Sega to launch eSports version of Puyo Puyo series

Sega, the pioneering Japanese gaming company, is planning to launch the eSports version of its popular game series Puyo Puyo. The new version will be recognised by Japan’s official eSports union. The game, titled Puyo Puyo eSports, first will be available in Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 from October. An arcade version is also on the cards.

Puyo Puyo eSports looks very similar in presentation to 2014’s Puyo Puyo Tetris, minus the Tetris component. The esports-focused spin on the blob-dropping puzzle game takes its rules from two previous entries: Puyo Puyo 2 (first released in 1994) and Puyo Puyo Fever (first released in 2003). Puyo Puyo eSports will feature 24 characters from across the franchise.

The new version of Puyo Puyo is authorized by the Japan esports Union (JeSU), an organisation established in cooperation with the Japanese government that aims to promote and disseminate esports in the country, as well as provide actual licenses for professional players. The organisations members include developers and publishers such as Arc System Works, Bandai Namco, Capcom, Konami, Microsoft and Sony Interactive Entertainment.

The chairman of JeSU, Hideki Okamura, is also president and chief operating officer of Sega Holdings, parent company of publisher Sega.

Puyo Puyo eSports will be released digitally in Japan on October 25, priced at 1,999 yen (15.25 Euro’s).