What is the Intel World Open?
On the 11th of September it was announced that 2 esports games will be included in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic games, them being Rocket League and Street Fighter. Intel will be hosting the event for these 2 games at the Zepp DiverCity in Tokyo. This is a huge deal in the esports world as it has always struggled to be acknowledged to the public as a competitive activity, similar to sports. Even having just 2 games, is already a good sign that esports is evolving, and people are realizing that it is not very different from typical sports.
On the 2nd of March, Rocket league announced further details about the Intel World Open, such as dates, rules, prizepool, and how to qualify.
Prizepool
The total prizepool of the Intel World Open is $500,000. It is to be split equally between both games,
How to qualify?
1st Stage
The Intel World Open consists of 3 stages of qualifiers. First you have the National qualifiers which mean that one team from each country below will have a guaranteed spot at the Live qualifier in Katowice. The countries are as follows:
- Australia
- Brazil
- Canada
- China*
- France
- Germany
- Japan**
- United Kingdom
- United States
*China’s qualifiers details will be revealed at a later time.
**Japan, will have a guaranteed spot at the finals as it is the host country.
2nd Stage
The second stage of qualification is the Regional Qualifier, which means that the best country from each region will earn a spot at the live qualifier. The regions are as follows:
- Africa
- Asia (Mainland)
- Asia (Maritime & Oceania)
- Europe (Three European seeds will qualify for the Regional Final)
- Latin America (Mexico and Southward)
- Middle-East
3rd Stage
The final stage of qualifiers will run through Katowice. It will feature the best 16 teams in the world separated into 2 groups. The teams will be formatted in a round-robin and the top 2 teams of the groups will automatically advance to the finals. The rest of the teams will participate in a double-elimination bracket, having the bracket winner and both teams from the lower bracket finals to qualify for the finals.
The finals will be formatted with a single-elimination bracket, in order to claim the Intel World Open championship title.
Rules
- All offline events will be played exclusively on PC.
- All players must be over 16 years of age to participate.
- All players on a team must come from the same country.
- Cosmetic items and vehicles featuring licensed brands are not allowed. (Licensed cars (e.g. ’16 Batmobile), as well as licensed customization, will not be allowed)
- Team Names are only used during National and Regional qualifiers. Teams will play under their country’s/territory’s name during offline events.
- Teams are not allowed to add players to their lineup after the qualification starts, therefore it’s advised that every team has a substitute added.
Key Dates
- Qualifier 1 – May 2-3, 2020
- Qualifier 2 – May 9-10, 2020
- Qualifier 3 – May 16-17, 2020
- Live Regional Final (Katowice, Poland) – June 11-14, 2020
- Intel World Open Live Final (Tokyo, Japan) – July 22-24, 2020
For more information regarding the Intel World Open, kindly follow this link: https://www.intelworldopen.gg/
