Were you scratching your head over last week’s announcement that H1Z1 would be bringing its upcoming PvP tournament to the CW network? We were too, which is why this interview with Daybreak makes for fascinating reading. So how did that TV deal happen?
Apparently CW has prided itself on being the first broadcast network to take an interest in e-sports, joining ESPN and TBS in showing live video game matches to interested viewers. H1Z1: King of the Kill Executive Producer Chris Wynn said that the deal happened because of Daybreak’s connections with the pro team Echo Fox and the interesting twist that this winner-takes-all tournament will provide.
“We have a unique opportunity to do something with King of the Kill that no one else can do,” Wynn said, “and that’s putting on a tournament with 15 teams of five players each all competing at the same time. It’s not a ladder-style knockout like in traditional sports. All these guys will get into one game, in one match, and all compete simultaneously. This unique experience is what appealed to the different partners.”
Wynn said that H1Z1 reached “a tipping point” late last year among the e-sports and Twitch communities and has seen increased popularity ever since.
