BMW and esports are becoming a real thing. Even though most of us thought it would be just a phase, it looks like the Bavarian brand is looking into new ways to get involved in the virtual realm. To this end, while we might not see Rocket League cars with the blue and white roundel on them on public roads anytime soon, a real-life match will be sponsored by BMW this weekend.
To this end, the German company joined forces with esports brand LVL and will help recreate a real-life match on Das Race Goal, a Rocket League-style esports platform that has remote-controlled cars play soccer for charity. Players from all around the world will pilot the cars in a real-world arena while collecting virtual powerups and triggering “special effects.” The first event will be televised live on LVL’s Twitch channel on December 12th at 1PM ET.
Six three-player teams will compete in Munich’s BMW Welt museum in this inaugural competition to raise awareness and finances for the United Nations Population Fund’s Skills for Life programs, which aim to promote education and healthcare for kids in the Caribbean and Latin America. Each team will consist of an esports player (from Cloud9, Fnatic, G2 Esports, and OG), a social media influencer, and a young gamer participating in UN initiatives.
Das Race Goal partner Icon Group’s Thomas Fellger underlined that this wasn’t a one-time event, but rather part of a “long-term cooperation” that may aid the UN’s long-term rights projects. At the very least, this might add the thrill of real-world components to an already popular video game format. In the meantime, BMW isn’t participating in such events for the first time. Back before the pandemic hit, it sponsored several esports teams and now has its own racing simulator championship, that even includes cash prizes.
