iBUYPOWER has combined with CEVO to announce the iBUYPOWER Summer 2016 Overwatch $5000 Invitational. This North American tournament is open to 64 teams, who will play in a fierce single-elimination bracket for the right to join eight invited teams and fight for the $5000 prizepool.
This online tournament will feature the eight best qualifying teams against the eight invited juggernauts in an exciting playoff bracket on the 16th and 17th July, with teams like EnVyUs, FaZe, and Cloud9 making an appearance. In order to determine which open teams will take them on, a Preliminary Bracket is scheduled to run on July 10th, 12th, and 14th.
Each game is planned as a bo3 in the Preliminary Bracket, with random seeding and rules that match the ESL Atlantic Showdown. The top eight teams from that bracket will move on to the Championship Bracket, where the 16 best teams in North America will play a bo5 single elimination tournament for $5000.
The prize breakdown sees the $5000 USD split as:
- 1st: $2,500 USD
- 2nd: $1,750 USD
- 3rd: $750 USD
iBUYPOWER announced the eight invited teams for the tournament earlier today, after teasing the first half earlier in the week. The eight Championship Bracket Invited teams are, in no particular order:
- Luminosity Gaming
- Splyce
- Team Liquid
- Northern Gaming Red
- FaZe Clan
- Gale Force eSports
- EnVyUs
- Cloud9
With eight of the best teams in North America battling for $5000, this should be an excellent display of competitive Overwatch over the course of the tournament. Which of the teams will be able to cement their places at the top of the scene, and which will make breakthrough performances? We may even see a team upset from the qualifiers, with strong competition such as nubris and 1SHOT forced to qualify through the Premilinary Bracket should they wish to compete.
The tournament will be covered by InSight Casts, with Justin “Bloodsire” Danford, Josh “Sideshow” Wilkinson, and Brennon “Bren” Hook on twitch.tv/iBUYPOWEROW, and Alex “dashner” Pylyshyn producing.
The Preliminary Bracket is now open for teams to sign up and play, but registration closes on Friday, 8th July at 11:59 ET so sign up quickly if you’re interested! If you can win three bo3 matches and make it to the Round of 16, you’ll get your chance to face an elite team and vye for the prize.
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