PUBG Mobile players who find themselves frequently consuming chicken dinners may want to consider entering in one of the qualifiers for 2018’s inaugural Star Challenge, wherein a total prize pool of $600,000, among other benefits, is at stake. The contest will begin with regional qualifiers in six areas, including North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Korea/Japan, and China. Players will start out in teams, but by the end of it all, only one player will take home the $200,000 grand prize. That same player will get a sponsorship deal and essentially become the face of PUBG Mobile worldwide.
Teams of four must register together, and at least one person on the team must already have 1,000 or more fans on a streaming platform such as Twitch or YouTube. Registered teams must play 15 consecutive matches together in order to earn a ranking, and up to 40 qualifying teams will be chosen to advance. As a side note, that number goes up to 60 in the Asia region. Additionally, Japan and Korea will have their own registration pages and processes. At the regional finals level, teams will be split up, and the top finalist for each region will become that region’s official streamer and receive $20,000. The runners-up will receive $15,000 and $10,000. Globally, the champion will get $200,000 and a content creation sponsorship deal, while the runners-up will get $100,000 and $50,000.
Game creators holding their own eSports leagues is far from unheard of, but this marks the first such move for PUBG. The popular battle royale game will be broadcast worldwide during this tournament, one of the largest and costliest ever held for a single mobile game. Mobile gamers who are interested in eSports but can’t quite find their bearings in PUBG can also give Vainglory a try, as well as Guns of Boom, Arena of Valor, Hearthstone, Clash Royale and a few other titles. PUBG competitor Fortnite is also a lucrative game, but competition is already quite fierce, and top mobile OEM Samsung has taken a clear stand behind top Fortnite streamer Ninja, making him and the players directly below him a real obstacle to anybody hoping to make a name playing Fortnite. PUBG, meanwhile, is ripe for the picking, thus the launch of this challenge.