A full-fledged eSports league with 10 tournaments across Europe has been launched for the popular video game Farming Simulator.
The best teams will compete for the title of the Farming Simulator Champion and 100,000 euros (£86,000) in prizes.
Farming Simulator is a simulation video game series developed by Swiss developer Giants Software, with the locations based on American and European environments.
Players are able to farm, breed livestock, grow crops and sell assets created from farming. The series has sold over fifteen million copies combined.
Every single tournament will not only grant circuit points for the best teams, but also wield big prizes, bringing the total prize pool for the season up to a total of 250,000 euros (£216,000).
Christian Ammann, CEO of Giants Software, said: “We have a unique opportunity. Competitive farming is something people enjoy for years now, but it hasn’t been done in eSports so far.
“We have lots of eSports enthusiasts in our company who can’t wait to show the world that farming can indeed be fun and competitive at the same time. We believe we found the right mix of real farming and fun to play game elements to ensure everyone will find it entertaining.”
The game itself is changing as well. Not only will the new league be held in the brand new Farming Simulator 19, but it will also move from bale stacking to a competitive 3 vs 3 mode where teams challenge each other to determine who is the best on the field.
The game will stand true to its roots in farming and combine real field work, like harvesting with challenging game elements.
