The Gears of War esports scene just downed an energy shot courtesy of traditional sports. NRG Esports, whose investors include sports greats Shaquille O'Neal, Alex "A-Rod" Rodriguez and Jimmy Rollins, has signed a competitive squad for the upcoming Gears of War 4. The announcement, posted Wednesday on the Gears of War website, lists the new five-man roster: Christopher Stephen "Xavier Celsius" Hill, Marvin "Sir Sicamore" Moya, Yadiel "Sleepytime" Hidalgo, Frank Wesley "KO" Tibbs Jr. and Marion "Twist3DShot" Haynes.
The team will compete in the upcoming Gears Esports Pro Circuit, an international tournament series with an overall prize pool of $1 million.
NRG Esports has been rapidly growing over the last year, thanks in part to its high profile investors. NRG has squads in League of Legends, Overwatch, Smite, Counter-Strike and more, and now adds Gears to its ever-expanding stable of esports.
The newly minted NRG squad is no pushover either, with five players who have competed at the highest level in Gears. Every member of the team boasts a top-four finish at a previous tournament, and all are early frontrunners in the Gears 4 scene.