Skillz, the worldwide leader in mobile eSports, today released data on where the most skilled players live in the United States. The study shows which cities’ residents rule over the top of the mobile eSports ecosystem, with Jacksonville, FL claiming the number one spot, followed by Chicago, IL and Nashville, TN rounding out the top three.

All 4 major U.S. regions were represented in the list, with 3 of the top 5 cities located in Florida alone, and the South claiming 14 of the top 25 rankings. The Midwest had a total of eight cities on the list, followed by the West with two cities and the Northeast with one.

Top players by eSports genre came from diverse areas of the country. The best Puzzle, Sports, and Match Three players hailed from Minneapolis, MN, Dallas, TX and Ninnescah, KS, respectively. Both the best Bubble Shooter and best Card players are from the state of New York.

“Skillz has a fantastic user base, and the games really allow you to show off your skills against other competitors,” says Travis Wood, a player hailing from the #26 ranked city of Appleton, Wisconsin. “The Ticketz system also has some great prizes to work toward, on top of the prize money I’ve won so far.”

The rankings for the top cities were calculated using the company’s patented skill rating systems, designed to provide players with fun, fair competition. The unique and comprehensive rating technology differentiates Skillz by collecting and analyzing over 50 data points per minute in real time during live gameplay. The Skillz platform has been built to enable a balanced tournament environment for players at every skill level.

“Exceptional athletes can come from any geography, and eSports competitors are no exception,” says Andrew Paradise, CEO and founder of Skillz. “Skillz empowers anyone to demonstrate that they are a champion, through the democratizing power of mobile gaming.”

With over four billion smartphones now in the hands of consumers and gamers currently spending half their playtime on phones, mobile has rapidly become the world’s primary gaming platform. Skillz has harnessed this trend and now runs more than two million tournaments a day. The company’s first mover advantage on mobile has established Skillz as the clear leader in the mobile gaming industry, which analysts now value at more than PC and console gaming combined. For more information on Skillz-enabled games and implementing mobile eSports competitions, visit www.skillz.com or email launch@skillz.com.

About Skillz
Skillz, the leading mobile eSports platform, connects the world’s 2.6 billion mobile gamers through competition. In 2017, Skillz was named the #1 fastest-growing private company in America by Inc. Magazine, the first eSports company on CNBC’s Disruptor 50, and the only eSports company on the San Francisco Business Times Fast 100. Over 18 million gamers use Skillz to compete in mobile games across 13,000+ game studios. Founded in 2012, Skillz is headquartered in San Francisco and backed by leading venture capitalists as well as the owners of the New England Patriots, Milwaukee Bucks, New York Mets and Sacramento Kings. To learn more, visit www.skillz.com.