Over 22,000 competitors from around the world signed up for the third edition of the Red Bull M.E.O (Mobile Esports Open) competition, and after 11 months of exciting competition, it concluded with the final on March 29.

The Red Bull M.E.O. World Championship kicked off on March 18 in Istanbul, with a virtual journey that welcomed fans to beautiful locations such as Sultanahmet Square and the Galata Towers. It was worth checking in on March 20 ahead of the opening match, as guests were treated to a variety of interactive challenges and prize-winning scavenger hunts, which were also available in the PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) Mobile neighbourhood to keep fans entertained.

As for the competitors, those skilled enough to make the leaderboard faced off against the world’s best players from 28 countries. The battlefields included Teamfight Tactics (TFT), Hearthstone and PUBG Mobile: a tournament final like no other before, better than anything seen before.

The virtualized version of Istanbul is designed thanks to the use of browser-based technology. Minigames, quizzes, and special content are brought to the cities by Red Bull; even selfie points are possible within this experience, and they seem to make you feel like you are physically in the heart of the city.

For the streaming of the finals of PUBG Mobile, Teamfight Tactics and Hearthstone, HeyMo designed an island on the Bosphorus, where you can experience the same emotion as if the event were taking place in the real Istanbul; this is thanks to the use of immersive virtual reality, in live streaming (production of Unreal Engine Greenbox).

A new era is about to begin, between multisensory experiences and technology.

Bringing People Together Through Technology

Today, with the world under lockdown for over a year now, using XR (an acronym for eXtended Reality, which includes virtual reality and augmented reality, editor’s note) in the entertainment field becomes vital. Brands are using this technology to take their events to the next level of realization, both for viewers at home and in the office. XR allows brands to create immersive experiences to share with their fan base, artists and audiences to interact with digital content. Brands can also use camera tracking to live stream content; the immersive experience, in this way, creates a seamless flow between the screen and the live set.

This is still a phase dedicated to testing, along with the desire to always learn more and improve. XR may not be the future of experiential marketing and entertainment, but it is certainly a great contribution to overcoming the limitations resulting from the pandemic. What we are learning in 2020-2021 will redefine the way we think about perception and experience. A new era is about to begin, between multisensory experiences and technology.