End of an Era: Quake Pro League Concludes, Paving the Way for New Esports Horizons
The Quake Pro League, the official esports tournament series for the iconic FPS title, has come to an end, as confirmed in a post on the game's official X profile.
Following the conclusion of the Quake World Championship, which featured a prize pool of $150,000, the series will not be making a return in 2024. In response, id Software, the developer of Quake, expressed its intention to explore "future opportunities" for hosting esports competitions. This could involve potential collaborations with the gaming community and tournament organizers to continue the legacy of Quake in the esports scene.
Since its debut in 1996, the Quake franchise has been a pioneer in hosting various esports tournaments and events, playing a pivotal role in shaping competitive gaming as we know it today.
Most of Quake's major esports events were traditionally held during QuakeCon, an annual convention that celebrates and promotes id Software's flagship franchises.
In 2019, Quake introduced the Quake Pro League, a professional esports league dedicated to the Quake Champions franchise. This league spanned four seasons, featuring global qualifiers and culminating in a grand world championship event.
According to esports data platform Esports Charts, the highest-ever peak viewership for a Quake Champions esports event was achieved during the 2018 Duel at QuakeCon, with a peak of 31,567 viewers. The recent World Championships, which were part of the Quake Pro League, garnered 10,050 peak viewers.
While the Quake Pro League has ended, it doesn't spell the end of the title's presence in the esports scene. However, the responsibility for organizing structured competitions will now fall on third-party esports organizations, tournament organizers, and the gaming community. Earlier this year, the UK esports organization Team Endpoint announced its own Quake Invitational LAN event known as The Foundry.
Quake expressed its gratitude to the players, casters, viewers, and organizations that contributed to the memorable moments in the world of esports through the Quake Pro League.
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