ESL has appointed Chinese technology manufacturer Huawei as the latest official partner of the Vodafone 5G ESL Mobile Open finals.
Taking place September 28-29th at Milan Games Week in Italy, the partnership will see all contenders of the Vodafone 5G ESL Mobile Open finals utilising the Huawei Mate 20X 5G smartphone.
Walter Ji, President of CBG, Huawei, Western Europe commented on the arrangement with ESL: “The HUAWEI Mate 20 X 5G is our leading 5G ready smartphone that provides ultra-fast, zero lag connection speeds to users. Coupling this technology with the device’s fast performance and long battery-life makes it the perfect companion for live esports gamers – both now and in the future. Working with Vodafone is another exciting step forward in using technology to connect people all over the world.”
The Grand Finals is said to be the first international esports tournament to be played live via a 5G network, with players representing 17 different countries competing for €165,000 (£145,498.65) in prize winnings. The tournament will feature both Asphalt 9: Legends and PUBG Mobile. All visitors of Milan Games Week will have the opportunity to test the new Huawei Mate 20 X 5G device that competitors will be using at the Vodafone x ESL free-play area.
Bernhard Mogk, SVP Sales & Business Development at ESL also commented: “Together with Huawei, we’re bringing the state-of-the-art technology of 5G to esports, pushing the frontiers of connectivity. Implementing 5G cellular network technology together with our brand partner Vodafone opens up new opportunities in esports, empowering us to broaden the audience and widen it to casual gamers as well.” said Bernhard Mogk. “At the same time, we’re expanding further in the field of mobile esports, magnifying the impact on every gaming platform possible and thereby reaching more fans and potential players.”
Back in 2017, Huawei made its inaugural breakout into esports by becoming the official smartphone partner of German-based organisation, SK Gaming. As for Vodafone, the company was enlisted as a partner for Intel Extreme Masters and ESL One events in Europe.
source:esportsinsider.com