What are competitive gaming eSports tournaments?

ByMeghan McDonough KTRK logo
Sunday, August 26, 2018
This March 31, 2017 photo shows a competitive video game tournament under way at Caesars casino in Atlantic City,N.J.
AP Photo/Wayne Parry-AP

Video game or eSports tournaments have exploded in popularity in recent years. What used to be friendly competition is now a worldwide event, often with millions in prizes.

The event taking place in Jacksonville Sunday was a qualifying event for the football video game Madden NFL 19. The game allows you to control one of 32 NFL teams as if you were the coach. It's named for former football coach and sportscaster John Madden.

Gamers were playing against each other in a head-to-head format for a chance to be invited to a three-day Madden NFL 19 Classic tournament in Las Vegas, which will award $1.255 million in prize money to winners. The event is run by EA Sports.

This tournament was streamed online via Twitch.TV, a live streaming service where viewers can watch game streams and comment on them in real time. Audio of the shooting was heard over the Twitch stream of the game and quickly circulated on social media.

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