For the VR esports enthusiasts in our midst, we’re pleased to share that Thirdverse is launching the inaugural season of X8 League, featuring a $10,000 prize pool and an eight-week season that will begin September 25. Thirdverse has partnered with Virtual Athletics League (VAL) to present the league.
About X8
X8 is a VR multiplayer hero shooter that released on May 18 through App Lab and Steam with customizable loadouts of weapons, armor, items and abilities, enabling players to build a team of heroes that can work well together when the action begins. Heroes each hold three special abilities and specific items that they can deploy in particular situations for an advantage that will hopefully allow them to penetrate enemy defenses during an attack. The team that eliminates all attackers or disrupt the deployment process to score the most points over the course of the 14-round game is declared the winner.
I had the opportunity to play X8 at GDC 2023 in March and it was fantastic. My immediate thought was what a great game it would make for leagues so it’s great to see the collaboration between VAL & Thirdverse.
League Basics
Players form their own teams and compete in a 5v5 demolition match each week to gain standing in the league ranking system. Matches are created on a skill-based matchmaking system (MMR) across the season that ensures more evenly-matched competition and engaging gameplay while also allowing for teams to play against different competitors as they improve throughout the season.
Each match is a best-of-3-maps encounter, which is generally a satisfying experience for teams that increases excitement for viewers as well. Seeing which teams can make a comeback is generally one of the most enjoyable aspects of watching VR esports.
Currently the X8 Preseason is taking place with a dozen teams, including some we’ve seen in other VR esports competitions, including Havoc, Vortex, Eternity, and REKT. If you’re interested in immersive gaming and desire multiplayer competitive fun, check out the preseason and then sign up for the full league starting on the 25th.
About VAL & Thirdverse
Virtual Athletics League has a history of adapting to the ever-evolving ecosystem of VR gaming and we’ve seen them persist through the growth of other leagues, a pandemic, closure of location-based entertainment centers (their initial focus), etc. After some reorganization, VAL has a revamped website and emphasizes their work with content creators across various social media platforms to market VR games. It’s a good fit that provides opportunities for VR esport enthusiasts to enjoy competitions such as the X8 League while giving developers a means to promote their competitive VR games.
Thirdverse is the company that brought us Swords of Gargantua, a VR sword-action arena-combat game released June 6, 2019, and Altair Breaker, a fun VR sword action game released August 18, 2022. This week Thirdverse also announced Soul Covenant, a VR tactical action title set to release in the first half of 2024. They’re consistently providing new, engaging content in the fast-action VR game genre.
Registration
X8 Social Media Links