Namco, Twitch tag team Tekken tournament
Streaming service continues push into eSports with multi-year deal to manage and broadcast Tekken 7 league
Twitch is expanding its footprint in the world of eSports, today announcing a multi-year partnership with Bandai Namco that will see the streaming service manage the Tekken World Tour competitive gaming league for Tekken 7 as well as being its exclusive broadcast platform.
"Our partnership with Bandai Namco Entertainment America for this new tournament series will help keep fighting games at the forefront of eSports, while building toward a sustainable ecosystem for all of the players, fans, and organizers involved," said Twitch program manager Richard Thiher.
Twitch will host the competitions at partnered events, beginning with the CEO Fighting Game Championships in Orlando, FL June 16-18. The inaugural season will run through November, with future competitions will take place in Orange, CA and Dallas, TX. The total prize pool for the Tekken World Tour is $200,000.
This is the second such eSports endeavor for Twitch. The first one was the Rocket League Championship Series, established last year in conjunction with Psyonix. The first RLCS had a $75,000 prize pool. Next month will see the RLCS Season Three World Championships take place in Los Angeles, with competitors dividing a $300,000 prize pool.