It’s been six weeks since we kicked off the VR Challenger League, which Wareable called “the biggest virtual reality esports event yet.” Today, we’ve got some exciting updates to share, including the start of Echo Arena brackets!

Weekend Warriors

We decided to shake things up a bit, moving both North American and European cups to the weekend. We’ve seen higher play rates on weekends, so this should let even more people compete. For The Unspoken, North American cups are now scheduled for Saturdays at 9:30 PM ET, with European cups at 7:30 PM BST. Echo Arena cups will take place Sundays—be sure to check ESL Play in your region for your local start and check-in times.

Smaller Brackets, More Competition

We’re reducing the number of individuals/teams required per bracket from 16 to eight. This will let brackets fill up faster, so you can compete for cash prizes and get a better shot at earning points.

Best of Three + Brand-New Bridge

Based on player feedback, we’re adding Lockport Bridge to The Unspoken’s arena selection.

We’re also extending duels to best of three matches, with each match remaining best of three rounds. That means instead of playing three rounds max, you could play up to nine rounds across three matches to determine the winner. The lower-seeded player will pick the arena for the first match, with the loser selecting the arena for the second. If things are tied up 1-1 after the second match, you’ll go head-to-head for a third and final time.

Echo Arena Brackets Open Now

Last but not least, brackets for Echo Arena are now open! Visit vr.eslgaming.com to sign up for some zero-g action. Competitive play starts up September 3 for both North American and European leagues.

Need a team? Check out the Echo Arena Discord’s #looking_for_team channel to find your squad.

Instant Replays

If you stream or record your matches, remember to share the highlights! Be sure to tag @VRChallenger, @insomniacgames, @EchoGames, and @OculusRift so we can retweet our favorites.

We can’t wait to see what happens as the competition heats up. Stay tuned as we head into the Regionals at OC4, ESL One Hamburg, IEM Oakland, and DreamHack Winter—all on the road to the VR Challenger League Grand Finals!

— The Oculus Team

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. Void where prohibited by law. ESL VR Challenger League is open only to legal residents of the 50 U.S./D.C., Canada, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and United Kingdom, 13+. For full details and terms on The Unspoken, visit vr.eslgaming.com/rules. For full details and terms on Echo Arena, click here. Sponsors: Oculus VR, LLC and Intel Corporation.