Battlerite eSports is finally getting off the ground with its first major tournament, Enter the Arena, which will be presented by Beyond the Summit, in collaboration with Twitch.



This week, Stunlock Studios (SLS) announced their largest tournament to date with a massive prize pool of $10,000. In conjunction with Beyond the Summit (BTS), Dota 2’s largest tournament organizer, Battlerite is looking to make a splash in the competitive scene.



Four of the best-performing teams from North America and Europe have been invited to attend the event. In addition, several more teams will join them through open qualifiers, for a total of eight teams from each region. The tournament will be broadcasted from BTS’s studio in L.A. during an action-packed two day event from February 25-26.



So far, Battlerite eSports has had mild success for its size. The two largest competitions, BattleRekt and Pro Rivalry League (PRL), have altogether paid out around $2,400 per month, and viewership has remained fairly steady. However, it’s just a drop in the bucket compared to many of the larger eSports out there built on AAA titles, and it’s not enough to sustain full-time players.



A handful of organizations have already picked up Battlerite players, including Counter Logic Gaming in early December and Onslaught eSports only last week. Unfortunately, due to the sparse competition and payout, the players are generally considered streamers and often lack the infrastructure necessary to practice and become the best.



Enter the Arena is a huge step in the right direction for Battlerite eSports. Beyond the Summit is one of the most prestigious eSports production companies out there, and is responsible for many of Dota 2’s biggest tournaments, including The International 2015, The Summit, and ESL Frankfurt—this company knows how to organize, host, and sell eSports.



The union between BTS and Battlerite is likely to generate a huge increase in the game’s popularity and potential by exposing new audiences to its trademark gameplay. “As a first encounter with Battlerite for many viewers, we’re hoping to not only offer an entertaining broadcast, but to also introduce the game’s intricacies to fresh audiences, newer players as well as eSports fans,” Stunlock Studios explained in their announcement, showing their eagerness to make an impression on first-time viewers.

▲ Artwork Credit: Stunlock Studios

The $10,000 prize pool (technically $5,000 per region) is also a huge upgrade from weekly $300 tournaments. As with most aspects of business, more money means more opportunities and greater growth. The “full free-to-play release and a series of competitive events” also mentioned by Stunlock indicates that more opportunities like this are planned further down the road.



Another important aspect of Enter the Arena is the 3v3 format. Battlerite comes standard with two different modes: 2v2 and 3v3. For a long time, there has been much debate over which should be the “standard” competitive mode to balance around, and it appears that Stunlock has settled on 3v3. Assuming the tournament goes well, it will set a precedent for 3v3 as the go-to format for competitive play.



Enter the Arena will be a huge jumping-off point that will allow Battlerite eSports to continue to grow over the coming months. The game is still in its Early Release phase, so we’ve yet to see its full potential. SLS has come a long way in a short period of time, and this tournament is the beginning of what looks to be a bright future—assuming all goes well.