Major League Gaming (MLG) announced Monday that professional video gamers from the MLG circuit will be competing in the upcoming ESPN X Games.
The competition will be held from June 6-8 in Austin, Texas, according to USA Today. The three-day tournament will feature eight of MLG's best Call of Duty teams, including the top three finishers from the Call of Duty Championship - EnVyUs, CompLexity and OpTic Gaming - and the top five teams on the league's rankings.
The competitions will be included in the ABC and ESPN broadcasts.
"X Games is thrilled to include Major League Gaming into the overall content mix," Tim Reed, senior director of content and events for ESPN X Games, said in an email. "Gaming, sports, music and interactive are a huge part of youth culture, and the inclusion of Major League Gaming is a perfect fit to the X Games events and brand. The MLG X Games Invitational will bring new fans and audience to the festival and we are looking forward to hosting everyone in Austin."
Winners from the invitational will receive real X Games medals, PC Magazine reported.
"The popularity of competitive gaming and the MLG Pro Circuit is at an all-time high with millions watching the best gamers compete each month on MLG.tv," said Don Reilley, executive vice president of sales for MLG. "This collaboration with X Games will help further bring MLG to the mainstream while we provide advertisers with quality exposure and deep engagement with our fan base on MLG.tv across all platforms."
Gaming will join other X Games events such as BMX, skateboarding, rally driving and Motor X.
Tickets to the ESPN X Games are now available at Ticketmaster. Basic X Games Experience tickets cost $89 and include access to MLG's tent.
A limited 3-Day Major League Gaming Premium Upgrade package, which costs $189, is also available, USA Today reported.
The package includes a behind-the-scenes tour, meet and greets with top Call of Duty players, gaming gear, a gift bag with MLG merchandise and other awards.
