May 10, 2022 - Sports

Gamers win massive payout in Columbus esports tournament

Two video game players fist-bump at a Call of Duty tournament.

Matthew "KiSMET" Tinsley and Ian "Crimsix" Porter of the New York Subliners celebrate a game win during the Call of Duty League Pro-Am Classic in Columbus. Photos: Joe Brady/Getty Images

It pays to be good at video games — just ask players on the New York Subliners competitive Call of Duty team.

Driving the news: The Subliners bested 15 other squads to win the Call of Duty League Pro-Am Classic, held this past weekend at Belong Gaming Arena in Polaris.

  • The team took home a $100,000 grand prize.

The intrigue: Hundreds of thousands of gamers streamed the action online, with the finals racking up more than 500,000 views on YouTube.

  • That's five times as many spectators as can fit inside Ohio Stadium to watch the Buckeyes.
A Call of Duty player at a video game tournament.
Anthony "Shotzzy" Cuevas-Castro of OpTic Texas during the Call of Duty League Pro-Am Classic in Columbus.
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