DreamHack returns once more, but as an online show starting today. In lieu of being a live-person event, the organizers have revealed DreamHack Beyond, a “hybrid festival and online multiplayer game” for participants to explore the showcase and cheer on teams from the safety of home.
The DreamHack Beyond game was created by Super Crowd. The developer has been behind other multiplayer expo games for events like gamescom and the Hamburg Games Conference Online 2021. Similar to those previous events, DreamHack Beyond is sort of like a role-playing game. You created an online avatar and guide them through digital hallways with varying themes.
One such example from the trailer showed something like a post-apocalyptic Pac-Man board, with a giant, stone head of its hungry protagonist lording over the attendees. There’s also experience points to gain and loot to discover.
Grabbing that real-life loot
The show begins today and will last until July 31. DreamHack has been known for years to provide many esports tournaments across a bevvy of games, and this year will be no different. There will be over $30,000 USD “in cash prizes” on offer across games like League of Legends (July 24), Fortnite, Heroes of the Storm, Valorant, and… Among Us? I didn’t know crawling through vents could be an esport.
There are other things going on besides esports. This year’s DreamHack will have its “first-ever Speedrun series.” The organizers have teamed up with Warp World to present speedruns from across eras, starting with 8-bit before moving onto to the vastly superior 16-bit era. DreamHack will also include music performances by artists like Hyper Potions (Sonic Mania, Rocket League) and Qlank.
You can watch these events and within the Beyond game. It’s starting off at 1 PM ET with an opening show. You can check out all the included events through the online schedule.
