A new breed of cyber-athlete is breaking ground in VR esports, proving not all video games are played sitting down.
Advancing in the Virtual Reality Challenger League (VRCL) takes more than excelling at video games. At the North American regional qualifier last month in San Jose, winning required something unique: a high tolerance for pain.
Will Romero, who plays for the team Dyskovr, injured his shoulder while hurling a virtual disc in the game Echo Arena, a three-on-three multiplayer game that’s played like hockey in zero gravity. Romero’s teammate Kevin Douglas once stubbed his finger so hard that he felt lightheaded and missed practice. Another teammate, Dave Fox, suffered a soft tissue injury under his rib cage from swinging his arms too hard.
“The physicality on the stage was exciting,” said Lisa Watts, who leads Intel’s involvement in the VRCL. “Players were putting their whole body into it.”
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Source: IQ. Intel