Dolby enters eSports with $10,000 Overwatch tournament

Audio giant Dolby will sponsor an Overwatch tournament due to take place days after the game’s release.

Agents Rising will feature a $10,000 prize pool, making it the largest prize pool in Overwatch history. Taking place on the 28th and 29th May the event will be held at the eSports Arena in Santa Ana, California and will offer free entry to spectators. Josh "AskJoshy" Sutherland and Ben "FishStix" Goldhaber, two of the most established Overwatch casters in the world, will be on hand to call the event, which will be streamed on the eSports Arena Twitch channel.

By sponsoring the event Dolby is entering the world of eSports, although the choice of Overwatch is not as surprising as it may seem due to Blizzard’s shooter being the first game to feature Dolby’s Atmos technology via headphones. The tech allows audio to move around in three-dimensional space, much like in a cinema.

Overwatch is currently in open beta, and is due to launch on PC, PS4 and Xbox One on May 24th. A strong eSports community has already formed around the game, and that only looks set to grow once the full release hits.