Red Bull will be hosting another Race to World First as World of Warcraft guilds gear up for Patch 8.2’s Mythic raid, Azshara’s Eternal Palace. The Race to World First is a new and interesting esport that publicizes a community event that has taken place behind the scenes for over a decade.
It’s only with Battle for Azeroth, the newest World of Warcraft expansion, that guilds have begun streaming their strategies and making a public event out of their attempts on these difficult bosses. While Red Bull previously worked with Method, the victor of the previous races in Uldir and the Battle for Dazar’Alor, this event will be hosted on Red Bull’s channels.
Red Bull will be hosting 24-hour coverage, beginning on July 16, and the event will run until the final encounter, Queen Azshara, is completed. North America’s top guild, Limit, who ran neck and neck with Method in Uldir and the Battle for Dazar’Alor will be participating, as will high level European guild Pieces, who claimed the World First in mini-raid Crucible of Storms. Other guilds include FatSharkYes, AFK-R, Honestly, Ji Tian Hong, Alpha, Averion, and Exorsus.
Red Bull’s Race to World First was originally leaked by Method raid leader Scott “Sco” McMillan, who claimed that Red Bull was attempting to assume ownership of the community-run Race to World First. Method will be hosting its own event for the Race to World First.
This represents a major milestone — and potential crossroads — for the Race to World First. World of Warcraft’s competitive raids have proven to be popular, pulling in over 150,000 viewers. Having multiple events, hosted by different owners, offers guilds different avenues to participate in the World First Race, with different forms of compensation. The current competition between Method and Red Bull may help elevate the Race to World First, bringing it to more viewers and creating an ecosystem with more stability for raiders.
While McMillan says Method is in the “early stages of communicating with other top guilds on a collective agreement” that will “prevent exploitation of the guilds,” it’s clear that the contest over who hosts the Race to World First is far from over.
Source: Read Full Article