Daybreak Games, the creator of H1Z1 has partnered with Twin Galaxies to establish a new H1Z1 Pro League Division. Ultimately, the aim of the league is to create a sustainable ecosystem in partnership with teams for the benefit of H1Z1 players, viewers and partners.
The League will launch its inaugural season in 2018, and will include minimum salary (around $50,000 subject to governance discussion), team owner and player representation on the governance committee as well as a “Player Bill of Rights” and a revenue-sharing model for those involved.
The Pro League will see 15 teams compete over the course of two 10-week splits, leading up to the Championship in late 2018. As aforementioned, a Governance Committee will oversee the league, including representatives from Daybreak, Twin Galaxies, team organisations and players. There shall be no buy-ins or costs for teams to enter the league, but the teams will be selected through an application process to take place towards the tail-end of 2017.
The teams set to compete will be announced in 2018, and those that are interested are able to attend a private briefing that will take place at TwitchCon on Friday, October 20th.
“H1Z1 burst on to the esports scene with its first Battle Royale tournament over two years ago and has continued to serve the community with events like the H1Z1 Invitational, Elites Series at DreamHack and the primetime broadcast of Fight for The Crown on The CW Network. Our goal with the H1Z1 Pro League is to create a world-class experience worthy of our incredibly competitive community,” said Anthony Castoro, H1Z1 General Manager at Daybreak Games. “We chose to partner with Twin Galaxies because they bring a unique and compelling vision for how H1Z1 can reshape the world of professional esports, and they share our core value of putting players first.”
“Twin Galaxies’ Pro League Division’s mission is to create, govern and operate best-in-class esports leagues, tournaments and special events in a true partnership with leading game publishers,” said Stratton Sclavos, Board Member at Twin Galaxies and a Partner at Vision Venture Partners. “Daybreak’s leadership in bringing the Battle Royale format to esports creates a tremendous opportunity to elevate this amazing category into the next true professional esport ecosystem. As the Managing General Partner of the San Jose Sharks professional hockey team from 2011-2015, I’m well aware of the benefits of raising the profile of the players, establishing economic incentives for all constituents and delighting the fan base with compelling content. H1Z1 Pro League will be maniacally focused on those goals.”
It’s certainly a big move from H1Z1 as they look to regain arguably lost momentum following the ridiculous numbers that Battle Royale competitor PUBG continues to bring in. There remains a big crossover between many H1Z1 players and PUBG players, and should these people not be convinced of PUBG’s sustainability, they may well be tempted to be involved in the Pro League.
With the salary base believed to stand at a whopping $50,000 (depending on governance discussions) it’s certainly no small investment for a team, and equally not a bad salary for a player at all. It will definitely be interesting to see just how many teams go for a spot in the latest league that has popped up.
Esports Insider says: Big, big moves from H1Z1, Daybreak and Twin Galaxies. We may well see a resurgent H1 scene with this news, as those that made hopped over to rival PUBG may well be booting up a different game tonight with this kind of money being wafted around.