- CEO Florian Haasper presented details about the new VCO top class from 2022 at the ADAC SimRacing Expo at the Nürburgring.
- Invitational tournament ERWC I will open the new Esports Racing League (ERL) on three sim platforms with 30 teams.
- More than 100,000 US dollars up for grabs in the ERWC and in the ERL.
Munich – The Virtual Competition Organisation (VCO) announced its plans for a new top class in international Esports racing on Saturday. CEO Florian Haasper introduced the new Esports Racing League (ERL) at the ADAC SimRacing Expo. Starting in 2022, this is to be hosted on the three sim platforms iRacing, Assetto Corsa Competizione and rFactor 2. The Esports Racing World Cup (ERWC), announced in spring by the VCO, will be the highlight of the season. Initially, 30 teams will be invited to battle for 50,000 US dollars and the title of ‘Best Esports racing team in the World’, from 28th to 30th January 2022. The same sum of prize money will then be on offer throughout the rest of the ERL season. RaceSpot TV and ‘The Sim Grid’ will support the project as key partners.
“Today, we are taking the next step in our mission with the VCO to continuously develop Esports racing and make it even more exciting for the fans,” said Haasper on the main stage at the ADAC SimRacing Expo. “The ERL and the ERWC highlight event will give the new season a sound structure at a very early stage. Teams from all over the world will be invited to compete on three sim racing platforms. There is not too much work involved for the drivers, and we are offering some attractive prize money – as well as hopefully giving the community a fascinating show. More speed, more thrills, more Esports – that’s what ERWC and ERL are about. We view this as the new top class, rounding off our wide-ranging involvement – from partnerships with community events and collaborations with well-known real-life championships all the way to the successful VCO ProSIM SERIES – in spectacular fashion. We have a unique Esports programme in place for 2022.”
At the end of January, ERWC I will be the opening event for the new VCO season structure. Across three days, 30 teams will compete on the ACC, rFactor 2 and iRacing platforms. Three drivers on each platform will be sporting the colours of their teams. They will all drive identical virtual cars, with a uniform setup. At the end of each day, the winning teams will be decided in a thrilling finale featuring the two strongest teams. Whoever is in first place after the last platform finale on Sunday will be the winning team in the first Esports Racing World Cup. In the medium term, the ERWC is to take place as a multi-day offline event – as announced by the VCO at the end of March, however ERWC I is designed to be a purely online event due to the continuously difficult planning situation for international events in the pandemic.
After a brief break in February, the ERL will get up to speed in March 2022. The ‘ERL Spring Cup’ will take place over two months. After three regular events on ACC, rFactor 2 and iRacing, the ‘Spring Masters’ on ACC will complete the first Cup contest of the year for the 20 best-placed teams in the ERL standings. Two more cups will follow as the season progresses, rounded off with the ‘Summer Masters’ (rFactor 2) and the ‘Fall Masters’ (iRacing). After each Masters event, the teams in positions 26 to 30 in the overall standings face five challengers in the relegation play-offs. This relegation round will take place on the platform that will be used for the Masters in the forthcoming Cup competition. The ten best-placed teams overall after the Fall Cup will then battle for the Esports racing crown in ERWC II, from 3rd to 5th February 2023.
Haasper added: “Alongside the teams and their drivers, it is the fans who will be of paramount importance in the ERL. No race will last longer than 15 minutes. Between the races, we intend to provide entertaining analyses and real interaction with the community. Just like the ERWC, the ERL will be a kind of experiment. We are striking out in a new direction in many areas, and we are really looking forward to this.”
One of these new directions points towards cooperation with FundRazr. The crowdfunding platform from Canada gives Esports racing fans the opportunity to top up the prize money pot for ERWC I, adding to the 50,000 US dollars already confirmed. “VCO’s Esports Racing World Cup is an exciting, high performance, innovative competition where entertainment fueled by crowdfunding will propel sim racing to the next level,” said Daryl Hatton, CEO of FundRazr. “We are very excited to be selected to power VCO’s crowdfunding strategy. Together, we want to demonstrate that crowdfunding is a performance booster for helping fans actively participate in funding esports projects and significantly contribute to the growth of the industry.” The proven FundRazr platform has chalked up significant wins helping 200,000 projects raise over $200M online in 40+ countries.
Overview of all dates and prize money in the ERWC and ERL
28th-30th January 2022: ERWC I (ACC, rFactor 2, iRacing) – 50,000 USD
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9th March 2022: ERL Spring Cup, Rd. 1 (ACC) – 2,500 USD
23rd March 2022: ERL Spring Cup, Rd. 2 (rFactor 2) – 2,500 USD
6th April 2022: ERL Spring Cup, Rd. 3 (iRacing) – 2,500 USD
20th April 2022: ERL Spring Masters (ACC) – 10,000 USD
27th April 2022: ERL Spring Cup Relegation (rFactor 2)
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15th June 2022: ERL Summer Cup, Rd. 1 (rFactor 2) – 2,500 USD
29th June 2022: ERL Summer Cup, Rd. 2 (iRacing) – 2,500 USD
13th July 2022: ERL Summer Cup, Rd. 3 (ACC) – 2,500 USD
27th July 2022: ERL Summer Masters (rFactor 2) – 10,000 USD
3rd August 2022: ERL Summer Cup Relegation (iRacing)
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14th September 2022: ERL Fall Cup, Rd. 1 (iRacing) – 2,500 USD
28th September 2022: ERL Fall Cup, Rd. 2 (ACC) – 2,500 USD
12th October 2022: ERL Fall Cup, Rd. 3 (rFactor 2) – 2,500 USD
26th October 2022: ERL Fall Masters (iRacing) – 10,000 USD
2nd November 2022: ERL Fall Cup Relegation (ACC)
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3rd-5th February 2023 : ERWC II (ACC, rFactor 2, iRacing) – 50,000 USD
About VCO
Virtual Competition Organisation (VCO) brings together different stakeholders in Esports, from simulation or gaming platforms and interested partners to active teams, drivers and the community. In a rapidly growing sector, VCO stands for professionalism, focus and a broad media presence. With its international network, VCO provides solutions for the best possible conception and implementation of Esports projects of all kinds.
Contact for Media Requests
Alexander Mey
Phone: +49 (0)89 45 23 50 91 03
mey@vco-esports.com
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