Warriors play on the e-sports field

Ben Matulino playing Call of Duty (Newshub.)
Ben Matulino playing Call of Duty (Newshub.)

A dark room with a smoke machine isn't the Warriors' usual office, but this time they're playing with a console rather than a ball.

Albert Vete and Ben Matulino are two of six Warriors facing off during this six-week video game tournament: Call of Duty, Infinite Warfare.

"This is my team, Team Crucial, we're going to take out this competiton," said Albert Vete.

"We're going to rush, blitz, that's our game plan tonight."

It's a hobby Vete says fuels a healthy rivalry.

"I'm like man, he played a really good game last night on the game, and I'm like, gotta beat him on the field."

But they're not here just for fun. The team are trying to get more fans, more sponsorship, more cash.

Organiser Duane Mutu says some of the biggest sporting organisations are crossing into e-sports like Manchester United, La clippers, Philadelphia 76ers.

"One of the things with traditional sports is that the millennial audience isn't following them through. But they're already sitting over in e-sports, bringing them through into their brand and as they older they convert into being fans of those more traditional sports," Mr Mutu said.

The sports teams all want a slice of that e-sports pie, which grows by about 40 percent each year worldwide. And it's not just the Warriors who want in - it's their broadcaster as well.

Sky Sport is also interested in the growth market. They're broadcasting every second of this tournament - their second big gaming event - and expects 350,000 eyeballs on TV and online.

They're the kind of numbers the Warriors would not turn down.

"We need as many fans as we can get," Vete says.

Newshub.