When plans were announced at Oculus Connect 4 for a first-person shooter style game from Ready At Dawn, the developers of award-winning titles Echo Arena and Lone Echo, fans were thrilled. Echo Combat was released a little over a year later, in November 2018, and an announcement was made a few months later that it would be included in season 3 of the VR League, which was sponsored by Oculus and run by ESL.
The game didn’t see as much success as its sister game Echo Arena, the fast-paced sport zero-gravity game that is widely proclaimed as the first true VR esport. There was a struggle to bring players into new VR games and this continued into 2019. Some games received more attention than others and Combat got a little lost in the shuffle.
Enthusiasts and ardent supporters of the game continued to get together for regular matches and invite new players to the community, but it remained a challenge. Then in 2020, Echo Combat devotees were thrilled that Echo Arena was being ported to the Oculus Quest and they had hopes that Combat would soon follow.
Unfortunately those plans were dashed in a September 4, 2020 dev log post where developers made it clear that they were not working to bring Echo Combat to the Quest or the Quest 2.
Once again Echo Combat players showed determination and perseverance worthy of any brave Echo unit. They arranged trainings, organized pick up nights, and established a league. The game’s population is beginning to rise again, partly due to the increased awareness that the game can be played on the Oculus Quest with a Link cable.
Enter Echo Combat Mega League
Last year several enthusiastic Combat players got together and formed Echo Combat Mega League. League co-founder Flux states that when Echo Combat was first released, it quickly became the only game he wanted to play and explains why he helped form the league.
“Many hours were spent just playing public matches and loving every aspect of the game,” says the 31-year-old from Kentucky. “I loved playing competitively and playing with others who enjoyed the game as much as I do.”
Flux helped create the league to provide opportunities for others to enjoy this great game and hopes it will become a popular option for other fans of the game.
“I really push for all players, of all skill levels to join in on the fun,” he adds. “With the help of other ECML moderators, we plan to host and coach competitive bootcamps and training days for newer players.”
Echo Combat Mega League registration will be open March 8 through 21 with season 2 officially launching on March 22. During the next two weeks, players have an opportunity to join the community, play the game, form teams, and train with veteran players.
Key Dates
- March 8 – Registration Begins
- March 21 – Registration Ends
- March 22 – Echo Combat Mega League Season 2 Begins
Players of all skill levels are encouraged to join and participate, according to Vibinator, co-founder of the Echo Combat Mega League (ECML).
“This season will truly be MEGA,” he states, adding that they’ll feature the first ever 5v5 tournament in Combat history.
Typically the game is played as a 4v4 on a variety of capture point or payload maps with a selection of loadouts that include weapons, tactical mods, and ordnance. 5v5 brings an extra level of excitement to this already fast-paced first-person shooter.
With the launch of Echo Combat Mega League on March 22, even new players have nearly a month to learn the mechanics of the game, find a team, and register for Season 2. Whether you want to play just for fun or try your hand at competitive VR esports, players can engage with the community, ask questions, and learn more at the Echo Combat Lounge and in the Echo Games community server.
