Gaming for Inclusion 2022 Arrives in September

Microsoft is partnering with the Special Olympics for the second annual Gaming for Inclusion esports event, which arrives in September.

“Following its successful debut in 2021, Gaming for Inclusion 2022 will bring together Special Olympics athletes and Unified partners to compete in Rocket League on Xbox and PC for the chance to play alongside Special Olympics celebrity supporters,” Microsoft’s Jeff Hansen writes. “Gaming for Inclusion is a virtual, multi-day esports tournament giving people the opportunity to compete for something far greater than first place — the power of inclusion. The tournament will engage and connect people of all abilities from Canada and the United States.”

Xbox sees this event as just part of its larger goal of making gaming more inclusive and welcoming to all players. It also empowers Special Olympics athletes to compete in a new way, and this year’s event will feature a leadership opportunity for three Special Olympics athletes—Amber Gertsch, Ben Gregory, and Jose Moreno—to become esports “shoutcasters” and hosts for the Celebrity Showcase. Each will travel to Redmond ahead of the event for an immersive, two-day training with esports broadcasters.

Gaming for Inclusion 2022’s gaming competitions will be hosted through Microsoft’s esports platform Start.gg. Viewers can live stream the events—the Rocket League Tournament on Saturday, September 10, and the Celebrity Showcase the following Saturday—on the official Xbox Twitch channel and the Special Olympics YouTube channel.