Ubisoft has announced the launch of its proprietary collegiate esports league, Ubisoft Collegiate Esports, which will premiere with Rainbow Six Siege.
The competition is set to kick off this month in partnership with esports platform FACEIT, which will operate the program as part of the new North American ecosystem, and computer hardware company CORSAIR, the premiere sponsor of the league. Origin PC, a subsidiary of CORSAIR, has also been named as a sponsor.
RELATED: Ubisoft unveils Rainbow Six European League
School clubs will be able to register themselves and begin competing in a variety of local and cross-continent programs. No online schools would be permitted to join, according to a release. Registered clubs will be able to host intramural matches, viewing parties, and live events, and manage members, teams, matches, and results through the platform.
Additionally, schools will be able to nominate one team to represent them at the Rainbow Six Collegiate championship, which will have a $30,000 (GBP23,800) prize pool and additional hardware prizes supplied by Origin PC and CORSAIR.
RELATED: FACEIT launches collegiate esports division led by CSL founder
In May, Ubisoft announced both the Rainbow Six North American League and the Rainbow Six European League, following the dissolution of the Rainbow Six Pro League.
Its partnership with FACEIT comes just one month after the tournament platform and event organiser launched its own collegiate esports division led by Duran Parsi, the founder of Collegiate Starleague (CSL).
Esports Insider says: The growth of collegiate esports in the US should mean that it’s no surprise to see Ubisoft enter the fold. With the launch of their first collegiate league, the company will look to secure interest in Rainbow Six esports for years to come.