Respawn announce $500,000 Apex Legends preseason invitational tournament
Electronic Arts and Respawn Entertainment have announced that a they will be hosting a $500,000 preseason invitational tournament for Apex Legends in September, ahead of the Season 3 launch.
The event will feature 80 of the world’s best Apex Legends teams, who will make the trip to Kraków, Poland for the event on September 13-15.
Teams will play in a double-elimination bracket, with the hopes of grabbing their share of the half-a-million prize pool.
It is Respawn’s first major offline esports event for Apex Legends, following the success of smaller scale invitational tournaments such as the Twitch Rivals events.
How to play in Apex Legends preseason invitational
If you want to have a chance at competing for the massive prize pool, hopeful teams will need to apply by emailing ApexLegendsPreseason@ea.com and including their Origin ID and associated email address.
EA and Respawn will then select the invitees for the tournament, but the criteria for selection is unclear currently.
Respawn wants to take Apex Legends esports to the next level.The event will also be open to spectators who want to make the trip to Krakow to see the tournament go down.
Todd Sitrin, SVP and GM of the EA Competitive Gaming Division explained that they have “a vision to make stars of all our players as we build an entertainment spectacle that captivates millions of players and spectators.
“Today we officially expand EA Competitive Gaming through the addition of Apex Legends, owner of one of the biggest game launches in history” Sitrin continues, “The Apex Legends Preseason Invitational is the key next step in our esports journey.”
The event will presumably also act as build-up to the third season in the popular battle royale, which expected to bring a scary theme – in time for Halloween.
Apex Legends Preseason Invitational rules
The tournament will be played on PC, and you must be over 16 to take part. Competitors from Japan must be 17, and competitors from Germany, Russia or South Korea must be 18 years old. Any players under the age of 18 must have a guardian accompany them to the event.
The full rules and eligibility guidelines for the Preseason Invitational can be found here.
Each team’s 3 man roster must be confirmed by 11:59:59 PM PT on September 2, 2019, when rosters will be locked.