Warface as an esport
Warface as an Esport
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And how can we do without the feeling of «belonging to something big,» which we have discussed in the dedicated Warface materials? Yes, the game is truly massive. Currently, the active player community of the shooter counts over 50 million people worldwide. And this number is growing every day. Various events contribute significantly to this growth. The WARFEST event, mentioned earlier, was so grandiose that its echoes can still be heard—around 10,000 people attended the event. There was a tournament (the broadcasts of which gathered over 2.5 million views), plenty of entertaining activities like parkour lessons or airsoft battles, and numerous famous guests—prominent figures such as Basta, Noize MC, and Neiromonakh Feofan attended the festival. Many people who were previously not interested in the game joined the community after such a grand event. And how could they not? Warface is still a very young discipline. There are no «superstars» here who attend championships based on direct invites earned from past achievements. Here everything is fair; all players are on equal footing. Yes, with the growth of the discipline, more well-known teams are emerging. But to be completely honest, the «Warface stars» are not shining very brightly yet. And there are plenty of spots available. So, if you dream of entering the esports scene, seize the moment and jump on board while you still have the chance. Warface is excellent for aspiring esports athletes: it is simple and easy to understand, and in this online shooter, it is easy to transition from an amateur to a pro player. Unlike with a game like Counter-Strike, you don’t have to spend years sitting in internet cafes and participating in small local competitions until a somewhat notable brand notices you and invites you to your first real team. In Warface, as unusual as it may sound, you can have it all at once.
While in Warface, there are real examples of previously unknown teams making a name for themselves simply by showing excellent gameplay. For example, in the 2016 winter tournament Warface Open Cup, the guys from the «Kovarnye» clan not only made it to the LAN final almost from scratch through qualifiers but also defeated the already well-established strong team Rocket in the semifinals. By the way, this community is not as «toxic» as in most free-to-play projects. Contrary to the well-known stereotype, the Warface audience is not what it used to be. The scourge of gaming—angry school kids—has long moved on to other hyped games. Warface players actively engage in social media and in the comment sections of popular streamers, offering each other useful advice, sharing gaming experiences, and arranging training matches. In general, they behave more than civilized. Of course, there are still some unreasonable individuals, but that’s life. However, compared to the communities of games like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Dota 2, or, God forbid, League of Legends—things are going pretty well in the Warface gaming community, which is something to be happy about.
But it’s not just about tournaments. Professional and media Warface teams have other ways to earn decent money. In-game emblems and patches with Pro League symbols are in high demand and are also sold for real money. And surprise! About 30% of the earnings from each such sale goes into the «team pocket.» Pure profit! And again, another reason to improve your gaming skills, strive for the top, and carve out a «place in the sun» for yourself. Despite its apparent simplicity, every year the online shooter reaches new heights, both in terms of the number of active players and the scale of offline events associated with it. In August, the WARFEST festival took place, with the first tournament held within it boasting a record prize pool for local Warface competitions—almost 10 million rubles. And in late September, the twelfth season of the Warface Open Cup kicked off, finally becoming international. At the winter LAN final, teams from Russia, CIS countries, Europe, and both Americas will compete against each other for the first time. In short, opinions about the Crytek online shooter may vary, but denying its esports potential and growing opportunities for players who want to try their hand at esports is simply unwise. We have decided to explore why now is the time to pay attention to this discipline if you are so eager to get into esports.
Esports is an interesting beast. Many aspire to become the new star of computer battles, but only a chosen few have the strength and time. Young men and women who excel at their favorite games travel the world and rake in «millions of dollars.» How can one not be flattered by that? Any player can assemble a team of like-minded individuals, register it, and burst into the world of major official tournaments. You can start with Fast Cup or the qualifying tournaments Challenge Cup, for which you need to be at level 26, and based on your performance, your new team can advance to one of the local «elite» leagues—Masters League and Pro League. And then, as they say, all doors are open.
But there is a catch: esports is big, and you are small. It has firmly integrated into our lives alongside professional sports, and anything starting with the prefix «pro-» is very unwelcoming to new faces. All spots are taken by older, more experienced, and «quicker» people. But there’s no need to despair. The number of disciplines is growing every day. And some of them are perfect for talented and ambitious folks who want to take their first steps in esports. For example, Warface.
Recently, tournaments have been introduced in Warface where prize pools are collected with the help of the gaming community. Have you heard of the «Compendium» in Dota 2? Something similar is happening here: during the event, an interactive collection with global collective and personal tasks is created. Users contribute a symbolic amount to gain access to it, and a portion of this amount goes into the prize pool of the LAN final of the competition.
By the way, the prospects for newcomers in Warface are quite promising as well. What are we talking about? Well, since we have already compared Warface to Counter-Strike, which is quite similar in spirit, let’s draw a parallel again. In professional scenes like CS:GO, newcomers are not well-received. Nobody invited them, and frankly, there is no place for them there. The same «senior» folks have been attending international tournaments in this discipline for years, and unlike, say, football players, they are in no rush to retire. So, they naturally have to be «pushed.» And doing that is not easy—these guys and girls honed their skills for years. What’s equally important is that they are media-friendly. Their faces sell products well, so some «old-timers» are artificially kept at the top by brands. So, you’ve jumped in. What’s next? The most interesting part, that’s what. Tournaments. And in Warface, everything is going well with them. The game’s creators actively promote the esports aspect of their project, sparing no expense. Therefore, all events dedicated to Warface are no less impressive than tournaments in more «canonical» disciplines. And money is in circulation. Serious money. In the spring of this year, the eleventh championship of the Warface Open Cup series took place, with 2 million rubles at stake. To give you an idea of the discipline’s growth rate, let’s mention that the prize pool of the first tournament in the series in 2013 was 300,000 rubles—six times in four years! But this sum is far from the limit: the prize pool of the «Atlas of War» tournament, which took place as part of the August festival WARFEST, exceeded 9.6 million rubles. In total, over 20 million rubles have been awarded in official Warface tournaments to date. Impressive, right?
Say what you will, but Warface is an excellent opportunity to immerse yourself in the constantly evolving world of esports. The game truly encourages newcomers and provides them with the opportunity to make a name for themselves on the professional stage. The creators are clearly committed to further developing their project, and so far, they are doing a good job. At this rate, global competitions will soon be regularly held around Warface (the kickoff has already been made in the new season of the now international Warface Open Cup) with huge prize pools, placing the game on par with the largest global disciplines.