Commanders!
World of Tanks competitive gaming has seen many forms, and of these the Wargaming.net League has always been king—the competitive scene of the highest level. Building it has been a labour of love for Wargaming and our competitive players. At the height of its success, the league was gloriously showcased at Grand Finals 2017, where players competed in front of an audience of 3.5 million viewers worldwide.
These accomplishments can never be erased and are a testament to the passion and skill of the best World of Tanks teams and players. We want to thank all the players and teams that made the WGL the historic series what it was, and are excited to be bringing you the next step in eSports for World of Tanks. With this success has come the gradual evolution of the League itself: small changes to the competitive format to ensure the best competition the game has to offer. These changes have taken the League to where it is today, and now it is time to take it to the next level.
To achieve this and ensure the rapid growth of the World of Tanks eSports audience and player base, we have begun designing a new format, one that will build on our past achievements and create new opportunities for our players. This new format will be the future of competition for World of Tanks and will eventually replace the Wargaming.net League.
The last event in the old format was the Final Battle, and the upcoming changes will usher in a new era for World of Tanks eSports.
So what’s next?
This change of format comes from our deep commitment to eSports and World of Tanks competition. We are working hard to create a new model that will fit our core game design and player experience while also effectively highlighting and showcasing top competitors.
As Head of Publishing Markus Schill has stated, “eSports and a competitive ecosystem is an integral part of our publishing plan for World of Tanks. We want the experiences we create to be the best fit for how our players play, what they want to see, and what they want to achieve. To support this, we will continue to invest in providing players with the chance to compete, showcase their skill at the game they love, and earn recognition for their passion.”
However, because we're still ironing out the details we don't want to spoil the surprise just yet. You can expect more information later; just know that we have set out to redefine what everyone thinks World of Tanks eSports is to make it even more enjoyable and accessible. While we polish the new eSports format, in-game tournaments will still continue to support the competitive nature of the game and its community.
Once again, thanks for all the support and effort you’ve put into World of Tanks eSports so far, and we look forward to bringing you the next competitive evolution in World of Tanks!
Stay tuned!