Apex Legends' is getting its own e-sports tournament, according to Respawn

Respawn Entertainment launched its first battle royale shooter earlier this year. "Apex Legends" quickly became a hit among gamers who previously played other similar titles such as "PUBG" and "Fortnite." Even popular streamers such as Michael "Shroud" Grzesiek and Herschel "Dr DisRespect" Beahm IV have featured the game on their broadcasts. Starting with a roster of only eight heroes: Bangalore, Wraith, Caustic, Pathfinder, Bloodhound, Mirage, Gibraltar, and Lifeline, it eventually added three more down the line: Octane, Wattson and Crypto. Now, it has reached a new level of popularity and is finally getting an e-sports tournament of its own.

This marks the first officially sanctioned competition since the online team-based battle royale shooter launched in February. The organisers listed will be Respawn Entertainment alongside its mother company Electronic Arts. Production partners named are GLL and PGL. It will be called Apex Legends Global Series and will host 12 live events globally offering a total prize pool of $3 million. The Verge notes that it will finally peak with the Apex Legends Global Series Championship with a $1 million prize pool of its own.

The tournament will be open to any participants from the 60 countries listed by the organisers. Moreover, the regulations will even permit those who are not officially sponsored by an existing e-sports team. To be eligible to compete, players are required to join one of the several online qualifiers next year. The first event will reportedly launch on Saturday, January 25, 2020, with more dates to follow. Global Rankings based on how well each team does overall will take them one step closer to the Apex Legends Global Series.

Those who make it through the qualifying rounds can then proceed to regional and global matches. Top teams will be eligible to join one of the three majors and eventually fight their way through to the championship. "'Apex Legends' is one of the most impactful launches in videogame history and it possesses immense esports potential," said Respawn Entertainment competitive gaming commissioner John Nelson.

The developer was fist lauded for its futuristic combat shooter "Titanfall" and its sequel. The first installment was lacking a single-player campaign but featured enjoyable multiplayer gameplay. The sequel was likewise praised for the addition of an engaging story mode. "Apex Legends" is apparently set in the world as the aforementioned two games, but features battle royale mechanics.