MLB as part of the All-Star Week festivities in DC will hold a competitive tournament around its Home Run Derby VR game, further expanding its efforts around the title. The tournament will allow visitors to either FanFest at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center or Play Ball Park near Nationals Park to record a qualifying score in the VR game. The top 32 qualifiers will then compete in a bracket-style final round on Monday, the day of the real Home Run Derby. Unlike many esports events that are strictly for elite competitive gamers, the MLB effort will allow anyone from the public to record a qualifying score and potentially reach the finals. The tournament expands upon the domestic introduction of Home Run Derby VR at last year’s FanFest in Miami, installation at more than a dozen MLB ballparks, and its release this spring as a consumer title. Portions of the Home Run Derby VR competition will be streamed live on Twitch. The league was aided in the development of the tournament by N.Y.-based and Bruin Sports Capital-owned experiential marketing agency Engine Shop.
