[GameSpot] - Call Of Duty Mobile World Championship Event Returns With Its Biggest Prize Pool Ever

[343iBot]

Activision has announced that the Call of Duty: Mobile World Championship competitive gaming event is coming back this year with its biggest prize pool ever. Scheduled to take place beginning June 3, the tournament series features $2 million in its prize purse.

Not only is the amount of money in the prize pool doubled from $1 million last year, the total number of teams that can qualify is increased as well.

Anyone in the world can try out to compete in the event, which is sponsored by Sony. There will be regional tournaments that take place across multiple stages inside Call of Duty: Mobile itself. Players can take part in these tournaments, and others to be announced later, to fight for a spot in the finals. Today marks just the initial announcement of the tournament series; all the key details on the structure, format, and key dates will be shared later.

As part of Activision's partnership with Sony, the company's Xperia 1 III is being designated as the "official mobile device" of the tournament. It supports up to 120 FPS.

To learn more about the new edition of the World Championship, we spoke with Activision's mobile VP, Matt Lewis, who shared insight on a range of subjects. Regarding the big increase to the prize pool, Lewis said it's meant to attract more talent to participate.

"We want to reward our best players for competing at the highest level and continue shaping mobile esports and the way it is operated," he said. "The prize pool is one part of that; we think this gives more incentive for our massive global community more incentive to and engage with the game they love."

And regarding the expansion of the supported regions, Activision is now offering regional qualifiers in South Asia and the Middle East, along with mainland China. "We're going big with the Call of Duty: Mobile World Championship in 2021," Lewis said.

In other news, Call of Duty: Mobile is set to grow in a big way very soon, as Season 3: Tokyo Escape goes live on April 17 with new maps, modes, battle royale content, and more.

You're bringing back the Call of Duty Mobile World Championship this year. What are the main differences and improvements for this year’s event?

We're going big with the Call of Duty: Mobile World Championship in 2021. We are adding more regions based on engagement from last year. For example, South Asia & Middle East are now participating as a new broadcast region. We have highly engaged players there, so we want to make sure that fans have the opportunity to compete and view in the World Championship. Also, in mainland China Call of Duty: Mobile recently launched and they will join in at the finals for the first time. Last but not least, we've significantly increased the prize pool with more than $2 million up for grabs time around.

What kind of feedback did you get from the 2020 show and how are you applying it to the 2021 edition?

Last year, millions of players competed in our in-game qualifiers. This year, we wanted to up the rewards at each stage of the tournament to incentivize players to participate and progress in esports. For example, we collaborated with iFerg, BobbyPlays, and HawksNest, who are among some of the top Call of Duty: Mobile content creators to design unique in-game rewards that can be earned by playing in Stage 1 of the 2021 World Championship, and we think fans are going to love that. Additionally, we had fans from around the world tune in to our broadcasts, so we're making an effort to be as inclusive as possible by increasing the number of teams that can qualify globally.

"Tournaments like the Call of Duty: Mobile World Championship are appealing because they spotlight gameplay at the highest level." -- Lewis

What kind of opportunity do you see for competitive gaming tournaments like this to help grow the appeal of the Call of Duty franchise overall?

Call Of Duty: Mobile delivers fan-favorite maps, modes, weapons, and characters from across Call of Duty for the first time on mobile. When players jump in, they are getting the most beloved maps, competitive modes, and more across this storied franchise in one epic game. So, tournaments like the Call of Duty: Mobile World Championship are appealing because they spotlight gameplay at the highest level. When a team reaches the final, they are working to prove they’ve got what it takes to be the ultimate Call of Duty player--who doesn’t want those bragging rights?

Can you speak more about your partnership with Sony for the Call of Duty Mobile World Championship?

We are so excited to partner with Sony for the second year in a row. Having Sony as a game and World Championship 2021 partner allows us to team up together to offer players a great competitive device for our Championship and at the same time reach and engage with communities our players are part of.

In terms of the viewing experience for fans at home, what’s new and different exciting this year that fans can look forward to?

We're really excited to launch the official Call of Duty: Mobile Esports YouTube channel. Now, fans at home can join in on the excitement by watching their favorite players show off their skills.

$2 million is a huge prize pool and it’s up significantly from the $1 million prize pool from 2020. What drove the decision to offer more money this year and how do you think it will impact the tournament?

We want to reward our best players for competing at the highest level and continue shaping mobile esports and the way it is operated. The prize pool is one part of that; we think this gives more incentive for our massive global community more incentive to and engage with the game they love.

You've also just launched a new Call of Duty: Mobile Esports channel. Can you talk about what you're trying to achieve with this channel and what kind of content will be hosted there?

The brand new Call of Duty: Mobile Esports YouTube channel will become a content hub for the game's global competitive community. Producing tournament broadcasts, player spotlights, and insight from influential voices within the community will offer subscribers an in-depth look inside the competitive scene of Call of Duty: Mobile.

Anything else people should know?

The momentum worldwide for Call of Duty: Mobile has been fantastic, and we continue to see more new players in our game and existing players enjoying each new season on the back of a continual stream of modes, maps, items, and characters. So, for those that can’t wait for the Call of Duty: Mobile World Championship 2021 to start, the next Call of Duty: Mobile Season kicks off on April 16/ April 17. The official name is Call of Duty: Mobile’s Season 3: Tokyo Escape and it lets players slice and dice their way through this season’s new multiplayer mode, Swords & Stones, or battle it out on two new maps, Oasis and Coastal.

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