Starting on December 1st, PlayStation gamers will be able to compete in ladder tournaments against other players for clout and prizes. Dubbed the “Win-A-Thon,” the ladder tournaments for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 run from December 1st to January 31st and can be entered via the Events page on each console.
Sony seems to be making it deliberately simple to use this feature, giving it some front-and-center attention on the homescreen. After all, new features don’t mean much if you can’t find them (RIP Accolades).
The ladder and overall ranking are separated by the region you’re playing in, with ranking determined by total number of wins and placement in the ladder for a specific tournament in either the sports or fighting game categories. The tournaments will take place at different times and include different games to include as many players as possible.
The PlayStation 5 Win-A-Thon will only support three games for its tournament (FIFA 23, Guilty Gear Strive, and NBA 2K23), but contestants on the PlayStation 4 have a greater selection of titles to compete in, including Mortal Kombat 11, Street Fighter V, Tekken 7, and more. For a full breakdown of the rules, prizes, and games you can compete in, you can check out the fine print for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.
The only thing required to compete is a console and an active PlayStation Plus membership. Besides that, there’s no cost to enter, so you technically have nothing to lose except your pride. But if you’re interested in potentially getting schooled, you still stand to win some decent loot.
Players competing on the PlayStation 5 have a shot at winning prizes like a DualSense Edge Wireless Controller or Pulse 3D wireless headset. However, the real draw here seems to be the prize pool for PlayStation 4 players, with the top four contestants earning a PlayStation 5. Some of the runner-up prizes include cash, premium in-game currency, and digital “not-NFTs” for participation. The prize pool can also vary based on your region or which game you’re competing in, but you can check the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 leaderboards for more information.
Sony had its first on-console tournament back in 2016, and it’s unclear whether we’ll see more events like this in the future. For now, though, this seems like an interesting distraction, if only to see how you stack up against higher-caliber players.