SRO (Stephane Ratel Organisation), the organiser and governing body of worldwide GT3 racing, has today (1st March 2023) announced that registration for its global esports competitions is now open.
The four online championships, distinct from the on-site SRO Esports Sim Pro Series, will once again represent Europe, America and Asia regions*, with the fourth, the Intercontinental GT Challenge (IGTC) Esports series, allowing teams of at least three drivers to take part in endurance events.
As opposed to 2022, the regional GT World Challenge Esports (GTWC) sprint championships are open only to drivers and teams haling from that location; a rule designed to prevent the European dominance seen in the GTWC American Esports series last year (drivers were only subject to a ping test prior to 2023).
However, the IGTC remains a multinational series, where the focus is on races of eight hours and up, including the blue riband 24 Hours of Spa. As in 2022, all SRO Esports series will be sponsored by autonomous driving tech company Mobileye.
Details on how to qualify have yet to be revealed, but as per previous seasons drivers will likely be subject to hot lap qualifying in Kunos Simulazioni’s Assetto Corsa Competizione – the official game of the Fanatec GT World Challenge series – with limited driving vacancies available for each manufacturer.
Players will also once again be split into Pro and Silver categories, with a total of 48 cars set to feature on the grid for every race. Prize pools of €58,000 and €18,500 are on the line in the IGTC and GTWC Europe series respectively, with the America and Asia championships boasting €6,000 apiece.
Details on the exact make-up of the prize pools have yet to be revealed, but this would represent a downgrade in value compared to 2022. This must be caveated by the fact that entry fees were applicable in the 2022 IGTC and European series, with no news on whether they will be in place for 2023.
Interested teams and drivers can register now on the official SRO Esports website.
Are you looking forward to taking part in SRO’s Esports competitions this year? Let us know in the comments below.
2023 INTERCONTINENTAL GT CHALLENGE ESPORTS POWERED BY MOBILEYE (ONLINE ENDURANCE)
- May 20 – Bathurst 12 Hour
- June 17 – Kyalami 9 Hour
- July 15 – 24 Hours of Spa
- August 19 – Suzuka 10 Hours
- September 16 – Indianapolis 8 Hour
Prize money pool: €58,000
2023 MOBILEYE GT WORLD CHALLENGE ESPORTS EUROPE (ONLINE SPRINT)
- May 3 – Monza
- May 24 – Circuit Paul Ricard
- June 21 – Spa-Francorchamps
- July 19 – Nurburgring
- August 23 – Barcelona
Prize money pool: €18,500
2023 MOBILEYE GT WORLD CHALLENGE ESPORTS AMERICA (ONLINE SPRINT)
- May 6 – Laguna Seca
- June 10 – Circuit of the Americas
- July 22 – Silverstone
- August 5 – Watkins Glen
- September 2 – Indianapolis
Prize money pool: €6,000
2023 MOBILEYE GT WORLD CHALLENGE ESPORTS ASIA (ONLINE SPRINT)
- May 31 – Imola
- June 28 – Donington Park
- July 12 – Bathurst
- August 9 – Kyalami
- September 6 – Suzuka
Prize money pool: €6,000
2023 SRO Esports Sim Pro Series calendar
- 22nd April – Monza
- 3rd June – Circuit Paul Ricard
- 30th June – Spa-Francorchamps
- 29th July – Nurburgring
- 30th September – Barcelona
In-person LAN. Prize money pool: €75,000
* Asia includes the Middle East and UAE, while South America is considered part of America. Gamers in Africa are permitted to register for the European championship.
