Yes, you read that right, Microsoft Excel is now not only a spreadsheet software, but an esport as well. You might be a little confused about how spreadsheet software can come into esports, but apparently it can get very competitive.

Microsoft has announced it is sponsoring the ‘Financial Modeling World Cup’, a tournament featuring eight competitors representing different countries. It’s billed as a ‘multiplayer battle’ and will see the participants build financial models and ‘use the most of Excel’s capabilities to solve complex problems in no time’.

Naturally, the esports community has reacted with a mix of humour, interest and bemusement. So how does it all work?

Firstly, financial modeling described by Investopedia as: “The process of creating a summary of a company’s expenses and earnings in the form of a spreadsheet that can be used to calculate the impact of a future event or decision. A financial model has many uses for company executives. Financial analysts most often use it to analyse and anticipate how a company’s stock performance might be affected by future events or executive decisions.”

During this tournament, participants will have 40 minutes to solve a case, prepared by the organising committee. They will have to solve a business case by creating a financial model before answering questions about it.

Intrigued? The Microsoft Excel Financial Modeling World Cup will start on 8th June at 12 PM UTC on the official YouTube channel.