Melco Resorts & Entertainment will host a three-day eSports event at Macau’s City of Dreams from Thursday, with a total of 50 competitors set to take part in the “GBA Sim Racing Grand Prix (SRGP) 2020 Grand Final.”
The event, a collaboration with CCTV, represent the culmination of a competition launched in October with online and satellite tournaments that saw more than 15,000 players take part in Jiangmen, Guangzhou and Zhuhai, Hong Kong and Macau. Melco said viewership from those broadcasts was close to 60 million.
This week’s event will welcome 30 players from around the region to a semi-final on Thursday, followed by 20 local Macau players, each group fighting it out via 20 minutes of free practice, 20 minutes of qualifying and then a 40-minute race.
The top 16 competitors will be joined by two qualifiers from Hong Kong for the Grand Final on Sunday where they will compete in a head-to-head simulator race on the “Macau Guia Circuit” – home to the annual Macau Grand Prix.
“eSports has developed to become an attractive contemporary entertainment option, and Melco is delighted to bring this emerging new generation sport and entertainment experience to Macau,” the company said.
“As a global leader in integrated resorts, Melco is fully supportive of the Macau SAR Government’s initiatives to promote diversification, and to further elevate the city as a multifaceted tourist destination. Melco is dedicated to developing local talent in eSports industry – paving the path for Macau’s local players to participate in national tournaments.”
The event is supported by Macau Sports Bureau and Guangdong Provincial Sports Bureau, directed by Guangdong Provincial Social Sports Center and organized by Guangdong Automobile and Motor Sports Federation, co-organized by L&L Sailing Up Sports.