Giants Software, developers behind the Farming Simulator franchise, has announced the formation of its new official esports league for Farming Simulator 19.
This is a pretty interesting development, given that most traditional esports leagues are formed around multiplayer shooters or battle arenas like Overwatch or League of Legends.
This could also open up the possibility for more unconventional leagues to crop up as well.
As explained in a blog post, the appropriately titled Farming Simulator League features 10 teams competing over a series of tournaments across Europe, with the season's total prize pool adding up to €250,000 (~$284,621).
"We have a unique opportunity," explains CEO of Giants Software and manager of the sports division Christian Ammann.
"Competitive farming is something people enjoy for years now, but it hasn’t been done in esports so far. We have lots of esports enthusiasts in our company who can’t wait to show the world that farming can indeed be fun and competitive at the same time."
This year's league will take place in Farming Simulator 19 with a new 3v3 mode, although it isn't clear what the details are, besides moving on from competitive bale stacking. According to Ammann, it will "stand true to its roots in farming and combine real field work like harvesting with fun and challenging game elements".
There's no telling if competitive farming will take root in the realm of esports, but it will be interesting to see.