As more people are forced to stay home as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, esports companies are seeing increased viewership on their platforms. Torque Esports’ tournament platform and game studio experienced such growth last week.

UMG Gaming, an online tournament and esports platform owned by Torque, saw a 52 percent increase in website visits. Meanwhile, video clips on its Twitter account saw a 3,600 percent increase in views. The UMG Platform also saw a 38 percent increase in daily logged-in users.

Last week, UMG Gaming hosted the opening round of the Overwatch Collegiate Clash. The tournament features eight of the best college teams in the country. In the opening round, the University of Utah defeated Mississippi State. This week, UMG Gaming is set to launch its collegiate Rocket League tournament.

The company also hosted the second round of The Race All-Star Esports Battle. We wrote about the record-breaking first round last week, but the second tournament featured 60 drivers and a prize-pool of $10,000. The All-Star Esports Battle brings together professional esports racers and real-world drivers.

Since its launch, UMG Gaming has attracted more than 1.2 billion page views and 25 million video views. The platform has paid out more than $3 million in prize money and streams its tournaments on Twitch.

French game studio Eden Games, also owned by Torque Esports, saw its game downloads increase by 216 percent in March. Its driving game ‘Gear.Club’ will soon enter its third season. As  last year, the winner of the competition will take home a prize worth $1 million.

“The current COVID-19 issue is a tragic situation,” said Darren Cox, President and CEO of Torque Esports. “But as part of the ‘stay at home economy’ – more and more people are turning to gaming as other forms of entertainment are canceled.”

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