$500,000 Apex Legends Preseason Invitational coming in September

Electronic Arts has unveiled the next step in its campaign to make Apex Legends a top-tier esport: The Apex Legends Preseason Invitational, a three-day bracketed tournament featuring 80 teams vying for a slice of a $500,000 prize pool.

"Competition is in the DNA of Apex Legends and this competitive event will showcase the game at its highest-level," design director Chad Grenier said. "This Apex Legends Preseason Invitational advances our vision towards a robust competitive experience with the community at the center. We continue to explore all the entertaining ways both players and spectators can experience Apex Legends and look forward to bringing this event to life."

The double elimination tournament will begin with all teams seeded in the winners bracket. Based on their performance through each round of play, they'll either continue in that bracket, be relegated to the losers bracket, or be eliminated entirely. Once the field is winnowed to the final 20, the big brawl for the belt will get underway. Prizes will be awarded to all teams appearing in the final 20, ranging from $105,000 for first place to $4800 for last.

The Preseason Invitational will run September 13-15 in Krakow, Poland, and I'm sorry to say is an "invite-only" event: Instead of qualifiers, you'll need to email ApexLegendsPreseason@ea.com with your Origin ID and connected email address to take part. (If you're serious about it, the full rules are available here.) More information on the Apex Legends preseason situation is up at ea.com.

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Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.