Esports in Fukuoka’s high school: how HADO combines a physical game with virtual reality
Esports developer meleap Inc. announced that its high-tech sports game HADO will become a part of extracurricular activities at Fukuoka Daiichi High School starting from October 26 2019.
What is HADO?
HADO is a new sport in which players, wearing augmented reality (AR) headsets and arm sensors, use virtual “energy balls” and “shields” to contend with an opponent in 80-second match.
Combining a real-life physical game with virtual reality, it is played by two teams, with three players in each team.
While HADO is played by more than 1.6 million people worldwide as of today, the practice of integrating esports into high school extracurricular activities is the first of its kind in the world. The school in Fukuoka has already built a sports court in its classroom for HADO matches.
HADO competitions take place more than 90 times in a year, with teams from around the world gathering in Japan every year to participate in HADO World Cup. Meanwhile, the integration of HADO as extracurricular sport in a high school is viewed as a sign of Fukuoka’s leading role and commitment to high-tech sports development.