Archery joins Olympic Esports Series with mobile game Tic Tac Bow
Archery has been announced as one of the nine initial sports included in the 2023 Olympic Esports Series with the brand-new mobile game Tic Tac Bow, developed by Refract Technologies.
The game puts a strategic spin on the sport by combining the traditional requirement for accuracy with the choices of the classic pen-and-paper game of tic-tac-toe. The goal is to mark three targets in a line by hitting targets in the three-by-three grid – but players can steal targets from their opponent by hitting a higher score on any target that’s already claimed.
Tic Tac Bow will host the first virtual world championships for the sport of archery. Starting in mid-April with in-app online qualifiers, gamers worldwide will compete to win the World Archery Tic Tac Bow Championships.
Eight players will qualify for the Olympic Esports Finals, which are scheduled to take place during Olympic Esports Week in Singapore on 22-25 June. Six will come from the virtual world championships and two from physical Olympic Esports Series Qualifiers, which will take place in April and May and feature some of the world’s best archers.
Tic Tac Bow is out now for Android devices and coming soon to iOS.
More information on the World Archery Tic Tac Bow Championships, archery in the Olympic Esports Series and the Olympic Esports Series Qualifiers will be released soon.
Tic Tac Bow combines the accuracy of archery with the traditional game of tic-tac-toe.
Players must claim three targets in a row – horizontally, vertically or diagonally – to win.
But targets can be stolen from an opponent by hitting a higher score.
World Archery president Prof Dr Ugur Erdener said:
“Archery’s 20,000-year-plus history takes a bold step into the future with our inclusion in the first-ever Olympic Esports Series. From physical finals fields to the virtual arena, this project marks the start of a digital journey that will help bring the excitement, enjoyment and strong values of archery to a new generation of athletes – and gamers.”
Refract Technologies chief executive officer Michael Chng said:
“We’re excited to combine the worlds of archery and gaming with this brand-new strategic twist on the sport. Accessible to gamers and archery fans anywhere on their mobile phones, Tic Tac Bow gives players around the world a chance to win the first-ever World Archery Tic Tac Bow Championships – and a trip to Singapore for the Olympic Esports Finals.”
