Game developer and publisher Garena has revealed the 2021 ‘esports roadmap’ for its mobile title Free Fire.
According to the announcement, the Free Fire World Series (FFWS) is set to return with two editions in April and November. Moreover, the publisher will launch a new event called Free Fire All Stars.
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In 2020, the FFWS was replaced with the Free Fire Continental Series due to the pandemic. However, the competition makes its return in April with teams across 13 regions set to compete for Free Fire’s largest-ever prize pool of $2m (~GBP1.42m).
The FFWS will kick off with the Play-ins on April 24th, with the competition’s Finals commencing on May 1st. More details on the competition’s format and the participating regions will be revealed in the coming weeks.
To celebrate the return of the FFWS, Garena has introduced a new logo for the international event. In addition, the tournament’s trophy expected to be designed to reflect the competition’s new branding.
As stated prior, the FFWS will take place again sometime in November, however, information on this event has yet to be revealed.
Free Fire became one of many mobile esports to rise in popularity over the last 12 months. In January 2021, the title’s Brazilian competition, Liga Brasileira de Free Fire 2021 Series A peaked at 449,565 viewers. Moreover, the Free Fire Continental Series 2020 Asia recorded an average concurrent viewership of 828,986, according to Esports Charts.
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In addition to the FFWS, Garena also announced Free Fire All Stars, an event that will see some of the title’s top influencers and professional players compete alongside and against each other. The event is scheduled to take place in July, with more details to be unveiled in the coming months.
Esports Insider says: It comes as no surprise to see Garena announce an increased prize pool and the return of its international events. Hopefully all three events will be able to go ahead as the viewership figures highlight the popularity of the title, particularly in Asia.