If you’re a PlayStation Gran Turismo phenom (who isn’t?) then Nissan is looking for you as part of a program that provides literally thousands of gamers a chance to compete in an official FIA championship.
Despite that recently the World Health Organization added ‘gaming disorder’ to their roster is global issues, we’re pretty sure gamers locked in their basements missed the memo. As Nissan puts it, “These guys have gone from the couch to the cockpit and broken the traditional model of how to become a successful racing driver.”
FIA-certified Gran Turismo Manufacturers Series Championship
So this is a real thing (read more here). Created by Sony PlayStation in partnership with the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile, the GT Sport championships are the first online esports racing championships sanctioned by the FIA.
Nissan will send the top drivers to the NISMO Festival at the Fuji International Speedway in Japan and to the Tokyo headquarters of the game’s developer, Polyphony Digital.
The automaker feels that some of the fastest drivers on the planet, from their Nissan GT Academy, never get a chance to hit a real race track. So here’s their chance.
“The level of competition is incredibly fierce,” Nissan adds. “And we’re now seeing that online racing is not only an alternative to the real thing. To be recognized as an official FIA Manufacturers Series Champion through GT Sport is an incredible opportunity, and we’re looking forward to having some of the best gamers in the world represent Nissan.”
