The easy joke to make would be to reference “spreadsheets in space” MMORPGs, but honestly the truth is far stranger and funnier than any gag we could write: ESPN apparently was host to a financial model creating competition using Microsoft Excel, which saw eight “Excel pros” (seriously) compete in the Financial Modeling World Cup (FMWC) finals for a shot at $10,000 worth of prizes.
The way the competition works is that competitors are presented with a one to five page-long case study in each round, each one featuring real-world problems and providing up to 15 questions of varying complexity that must be answered; the more complex the question, the more points gained. To ESPN’s credit, the finals broadcast had all of the production value and focus of any esports competition. Just, you know, with financial models instead of frags.
The FMWC is apparently not the only office software esporting event out there, as there’s also a Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship that sees students use a full suite of Microsoft Office programs to compete for scholarships, proving that esports can come from literally anywhere.
You can catch all the high octane financial modeling action of this past weekend’s FMWC finals in the embed below.
ESPN3 will host an Eve Online esports tournament.
— Connor (@mmofallout) December 11, 2021
