CS:GO and LoL Esports Tournaments to be Broadcast in Virtual Reality

Thanks to a new partnership between ESL and SLIVER.tv, the upcoming Oakland Intel Extreme Masters Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and League of Legends tournaments will be broadcast in virtual reality for the first time.

The VR broadcast will include live statistics and viewing options integrated into the stream, allowing VR spectators to view each round from the normal floating camera, and from the perspective of players simultaneously. Statistics such as KDAs (kills, deaths, assists), an event timeline (bomb plants/defuses, kills, team fights, etc.), and other key moments are seamlessly included in the VR broadcast.

“We’re thrilled to work with ESL to showcase our VRLiveStats technology,” said Mitch Liu, co-founder and CEO of SLIVER.tv. “Our vision is to transform the eSports spectator landscape forever, and incorporating augmented live stats into our VR 360 live-streams of CS:GO and LoL is a big step towards this vision. Fans around the world can now access valuable game stats and information in real-time, all within a natural, immersive VR experience.”

Take a look at the 2D video above to get a feel for how the integration works, or click here to see a 360 example that you can pan with your mouse (Chrome/Firefox browsers, or VR-mode with Google Cardboard only).

Back in May, ESL announced the creation of the World Esports Association (WESA), in an attempt to clean up corruption in esports.

Check out the interview we held at the time with ESL chief executive Ralf Reichert and WESA interim commissioner Pietro Fringuelli on how the seemingly flawed system was intended to work.