Mentioned in this article
- Upcoming shooter Gears 5 will have an esports initiative created in partnership between developer The Coalition and tournament organizer PGL.
- The 2019-20 season will feature an online Pro League for three regions, as well as three international major tournaments and a World Championship.
- Gears of War 4 has awarded more than $3M USD to date in tournament prizing.
Gears of War series developer The Coalition 
has partnered with Romanian tournament organizer PGL to put on the 2019-20 esports season for the upcoming third-person shooter sequel, Gears 5 .
The Gears 5 esports initiative will include multiple facets, including an online Pro League, amateur tournaments, international major championships, and World Championship to conclude the season. The 2019-20 season will begin in September alongside the game’s release.
Top teams from North America, Central America, and Europe can qualify for an online Gears 5 Pro League, with all Pro League teams provided travel to major tournaments. Teams that are not part of the Pro League can participate in weekly online tournaments to earn prizing and climb the competitive ladder, with an opportunity to play the weakest Pro League teams and try to claim their spots.
Gears 5 has also added the South America and Asia Pacific regions for international competitions, with top teams from all regions provided travel to those events by PGL. Those regions will not have a Pro League presence. The 2019-20 season will include three international majors ahead of the Gears 5 World Championship. Prizing details have not been announced.
Related Article: ELEAGUE, Xbox Partner for Gears 5 Docu-Series, Trailer Reveal
The series’ previous game, 2016’s Gears of War 4 , has awarded more than $3M to date in prizing, according to Esports Earnings—including $500K thus far in 2019. OpTic Gaming has been the most dominant team in the esport, claiming more than $1.1M of that tally, although the roster was recently released in the wake of OpTic parent Infinite Esports & Entertainment’s acquisition by Immortals Gaming Club.
Gears 5 will release on Sept. 10 for Xbox One and PC. This past weekend, the ELEAGUE Gears Summer Series Invitational saw eight of the world’s top Gears of War squads compete in Gears 5. Turner and IMG’s esports brand will continue its “ELEAGUE Gears Summer Series: The Bonds and Betrayals of Brotherhood” docu-series with a new episode airing on TBS on July 26.
