Gamers looking for a more competitive bout of PlanetSide 2 are in luck: Sony Online Entertainment announced that the free-to-play massively multiplayer online first-person shooter will be a part of Major League Gaming.

The year-long collaboration with the eSports league will produce new competitive gameplay features, original programming to air on MLG’s network (as well as on video game livestream site Twitch), and chances to play the game at MLG’s Pro Circuit events – the first one being held at the Winter Championship in Dallas on March 15-17.

"PlanetSide 2 players are extremely loyal to their chosen Empires and when it comes to battling, they are beyond competitive and truly enjoy the in-game rivalries, so it was the natural next step for us to bring PlanetSide 2 to the most competitive eSports organization," says John Smedley, president of Sony Online Entertainment. "We're excited for this opportunity to work with MLG and are confident that their competitive gaming expertise can turn PlanetSide 2 into a premiere eSports platform, allowing us to extend the game experience and deliver new ways for players to interact with other players and the broader community, while helping to further diversify and grow our audience." 

While no start date is set, SOE said players can expect to compete in PlanetSide 2 on MLG’s GameBattles portal soon.

For those excited about getting into competitive Planetside 2, don’t miss out on this weekend’s live event, Ultimate Empire Showdown, being hosted in Culver City, CA on January 25, 2013. Check out the official Planetside 2 page for all of the details.