Xbox is teaming up with Special Olympics for the world's inaugural Gaming for Inclusion tournament, which aims to connect Special Olympics athletes with eSports. The tournament takes place in September and will offer the winner a chance to play alongside NBA, NFL, and WWE legends.
What will Gaming for Inclusion involve, and what games will be playable?
Per an official Xbox news post, the inaugural Gaming for Inclusion tournament will give Special Olympics athletes - as well as partners from the Unified program - the chance to compete in three games: Forza Motorsport 7, Madden NFL 22, and Rocket League. Each tournament will be held on a different day, with the winners participating in a climactic Celebrity Showcase on September 18th. This showcase will involve athletes like the NBA's Jayson Tatum and the NFL's Jamaal Charles, as well as some unnamed WWE superstars.
The competition will be hosted via Microsoft's Smash.gg esports platform. Each tournament will use a bracket-style system, with a single champion for each game. After this event, the Special Olympics folks will be holding training on how to set up Smash.gg tournaments on a local level. Microsoft says this will allow for "year-round gaming practice and competition" in preparation for next year's Gaming for Inclusion. Sounds like Microsoft wants this to be a regular fixture on the gaming calendar.
How can you watch Gaming for Inclusion?
If you'd like to tune into the Gaming for Inclusion tournament, it'll be streamed on the official Special Olympics YouTube channel and on the Xbox Twitch channel. Per the official Special Olympics website, the tournaments will host a total of 190 players, all of whom will be competing for a chance to take part in the Celebrity Showcase on September 18th.
Xbox says it'll reveal more information about the athletes due to compete in the inaugural Gaming for Inclusion tournament soon. It's worth keeping an eye on the official Xbox socials and website for more about that. In the meantime, here's a quick rundown of the schedule for Gaming for Inclusion (remember, all of these events are happening entirely virtually):
- September 12th - Rocket League tournament
- September 13th - Forza Motorsport 7 tournament
- September 14th - Madden NFL 22 tournament
- September 18th - Celebrity Showcase, featuring the winners of the three tournaments above plus celebrity sporting guests
Will you be tuning in to check out the inaugural Gaming for Inclusion tournament? Let us know in the comments below!
