Microsoft‘s Xbox will be partnering with Special Olympics once again for its second annual Gaming for Inclusion Esports event.
Xbox partnered with Special Olympics in 2021 to create the Gaming for Inclusion Esports tournament, the very first event that became the culmination of nearly a decade of Xbox and Special Olympics working as partners to empower differently-abled athletes to compete and commentate on games.
It also teamed up with athletes and celebrities in various competitions featuring popular games like Madden NFL 22, Forza Motorsport 7 and Rocket League. Last year’s event saw Jamaal Charles, Jayson Tatum and other WWE superstars compete alongside Special Olympics athletes.
Jeff Hansen, general manager of Strategic Brand Partnerships at Xbox, said in a blog post, “We’re honored to again partner with Special Olympics International for the second annual Gaming for Inclusion event this September. This year, Microsoft is empowering Special Olympics athletes to participate beyond the playing field by providing hands-on training as on-air talent to host and shoutcast in the tournament broadcast on the official Xbox Twitch channel. Microsoft is committed to supporting Special Olympics in their mission to be a movement led by athletes and raise awareness for people with intellectual disabilities across areas such as sports and leadership.”
Gaming for Inclusion 2022 will take place on two Saturdays from September 10th to 17th. The main Rocket League tournament will kick things off and the finals will take place afterwards.
The event will once again feature Special Olympics athletes and Unified partners in online games competitions as well as doing commentary and interviews.
Jamaal Charles is set to return for this year’s event with TikTok influencer vaultboy and various other WWE Superstars.
The event will be live-streamed on both the official Xbox Twitch channel and the Special Olympics YouTube channel.
Isa Muhammad is a writer and video game journalist covering many aspects of entertainment media including the film industry. He's steadily writing his way to the sharp end of journalism and enjoys staying informed. If he's not reading, playing video games or catching up on his favourite TV series, then he's probably writing about them.
