Dorna Sports (the TV rights holders for the FIM Road Racing World Championship) has announced that the official MotoGP 17 game will be hosting an eSport Championship exclusively on the PlayStation 4 console.
The MotoGP eSport Championship will see PlayStation 4 players taking part in online challenges through the 2017 season with the ultimate goal to qualify for the season finale. The finale will be held in November at the circuit of Valencia to coincide with the last race of the real-world FIM MotoGP World Championship, and will be broadcast live by Dorna's TV partners.
In total players will battle it out over seven online events in a time-trial format. Sixteen of the fastest riders will be invited to attend the live event in Valencia just before the real-world finale at the same location.
The winner of the MotoGP eSport Championship will take home a BMW M240i which boasts 335 bhp, a 0-62 mph time of just 4.8 seconds and a top speed of 155 mph.
Pau Serracanta, Dorna Sports' Commercial Area Managing Director said: "Moving into the eSports scene is taking MotoGP into a new era. It's a unique way to engage our established gaming audience and also a clear sign to the wider gaming community that MotoGP is not only one of the top motorsports properties in real life, but also one of the most exciting digital experiences a console game can deliver. We will be putting together an exciting package mixing virtual and real life encounters blending the two worlds to deliver the utmost authenticity. From top tier partners to TV broadcasters and MotoGP teams, the stakeholders will be working in unison to have a successful start in eSports, on a scale befitting MotoGP's highest standards."
The very first MotoGP eSport Championship is said to lay the groundwork for more extensive eSport Championships to come in the future.