Team Liquid’s ‘The Next Wave’ FPS competition looks to highlight new talent

Team Liquid have announced “The Next Wave,” a new competition show and scouting ground that aims to find “esports’ newest superstar,” according to the press release. The winner will receive a contract with Team Liquid, a $25,000 cash prize and a partner prize package.

The scouting combine will focus on first-person shooting. It will be open to FPS amateurs, pros and content creators from across North America. The entire event will be recorded and it will premier in a five episode series on Twitch, with the first four episodes pre-taped and a live finale. VODs will be made available on YouTube.

“This competition aligns with Team Liquid’s consistent ethos of competitive excellence,” Chris Ambrosio, director of events at Team Liquid, said in the release. “Unlike other industry predecessors, this contest looks beyond content creation to include a focus on game skill.”

Liquid are partnering with brands for “The Next Wave,” who will be involved in the combine through custom contestant and viewer experiences, as well as providing other prizes. One such partner is Aim Lab, whose game will be involved in the trials.

Submissions to “The Next Wave” are open at this link. The sign up closes on May 6. One of the hurdles applicants will have to pass is an Aim Lab task.

From the submissions, six finalists will be selected to compete on the show. Through the show, that group will be narrowed down as they compete in overseen by “a panel of expert judges,” some of whom come from outside Team Liquid.

According to the press release, the multi-week competition will test the competitors’ “teamwork, performance under pressure and creative ability.” Some of the tests were designed by Aim Lab to evaluate FPS skills that include tracking, flicking, target selection and more.