ELEAGUE unveils Gears of War 5 tournament, documentary series

ELEAGUE is adding Gears of War to its portfolio, with the first-ever Gears of War 5 tournament in June and a Gears of War documentary miniseries.

Turner and IMG’s ELEAGUE is expanding yet again, this time into Gears of War. The next ELEAGUE event will be Gears 5, and it’s going to be breaking some ground for the popular franchise.

The new chapter of XBox’s Gears of War franchise is scheduled for release later this year, and fans will be treated to a new documentary series in June, followed by the first-ever Gears 5 tournament in July.

It’s a high-profile esports effort for a highly anticipated title and continues ELEAGUE’s growth into a wide-ranging, year-round esports brand.

According to Turner Sports’ press release, June 14 is the premiere date for ELEAGUE Gears Summer Series: The Bonds and Betrayals of Brotherhood. Airing over six consecutive weeks at 11 p.m. ET/PT, the miniseries will spotlight some of the title’s top players by giving fans a look at how they train and compete around the world.

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That’s similar to the previous docu-series that the brand has done for its Counter-Strike: Global Offensive events, in which viewers have followed players and teams throughout tournaments with highlights and behind the scenes footage.

But that’s not all. It wouldn’t be an ELEAGUE event without competition, and Turner is going to host the first Gears 5 tournament!

From July 13-14, the ELEAGUE Gears Summer Series will have eight teams compete against one another in the ELEAGUE Arena at Turner Studios in Atlanta to see which one reigns supreme.

The event will not only be the first tournament for Gears 5, but it will also be fans’ first chance to see the game’s multiplayer mode in action—double the reason to tune in either on Twitch or B/R Live.

Parts 5 and 6 of the Summer Series documentary will be about the ELEAGUE tournament, and show highlights from the event. Full matches will only be available streaming.

While it’d be great to have the full roll-out on TV, Turner and IMG deserve credit for creatively using their platform to tie into the launch of an amazingly popular game. They’re not just holding another tournament; fans can see Gears 5 multiplayer first through them—making this a critical initiative whether you’re an esports fan or just a Gears of War enthusiast who wants to know all about the new game.

Watch the teaser for ELEAGUE’s Gears 5 partnership below:

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