Bigben Interactive has announced that the Hyundai Motor Company will be the main official partner for the 2017 eSports WRC Championship.
The eSports WRC powered by Hyundai tournament will be contested on the official FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) game, WRC 6, which is available now on PS4, Xbox One and PC.
This is Hyundai’s second year as a supporter, with the company offering a Hyundai i20, worth €20,000, to the winner.
Hyundai operate a three-car team in the non-virtual championship, running a 380HP version of the above road car. Capable of reaching 60mph in less than 4 seconds, the Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC is their third new car in the World Rally Car category since making a return in 2014.
“After a first year of partnership, we are really excited to be part of the eSports WRC adventure for a new year,” Scott Noh, Director of Hyundai Motor’s Overseas Marketing Group, said.
“The eSports WRC championship is the perfect way for people around the world to be part of the WRC family by competing in online rallies in parallel to the official ones.
“Last year the tournament gathered thousands of virtual drivers for a year of competition which ended with an amazing live event in Wales.
“With the new format this year, it’s interesting to follow drivers from January to November and we can already see an intense battle on the podium which sounds exciting for the coming months.”
The new format mirrors that of the actual WRC. During each round, each competitor will be able to secure points, battling it out to finish within the top right who will make the final. They will then not only compete against each other but also the German virtual driver aTTaX Johnson, as they try to finish ahead of the rest and drive away in a brand new Hyundai i20 Coupe road car.
“We are very proud to partner and work with Hyundai for a second year in order to propose the best online experience to our players,” Benoît Clerc, Head of Software at Bigben Interactive, said.
“With their involvement in motorsports and especially in the WRC, Hyundai proves that innovation and performance are part of its DNA and it’s essential for us to associate with such a leading and inspiring company.”
French driver Nexl, who finished fourth in 2016, currently leads the standings after the first three rounds; Speedbooster27 (Germany) and Hesto (Germany) trail closely behind.
Further information can be found on the official website here.