Farming Simulator is getting an official esports league
Farming Simulator is about to get a lot more serious.
On the The game’s publisher announced on the series’ official website its plans to expand into the realm of esports with the Farming Simulator League. Consisting of a 10-tournament circuit, the FSL will pit teams against one another in events across Europe with 250,000 euros in prizes on the line.
While this news might catch some by surprise, it’s not an altogether unexpected development.
Despite being regarded as a more casual game by many, Farming Simulator is incredibly popular in some parts of Europe. Last year, GIANTS held a number of competitive events at farming and gaming expos with positive results. Expanding alongside the broader growth of esports makes sense according to the company CEO Christian Ammann.
"Competitive farming is something people enjoy for years now, but it hasn’t been done in esports so far,” Ammann said in a statement. “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."
Though the normal Farming Simulator experience involves juggling a number of duties, the competitive scene’s focus is much narrower. During last year’s Farming Simulator Championship events, three-player teams raced to bale hay, and load it onto a trailer as quickly as possible. Per the release, the Farming Simulator League will go in a different direction than these previous events, but odds are it will be a similarly streamlined format.
It is unclear when exactly the inaugural FSL season will begin. According to the Esports Observer, there will be events held at Gamescom in Germany and Paris Games Week. No major esports organizations are currently confirmed to participate in the league, but a number of notable sponsors including Intel and Logitech have already thrown their support behind the FSL.
Will other states allow esports betting?
Riot Games debuts new League of Legends esports branding
USA Basketball to stream FIBA World Cup, Olympics on Twitch
ESPN launching its own esports events series EXP, starts with Apex
Blizzard ends esports support for Heroes of the Storm
Soldier: 76 is in focus in latest Overwatch short story
The Year of the Pig comes to Overwatch
Millions of Fortnite accounts exposed
Armor and tanks nerfed in latest Overwatch patch
Dendi might have found a new home at Tigers
Liquid do the impossible, defeat Astralis in tournament final
Overwatch patch adds spectator features, new OWL skins
Illness rocks players at Chongqing Major
Pro League team to train at one of Europe's biggest stadiums
J.Storm and Fear off to rocky start in Chongqing
Miracle out in Chongqing for Team Liquid
EHOME heads to Chongqing Major after Bucharest win
Former Digital Chaos organization returns to Dota 2
Latest edition of True Sight relives the epic TI8 final