Major League Gaming today announced a partnership with ESPN to bring a Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournament to X Games Aspen in January 2015. This is the first time competitive gaming will make an appearance at X Games Aspen, though MLG had previously partnered with ESPN for an esports tournament at the first-ever X Games Austin earlier this year.

The Global Offensive tournament will take place in Aspen, Colorado January 23-25, 2015. You can watch the action through MLG.tv, while highlights will appear on ESPN and ABC, as well as through X Games digital and social platforms.

MLG says the top eight Global Offensive teams from across North America and Europe will compete during the X Games Aspen tournament. Winners will receive medals, just like athletes competing in winter sports such as skiing, snowboarding, and snowmobiling.

If you want to catch the Global Offensive action in-person at X Games Aspen, MLG will sell premium passes through its website. These passes include reserved seating, a behind-the-scenes tour of the grounds, and a gift bag stuffed with MLG merchandise. Pricing was not disclosed, though you can find out more about these passes at MLG's website.

The announcement of the Global Offensive tournament at X Games Aspen today comes not long after ESPN president John Skipper made some dismissive comments about esports.

"It's not a sport--it's a competition. Chess is a competition. Checkers is a competition," Skipper said in September. "Mostly, I'm interested in doing real sports."

MLG is making numerous and significant moves of late. Earlier this year, the group announced expansion plans for Brazil, and later revealed an effort to build the world's first dedicated gaming arena off the coast of China. In addition, MLG just recently opened the first permanent gaming arena in the United States.

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