Microsoft Excel as an esport? This is the Financial Modeling World Cup.



Last weekend, ESPN and Sky Atlantic welcomed a new event to their sports line up, putting a spotlight on an unlikely esport that is snowballing in popularity. Instead of battling it out over League of Legends or DOTA 2, the participants solve complex problems using Excel, which is a powerful spreadsheet program within Microsoft’s Office suite.

The organizers Financial Modeling World Cup (FMWC) likened the competition to an escape room quest, “but you’re in an Excel file and have 30 mins to get out!” The Excel Championship has built up quite the following on Twitch and YouTube, and the past weekend marked their big launch onto a mainstream TV channel via ESPN2. It would appear that the contest also enjoys Microsoft’s backing, too.





Source link