Japan has been a pillar of the broader videogames industry for decades. Companies like Sony and Nintendo have been pivotal parts of the growth of gaming since the early days. When it comes to esports, however, Japan has been more follower than innovator. Restrictive gambling and advertising laws prevented organizers and developers from supporting tournaments with large prize pools.

In the last year, however, some of those restrictions have been loosened, opening the door for companies to more actively grow Japan’s esports industry. The Esports Observer spoke to the CEO of one such company, PlayBrain’s Mike Sheetal, about one of Japan’s major esports growth opportunities: broadcast technology.

After months of waiting, Battlefield V‘s long-promised (but conspicuously absent) battle royale mode is nearly here. DICE and EA plan to make Firestorm available on March 25th to all players, and they’ve shed more light on what the mode will involve in a reveal trailer (below). The 64-player experience will take place on the largest Battlefield map to date, Halvoy, and will grant access to some rather unusual advantages if you complete objectives. Apparently, a farm tractor carrying artillery is one of your options. You can also expect helicopters, tanks and one-time perks like V-1 strikes.

As shown in a leaked clip, Firestorm still embodies most of the familiar traits of battle royale games. Once you’ve dropped into the map, you have to scrounge for gear (sorted by different quality levels) and fend off enemies as you’re pushed closer and closer together by the namesake Firestorm. You still have the chance of being revived like in most titles, although you’ll get a Battlefield-style sidearm to fend off people while you’re down.

One month ago during a fourth-quarter earnings call, Activision confirmed that a city-based franchising model would come to Call of Duty Esports next year. New information has now surfaced on just how much the franchise buy-in will cost organizations.

Sources told ESPN staff writer Jacob Wolf that Activision Blizzard has begun shopping next year’s Call of Duty franchise spots at $25 million per team. According to Wolf, this past week’s negotiations between Activision and prospective buyers are heating up. Wolf states that Activision “has asked potential buyers for a non-binding indication of interest within the next 14 days.”