A newly published patent for Sony Interactive Entertainment suggests they are planning to bring PlayStation Tournaments to the PlayStation 5. As spotted by SegmentNext, the structure of the tournaments will be similar to the feature that’s currently on PlayStation 4 but will include some improvements.
The aim of the patent is to provide tournament functionality for games that support multiplayer gameplay but don’t have the ability to host tournaments in game. PlayStation Network would be used to track a player’s performance in a game in real time before updating the player’s profile, identifying the correct qualifying players and generating matches based on player rankings. Other people would also be able to view the tournament matches online through streaming. There’s even the possibility of holding a tournament across multiple titles.
PlayStation Tournaments was first launched in 2016 on PlayStation 4. The first tournaments gave players a chance to win prize bundles that included PlayStation accessories and gear but prizes can now include cash too. The Open Series was added in 2020 and aimed to make competitive gaming more accessible by adding tournaments for more diverse titles. The most recent additions to the tournament scene were Tekken 7, Guilty Gear Strive, and Auto Chess that all began just a few days ago.
This patent suggests the PS5 version would go a step further, allowing players, developers and other third-parties to host their own tournaments for both individual players and teams. At one end of the scale, people could set up small tournaments for their family and friends. At the other end, it could allow event planners to run far larger tournaments with their own rules.
The timing of the patent is especially notable so close to the next EVO Online tournament that begins on August 6. PlayStation recently acquired the EVO Championship Series, the world’s most notable fighting game tournament. At the time Sony said they wanted to find “creative ways, alongside our fans, to grow the tournament and make its events and broadcasts more fun, engaging and accessible than ever”. This patent could also fit into those plans quite nicely.
[Source: United States Patent and Trademark Office via SegmentNext]
