A $3 million prize pool is the main target for worldwide gamers as they vie for first place in the Six Invitational 2022 in Stockholm, Sweden, this week. Gathering the best players from around the world, the 13-day tournament matches up the skills of 20 pro league teams to determine who wins the title of World Cup champions for Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege tactical first-person shooter game.

“The competitive nature of Siege is unlike any other game,” said 18-year-old Luc ‘Rxinforce’ Benjamin, a TikTok gaming content creator from the United States with a following of 150,000.
“Its mechanical and strategic aspects allow the game to be played differently every match, creating different competitive levels that allow players to become better while competing against people at or higher than their skill level.”

Organized by the world’s leading esports company, ESL, and Rainbow Six Siege developer Ubisoft, the annual tournament uses a round-robin format where five-member teams eliminate each other as they advance toward the Grand Final. Countries represented in the competition include the U.S., Brazil, South Korea, France, Germany, Japan, Russia and the U.K. Game play is fast-paced and intense, with team members using finely tuned tactical maneuvers and high-precision shooting to defend their site or attack their opponents’ location throughout numerous maps.

Benjamin says gamers’ passion for Rainbow Six Siege, along with lucrative prize awards, make tournaments like the Six Invitational an attractive competition for pro league players that “allows the Siege community to become closer” while bringing newer players into the game.
With nearly 175,000 global viewers watching this year’s tournament remotely on YouTube and the streaming service Twitch, the Six Invitational is a high revenue-generating event for its organizers.

Transitioning to a Games-as-a-Service (GaaS) business model, Ubisoft learned to monetize its video games by frequently updating game content, offering players game subscriptions and in-game purchases, and organizing competitive tournaments with enticing money awards. The proof of success is in the numbers.
According to Statista, Ubisoft generated just over $1 million in revenue for its third-quarter of 2021. Likewise, Ubisoft’s FY19 earnings report recorded impressive numbers, with Rainbow Six Siege reaching $1.1 billion in lifetime revenue from game sales, season passes, and direct in-game monetization since its inception in 2015. Last year, the game also reached a total of 70 million registered players.

Yves Guillemot, Ubisoft Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, underscored the company’s goals to outperform itself in its 2021-2022 earnings report: “The industry is thriving and quickly evolving, offering new challenges and opportunities. Players have a deeper impact on the worlds they are engaging with, and technological breakthroughs are opening up promising new avenues…we continue to invest to bring our biggest franchises and new brands to a significantly wider audience.”
YouTube Siege content creator Liam ‘Garfieldisdoc’ Hennessey, of Ontario, agrees that players’ enthusiastic immersion in the sport can positively affect the business side of gaming, while also promoting a community of gamers reaching for personal greatness.
“Pro League impacts the gaming industry in a huge way because you’re now creating jobs like pro players, analysts, coaches, etc.,” he said. “But you’re not only creating jobs. You’re making people’s dreams come true.”