HADO Singapore’s upcoming tournament lets you fight for charity through digital dodgeball

Despite its prevalent portrayal in pop culture, esports isn’t all just sitting down in front of RGB-lit computer rigs while fighting through the pain of carpal tunnel syndrome. Sometimes, it involves dashing around a small court throwing sparkly virtual fireballs at each other with a smartphone strapped to your face. 

Jokes aside, the HADO augmented reality game is actually pretty fun. The company calls it “digital dodgeball” but it’s more than that — HADO is roughly a fusion of elements from Halo, Tron and high-intensity interval training. Teams battle by shooting virtual projectiles at each other, while the ability to produce virtual shields adds some strategic complexity to a match, which lasts only 80 seconds. 

Video gaming while working up a sweat? No wonder Sport Singapore’s dropping mad support behind HADO. As part of the statutory board’s GetActive! Singapore campaign, the HADO CSR Challenge 2019 will have corporate teams battle each other in the name of charity. 

Sure, the prize pool won’t be as massive as The International’s millions of dollars, but at least all of the money in the kitty will go towards good causes. How it works is that each corporate team (of three to four players) will be required to toss $2,000 into the prize purse and select a beneficiary organisation to fight for. The top four teams at the end of the tournament will have the prize pool proceeds getting donated to their chosen beneficiary as well as the One Team Singapore Fund to help out national athletes in their training. 

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyEziSaeAOs[/embed]

Oh, and noobs don’t have to worry because HADO Singapore will get its coaches to train teams ahead of the actual tournament that’ll be held on the afternoon of August 8 at Kallang Wave Mall. Deets available here. Do it for the kids, people. 

ilyas@asiaone.com