Xbox Gets Dedicated App For Automated Gaming Tournaments

Competitive gaming platform FaceIt will soon be available as an Xbox app for users around the world. The platform currently has four million players on PC, where it regularly hosts automated tournaments and ladders for players to compete in. The Xbox app will integrate with existing FaceIt accounts and provide a way for players to connect to the esports organisation's tournaments on Xbox One, as well as stay up to date with tournament details on other platforms.

The Xbox FaceIt app will launch with support for Killer Instinct and Smite. It will act as an extension of the FaceIt ecosystem, which can already be accessed on PC and mobile. According to FaceIt CEO Niccolo Maisto, one of the app's key features is its ability to handle the logistics of tournament organisation automatically.

"We make it easy for game developers to integrate it with the platform to make sure they can offer better competitive experience on their game," Maisto told GameSpot in an interview. FaceIt hopes to serve the needs of smaller communities through its automated tournament system.

"When I say make it easy for example, as a platform, we take care of everything. From creating a competition to getting players into the competition, confirming who's playing, getting them into the right match at the right time, getting them back into a tournament, and playing the next match. All of this is automated; we take care of all of this as a platform. All statistics are gathered automatically. Matches are configured on the game developer's multiplayer infrastructure automatically."

Tournaments will be highlighted in the app according to a user's location, friends list, which players they follow, and other factors. According to Maisto, the events shown to a user are chosen based on whether they are "most likely to be engaged." Users can use the app to view a tournament's information such as who is organising the event, prizes, participants, and the player bracket.

Results are automatically saved, and once a player has completed their tournament match, they will be returned to the FaceIt app, where they are able to see when their next match takes place.

Outside of its competitive gaming capabilities, Maisto stated that the Xbox FaceIt app could also be used as a discovery tool for players looking for gaming communities that suited them.

"It's not just to play competitions, but to access competitive atmosphere. A place with like-minded players who want to take it seriously, that are somehow a part of the same community as you," he said.

Microsoft first announced the Xbox Live Tournaments Program at the Game Developers Conference this year. Part of the program includes this partnership with FaceIt, as well as the Electronic Sports League. FaceIt plans to expand the app's repertoire to include other games.