months of developments for the competition, including the announcement of its first two teams in late February, as well as the reveal of plans to build dedicated esports venues across the country in a partnership with Hoyts.
While the specific peripherals Logitech will provide were not specified, it is likely the Swiss company will outfit the Elite Series competitors with the full suite keyboards, mice and mousepads, while headsets will likely be provided by through recently-acquired gaming headset brand Astro – formerly a subsidiary of Skullcandy.
The news comes a few months after Gfinity announced Alienware, the gaming division of Dell, would present the Elite Series and provide the computers necessary for competition.
Dominic Remond, CEO of Gfinity Australia and former Sydney Sixers CEO, said he was “extremely pleased” to have Logitech join for the inaugural season, saying both Logitech and Astro were “synonymous with top tier gaming.”
The partnership would help “the Gfinity Elite Series Australia broaden the audience of esports fans in Australia, as well as creating new heights for esports entertainment,” he said.
Damian Lepore, Managing Director of Logitech Australia and New Zealand, said the Gfinity Elite Series was “exactly what is needed to take Australian professional gamers to the next level.”
“We have been working with professional players over the past few years, whilst developing sophisticated and innovative pro products and are excited to back this world class championship,” he said.
Note: Gfinity Australia is a joint venture with HT&E Events. The Roar is published by Conversant Media, which is owned by HT&E.
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