H1Z1, recently went free-to-play, may seem to be struggling with player numbers as PUBG and Fortnite continues to be the big names in battle royale, they are certainly ahead on the side of esports. Playerunknown is only recently made statement about pushing PUBG for esports, but H1Z1 already established their own pro circuit, the H1Z1 Pro League.
The H1Z1 Pro League follows a similar structure and ambition to the likes of Overwatch League, and LCS for League of Legends where profit-sharing among participating teams and player rights and stability are prioritised. Which is why 15 well-established esports organisations from the likes of TSM, Cloud9, CLG, Alliance and Echo Fox are joining in.
The format is an interesting one. Since it’s a battle royale, all 15 teams of five players- 75 in total- will all play the same matches. There will be two matches played back-to-back per week. Points are racked up based on how long a player can survive. Each season consists of two 10-week splits with a Championship finale at the end to crown the inaugural season victor.
All matches are played on LAN at the Twin Galaxies Esports Center in Las Vegas where fans can attend and watch live. Otherwise, streams of each match are available exclusively on Facebook on the H1Z1 Pro League page.
The first match of the season kicks off tomorrow, April 21st 7PM PT (That’s April 22nd 10AM for Malaysia, GMT +8).