Welcome to GameSpot AU's very first Australian tournament--Mausoleum Maul-athon Beta AU!

　　Every time we do a survey of GameSpot AU users, one of the things that is always asked for new feature-wise is the introduction of local Aussie tournaments, similar to what US readers are being offered. Well, we're proud to present our first step into the bright new world of local tournaments, with the unveiling of the Mausoleum Maul-athon AU Beta, GS AU's very first all-Aussie event.

　　Beta? What's all this beta thing, I hear you ask? As GameSpot AU has never had a fully-fledged tournament to call its own as yet, there may still be some issues (mainly technical) that need to be sorted out. So we thought what better way to make sure all the gizmos and widgets on our end work by inviting you--our awesome local community--in joining us in an all-action test run.

　　This tournament is open exclusively to Australian readers of GameSpot, and just like the US versions, will feature dozens of players in a knock-out format which will culminate in a special Tournament TV broadcast. For this first AU Tournament, we've chosen the ever-popular Gears of War. But why Gears of War? It's simple--firstly, we know there are plenty of you out there with a copy. And secondly, as this is our beta run, we needed to choose a game that had been around a while and was tried and tested when it comes to GameSpot tournaments. Gears of War fit the bill perfectly.

　　And despite the fact that this is a beta, there are still prizes on offer, with all members of the winning team each receiving a A$100 gift voucher. Better still, the two finalist teams will have their expert chain sawing skills highlighted to the world when we show highlights of the final match in a special GameSpot AU Tournament TV broadcast, hosted by the GameSpot AU crew.

　　Everything you need to know can be found right here. Registration starts on Wednesday--we're looking for 48 players, so make sure you're ready so you don't miss out on a spot. The tournament itself runs all of next week, so start practicing!