Full Tilt targets eSports players with Steam push

Full Tilt has launched a free-to-play client on popular gaming platform Steam as the operator looks to capitalise on the growth of eSports by reaching out to a “whole new market of players”.

The Full Tilt software was submitted to the Steam Greenlight process last week, where users can try out the app and vote on whether or not they would like to see it added permanently to the platform.

While the app will be free-to-play, it will offer users the opportunity to top-up play chips through in-game purchases.

“We want to introduce the game we love to a whole new market of players who already enjoy competition, strategy and online games,” a Full Tilt spokesperson told eGaming Review.

“We believe that poker is a fun, safe and competitive game that anyone can play, and that Steam is a great place to introduce poker to new audiences,” the spokesperson added.

Steam has become the go-to distribution platform for gamers, with more than 125 million active users who buy, download and play popular eSports games including Dota 2 through the software.

While many operators have begun offering betting markets on eSports tournaments, Amaya is understood to see the potential of converting traditional gamers into poker players.

eSports streaming website Twitch, which was acquired by Amazon for $970m last year, has seen massive growth of its poker channel in recent weeks.

Several of the most popular streamers, who broadcast themselves playing tournaments with a short delay to ensure opponents cannot see their hole cards, have links to Amaya brands and most of the play takes place on PokerStars.

In a blog post for Full Tilt, one such streamer, Max Silver, said bringing a poker client to Steam would help grow the game.

“Other poker sites will be watching this move closely and I’d bet a significant amount of money that if Full Tilt successfully makes it through the Greenlight process others will follow,” he said.