Unreal Tournament 2003

In 2291, consensual murder is legalized, paving the way for a previously underground event. Smaller mining companies have already held smaller competitions to channel their aggression, but now the Liandri Mining Corporation has established a professional league that is quickly proving to be an extremely lucrative entertainment venture. Liandri entered the tournament, as it is officially called, and sponsored its own team, the Corrupt. The Corrupt's leader, Xan Kriegor, quickly became champion and held that status for two years. In 2293, a human named Malcolm dethroned him and became champion himself. Malcolm is a major media figure and is hailed as the greatest star in human history and revered like a god. His success brings great profits to his sponsor and attracts the attention of jealous competitors both in the arenas of the tournament and in the corridors of power in another galaxy. Liandri tried to regain the championship title with Xan MK2, but failed (what the other participants didn't know: every member of the Corrupt is a pure robot, including Xan). Now it's 2302, and the tournament is undergoing a massive overhaul. The aging sniper rifle (a relic from centuries past) is being removed from the tournament, as is "Assault" - a team-based event that is part of the competition. Many fans of the tournament complain about these changes, and some fighters refuse to participate in the new format. Malcolm hired two of his former opponents (Brock and Lauren, members of the former Iron Guard team) as teammates in his reformed Thunder Crash team shortly after his victory. But Axon Research Corporation, another of the big four, also entered the tournament, sponsoring the gene-enhanced Juggernaut team led by the brutal and cruel Gorge.