The X Games are a semi annual action sports event, held in the US during the Summer and Winter seasons. For 19 years, the Summer sports event has been the mecca for all things skateboarding, BMX, freestyle motocross, and in recent years, rally-car racing. The Winter X Games feature even more “extreme” sports, including snowboard and skiing races across a freestyle course (“Snowboarder X” and “Skier X“), freestyle snowmobile courses and a “best trick” competition. The bi-annual action sports festival is responsible for the popularity of such athletes as Tony Hawk, Shawn White, Dave Mirra and Matt Hoffman. The popularity of the events have led to worldwide competitions, with the additions of Winter X Games Europe and X Games Asia. As the competition traditionally gathers a younger audience, many of the X Games sponsors include soft-drinks (specifically Mountain Dew), bands, and of course video games.
For the first time in X Games history, video games themselves will be part of the extreme sports tournament. This year marks the first X Games Austin tournament, held on June 5-8 in Austin, TX. The Summer X Games have been held in Texas numerous times, as seven of the past tournaments have been held in the San Antonio Alamodome, but this event will be an exclusive Texas-dedicated yearly event. To usher in the occasion, MLG will be hosting an invitational tournament within X Games Austin. Over the course of the four-day action sports festival, the MLG X Games Invitiational will be home to eight professional gaming teams, going head-to-head in a Call of Duty: Ghosts tournament. The eight teams will include the three top-ranked finishers from the 2014 Call of Duty Championship (CompLesity, EnVyUs, OpTic Gaming), and the current top-five MLG Pro Points teams.
X Games Austin will be broadcast on ESPN this June, with the MLG X Games Invitational being shown of the MLG website and MLG.tv app. Those who wish to attend the event in person, a pass is available for $89, while the “MLG Premium Upgrade” runs for an additional $100. The upgraded pass includes a backstage pass, a meet-and-greet with the Ghosts teams, and a gift bag?
With the popularity of eSports on the rise, and now reaching “mainstream” coverage, do you think professional gaming is considered to be an actual “sport”? Leave your thoughts in the Comments section below!