Mobile esports continues to level up with the announcement of ESL and Qualcomm teaming on the Snapdragon Pro Series.
ESL has partnered with Qualcomm, the producer of Snapdragon mobile processors that power many smart devices, to produce a series of mobile esports leagues. These leagues are designed to bring a comprehensive ecosystem to mobile esports that simply hasn't been done or attempted before in quite this way. The Snapdragon Pro Series could one day be one of the pillars of mobile esports the same way IEM is for PC.
What is the Snapdragon Pro Series?
Tournaments will be held in a variety of titles across North America, Europe, the Middle East, China, North Africa, and Asia-Pacific. The closest analog to this series could perhaps be the Intel Extreme Masters, also powered by a chip maker, and one that helped propel PC esports along to where it is today. This is especially true as the competition will be multi-genre, and culminated in a live Masters event.
“The rapid rise of mobile esports is well-documented, and we’re incredibly proud of the role ESL has played in that to date,” said Rodrigo Samwell, CCO at ESL Gaming. “Our new collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies and its Snapdragon brand will elevate our mobile ecosystem to its fullest potential. We’re excited to transform the future of mobile esports for players and fans around the world, continuing to create a world where everybody can be somebody.”
Players will compete for a chance to become a champion and earn a share of an estimated $2 million in prize money. Featuring innovative, custom brand integrations across live and online events, the collaboration will demonstrate how Snapdragon-powered products offer a dynamic and advanced mobile gaming experience.
“Qualcomm Technologies is all-in on gaming,” said Don McGuire, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “Snapdragon Elite Gaming has led the industry across the mobile gaming technology stack benefiting gamers at all levels and enabling the ecosystem to deliver best in class gameplay. In partnership with ESL, Snapdragon Pro Series will be an important additional pillar of our comprehensive gaming strategy allowing us to build category leadership in mobile esports globally."
What games will be played at the SPS?
Specific titles premiering at the event have yet to be announced, but ESL says more details will be announced on that in the coming months. Mobile esports have been on a significant rise over the past few years thanks to games like Free Fire, PUBG Mobile, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Clash Royale, and Brawl Stars. Those titles, and other major releases like Wild Rift, are probably going to be essential to the success of Snapdragon's new series.
Indeed, some of the most watched moments in streaming over the past year were mobile esports titles, not PC ones. With developments like this new league, it seems that mobile esports are here to stay, and the infrastructure around their events is only going to get better. One day, their scenes could be as robust as their PC counterparts, especially as more developers like Riot Games look towards mobile as the next frontier.
For all the latest on the Snapdragon Pro Series, keep it locked here to Esports.gg.