For years, Honda has been a surprisingly major presence in the world of esports. The company was once the “” of the League of Legends Championship Series, and of Team Liquid — one of the series’ most competitive teams. But while slapping a brand on might grant you entrance to a younger buyer’s , it isn’t always enough to make them enthusiastic about your product.

To make that leap, Honda is going straight for the entry level. The automaker has set up a series of open tournaments, across multiple games, to try and build its brand with a younger demographic. But the tournaments, and their prizes, don’t seem to speak to the car enthusiast crowd — Honda is targeting gamers, and gamers only.

Honda’s tournaments will run in three games: NHL 22, Forza Horizon 5, and Tetris Effect. The Forza tie-in is natural, with a car brand running race tournaments in a car video game. NHL 22, while not as natural, at least captures the coveted sports gamer audience. Tetris Effect seems like the odd one of the bunch — but, as a game beloved by non-automotive gaming audiences, it can capture a market that would otherwise be wholly unrelated to the Big H.

Choosing Game Pass games makes sense for Honda, as it lowers the barrier to entry for new participants — the games are free, why not sign up? The prizes, despite not reaching the , are likely to appeal to a more gaming-centric audience: Honda is offering up an Xbox-themed minifridge and Civic Type R-styled controllers for top finishers.

For a pure enthusiast play, this effort from Honda would make little sense. It’s not offering anything that true Car Folks particularly want, and it lacks the automotive focus that draws many a driver to gaming. But for a company looking to promote its commuter cars broadly to younger consumers, it’s a shrewd effort — pairing the highest levels of esports with smaller, more accessible activations.