GT Academy to Turn Indian Gamers Into Professional Racers Again This Year

It looks like the Mortal Kombat X Cup is not the only video game tournament to take place in India this year. GT Academy, the collaboration between Sony and Nissan, will be back.

GT Academy is an effort to turn fans of Sony's seminal racing series Gran Turismo into professional race car drivers. Last year saw India's best compete in online qualifications as well as live events for a spot to compete on at a global level. The India event debuted last year, while internationally, it has seen six seasons.

There are several qualification rounds before a winner is selected. According to IndianVideoGamer these include:

• Online qualifications conducted within Gran Turismo 6 from April to June.
  

• Live events held across major cities, where gamers can set their best times.
  

• Top 10 online qualifiers and 10 live event qualifiers will head to the national finals.
  

• From 20 national finalists, six will qualify for the Race Camp at a famous race circuit, like Silverstone in the UK, where they will then compete in the regional finals.

The regional champion will undergo Nissan's intensive Driver Development Programme and get an opportunity to participate in the Dubai 24 Hours race held in January 2016.

This year sees India's best drivers up against those from Thailand, Japan, the Philippines and Indonesia. Last year saw India clubbed alongside countries like Mexico, Australia, and Middle East.

If you want to get a head start, online qualifiers begin on Tuesday. In Gran Turismo 6 on the PS3, select Special Events and choose GT Academy 2015. You can qualify online until June 2 across four rounds.

Though Sony is yet to confirm any offline, on ground events for the GT Academy, you can expect an official announcement soon.