HP announced the return of the “OMEN Challenger Series” with Counter-Strike: Global Offensive selected as the competition title. This year’s entrants, drawn from 12 countries across Asia Pacific, will battle it out and play to progress to win their share of a $50,000 (RM 208,410.00) prize pool.

Registration starts August 2019, with online qualifying rounds begin on end of August 2019 and will run through to the Grand Finals to be held in Jakarta, Indonesia on 1-3 November 2019. Malaysian qualifiers begin now, with the pre-qualifiers to be held on 6 September 2019.

HP is also launching a new university tournament titled ‘Campus Legends’ to run alongside the main competition. Up to ten university teams per country from Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand will challenge each other in an online-only format on DOTA 2 to win part of a $3,000 (RM 12,505) prize pool.

As part of the OMEN Challenger Series, from today to 30 September 2019, gamers who purchase the OMEN by HP laptops in Malaysia will be able to redeem Steam Wallet worth RM 50. Gamers will stand a chance to win an all-expenses paid trip for two to catch the OMEN Challenger Series LIVE in Jakarta, Indonesia. A total of 3 pairs of winners will be selected.

In addition, gamers who purchase the OMEN 15 laptop from now to 31 August on the HP Online Store is eligible to redeem the HP OMEN 600 Mouse and the HP OMEN 800 Headset worth RM 618. The redemption is exclusively open to HP Online Store only.

While it isn’t the most extravagant prize pool in the world, it serves as an affirmation to the e-Sports scene in the Asia Pacific. It’s a start, and that’s all we can really ask for. With this, e-Sports should expect to start getting bigger and bigger prize pools!