



[This unedited press release is made available courtesy of Gamasutra and its partnership with notable game PR-related resource GamesPress.]

Los Angeles, CA – February 10, 2015 – Today, ESL, the world’s largest esports company, is pleased to officially announce ESL Matchmaking, its white label development toolkit that will be featured in the upcoming anti-gravity racing game, Formula Fusion by R8 Games, dubbed by many as the spiritual successor to the blockbuster WipEout. UK-based indie developer R8 Games – comprised of team members with pedigrees that include many highly successful racing titles, including WipEout, the Colin McRae series, Midnight Club, Carmageddon and Auto Club Revolution – is set to release Formula Fusion on Windows PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in early 2016. Formula Fusion is the first video game announced to leverage ESL Matchmaking for its competitive-grade esports matchmaking multiplayer. “Indie development has grown in leaps and bounds, continuing to be an area of amazing video game innovation in terms of content, game play and overall creativity. ESL recognizes the potential of indie games and we believe the ESL Matchmaking toolkit will help level the playing field for indies,” said Arne Peters, Vice President of ESL Technology. “While many indie titles are ideally suited for competitive play from a design perspective, sadly that aspect isn’t always an initial priority. Our ESL Matchmaking toolkit makes it quite easy for indie developers to deliver world-class support for competitive gaming without distracting them from their core competency of making amazingly creative games.” “Teaming up with esports professionals from the world of ESL is a big deal for us. It clearly communicates our ambitions to be the next big thing in anti-gravity racing,” said Andrew Walker, CEO of R8 Games. “ESL Matchmaking will not only fuel the best possible online multiplayer experiences for our fans, but it will also help us focus our resources on game design, development and balancing. We are truly excited about this opportunity and the potential that offering industry-leading esports support brings.” The ESL Matchmaking toolkit is platform-independent and connects via a web application program interface (API). This allows developers integrating the ESL Matchmaking tool into their games to benefit from advanced skill-based matchmaking features across all game versions and platforms. Developed by ESL and proven over numerous years in ESL’s online tournaments, ESL Matchmaking is now available to every developer of multiplayer video games, regardless of platform or genre. The ESL Technology team will showcase the capabilities of the ESL Matchmaking tool at the upcoming Game Developers Conference (GDC) from March 2nd through 6th, 2015 in San Francisco, CA. For more information regarding ESL Matchmaking and ESL Technology, please contact [email protected]. ### About ESL Technology ESL Technology, a subsidiary of ESL, the world leaders in esports, provides tools and services for both game developers and publishers. Years of experience organizing, hosting and running professional single and multiplayer game competitions and events establishes ESL Technology as the most qualified white label provider of esports technology services on the market. About R8 Games R8 Games Ltd is an independent developer, based in Middlesbrough, UK. With an in-depth knowledge of anti-gravity and traditional racing games at its heart, the company was formed to push forward the boundaries of adrenaline-fueled gameplay using next-gen gaming technology. Learn more at http://www.r8games.com or by contacting [email protected].