U.S. Army staging a Street Fighter 5 tournament; winner competing at PAX

The U.S. Army is getting into esports.

The Army announced this week that it will stage a worldwide Street Fighter 5 tournament, open to all active-duty service members, beginning July 28. Tournaments will be held at eight garrisons and streamed live.

Soldiers at Fort Bliss, Fort Gordon, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Fort Wainwright, Fort Riley, U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys, U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria, and Fort Knox will participate. Winners in each tournament (double-elimination format) will advance to a grand final at PAX West in Seattle on Sept. 1.

“The competition will develop Soldiers’ outlook and overall fitness using current technology,” said a statement from the Army. “Soldiers train for the competition by improving hand-eye coordination, mental focus and reaction time. These skills help improve a Soldier’s overall readiness to help with normal job duties.”

Fort Bliss, N.M. is home to the 1st Armored Division. Fort Gordon is the base of operations for the Army Signal Corps. Joint Base Lewis-McChord, in Tacoma, Washington, is an Army and Air Force installation. Fort Wainwright is in Alaska and the headquarters of the 25th Infantry Division. Garrisons Humphreys and Bavaria are in South Korea and Germany, respectively. Fort Riley is in Kansas, home to the First Infantry Division — the Big Red One.

Fort Wainwright’s Morale, Welfare and Recreation has more details. The tournament is sponsored by MGM Resorts and USAA.