Ignition and sensor specialist NGK’s is used to competing at the highest levels of motorsport and now the company is excited to announce the extension of its racing presence to the virtual world of gaming, with the launch of its very own ESPORTS CUP. 

The Cup will take place from February to April 2022 with the competition open to all gamers over the age of 16 who will be able to participate through the ‘RaceRoom’ section of the gaming platform Steam. 

Four qualifying races, each with different challenges, will be held at five virtual versions of some of the world’s most iconic racetracks. The tournament will kick-off at the Dubai Autodrome, UAE on February 17. This will be followed-up by events at the Circuit Paul Ricard, France on March 3, Imola, Italy, March 17, and Moscow Raceway, Russia on March 31. These four races will serve as qualification for the grand finale, with the fastest players having the chance to go head-to-head at Germany’s legendary Nürburgring Nordschleife on April 14.

Frank Massia, Director Marketing Aftermarket, EMEA, NGK SPARK PLUG EUROPE GmbH, said, “Our entrance into the world of gaming is a wholly logical step for a company with as rich a history in motorsport as ours. The ESPORTS CUP will strengthen engagement with our company’s fans and brand enthusiasts.”

All participants will compete in a Mercedes AMG GT3 Evo, a car which outside the virtual world is ignited by NGK spark plugs. Each player will be able to customise their race car and create distinguishing features in order to stand out from the competition.

To ensure the widest possible coverage, all races will be broadcast in English via Livestream, using both NGK and RaceRoom channels. Commentary for the first four track events will be broadcast in an ‘in-game’ stream format. The grand finale, however, is planned to be broadcast live and will feature race build-up and analysis, as well as pre-race interviews with the contestants and post-race interviews with the winner and runners-up. In addition, RaceRoom’s channels of Twitter (raceroom), Instagram (raceroom_official), Facebook (raceroom) and YouTube (RaceRoom) will be used for race build-up, results, highlights, statistics and livestreams.

RaceRoom is one of the leading professional free-to-play racing simulators on the market, meaning potential ESPORTS CUP contestants can download and participate for free. In order to meet the minimum requirements, a basic PC is required, while SimRacing equipment is preferable, as well as a broadband internet connection.

To register for the competition, Steam must be downloaded, and an account must be set up. RaceRoom can then be downloaded and started via the Steam library (installation only possible and permitted on private devices). Participation will not incur any costs for the user.