Vodafone has paired with global esports company ESL to launch a global mobile 5G gaming competition.
The Vodafone 5G ESL Mobile Open will begin May 31, and will include what the companies are calling the world’s first grand final in a competitive international esports tournament to be played live over a 5G network. The competition will feature two mobile games, the arcade racer game “Asphalt 9: Legends,” and a multiplayer battle royale game called “PUBG MOBILE.”
The grand finals for both games will be played live on Vodafone’s 5G network in Milan, Italy, during the Milan Games Week in late September. Prizes for the competition include cash payouts and 5G devices.
Mobile gaming is emerging as one of the first monetizable use cases for 5G for carriers. The announcement comes after Vodafone recently touted a 5G mobile gaming demo using roaming networks.
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Vodafone said the tournament will provide “a major showcase of Vodafone’s high-speed, real-time 5G network for gaming.”
“The Vodafone 5G ESL Mobile Open is the perfect opportunity to show millions of gaming fans the potential of Vodafone’s real-time 5G network with low latency and ultra-high speeds enabling players to reach new levels of gaming performance on mobile devices anywhere,” said Ahmed Essam, Vodafone Group’s chief commercial officer, in a statement.