Another unique partnership is taking place in the world of esports. The U.S. Army alongside MGM Resorts International is going to be hosting a Street Fighter V competition. Army Entertainment, which is part of the U.S. Army, is also working alongside them.
Qualifiers for the Street Fighter V tournament are being held at various U.S. military bases worldwide. They will ultimately be streamed live on the U.S. Army’s official Twitch channel.
What’s really neat is that all active-duty soldiers from bases across the U.S., Germany, and South Korea are eligible to compete. The winners will move onto the grand finals at the international gaming culture festival PAX West later in the year. Fort Bliss, Texas, will kick off with their tournament on July 28.
“The competition will develop soldiers’ outlook and overall fitness using current technology. Soldiers train for the competition by improving hand-eye coordination, mental focus and reaction time,” the U.S. army said as part of a statement on its official site. “These skills help improve a soldier’s overall readiness to help with normal job duties.”
It’s important to note this is not the first time the U.S. Army has entered into the world of esports. Earlier in the month, the U.S. Air Force partnered with Turner and IMG’s LEAGUE. This was a huge milestone, being the first time a major esports organizer teamed up with an important government agency. The U.S. Air Force has also joined up with Cloud9’s Counter-Strike: Global Offensive team.
The U.S. Army is participating in an esports tournament! Four garrisons' competition will be live streamed through https://t.co/rBN9H4O959 check out the article below to find out who. #ArmyEsports #gaming https://t.co/P7GlhBUtTk
— Family MWR Programs (@FamilyMWR) July 25, 2018
There is actually a professional Korean StarCraft team made up of actual active-duty soldiers: Team Airforce ACE. They were the first professional esports military team. It’s really quite impressive to see that esports have even reached those people fighting for their countries.
For more information, you can follow the Army MWR Twitter account as well as check out their channel on Twitch. It will surely be exciting to watch how this Street Fighter V tournament plays out.
