It's been said that victory is its own reward, but prize money can also be a decent motivator. How much motivation, then, can a few hundred grand muster up? With the announcement of the Injustice 2 Championship Series, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment intends to find out.

The event begins on May 26, just a short time after the DC fighting game releases, and will span multiple tournaments, with a massive combined prize pool of $600,000. Warner Bros. is partnering with ESL, Gamelta, esports Professional League, Gamestop, Sony, and Twitch for the events. All players who participate will be competing on the PlayStation 4 version of the game.

Twitch will be live broadcasting the Injustice 2 Pro Series when it begins on May 26. The season will last four months, leaving 16 finalists to go on to compete in the finals in Los Angeles on September 17.

Warner Bros. has been dolling out Injustice 2 media liberally since the game was announced, which has surely been riling up eager contenders and non-pro gamers alike. The latest bit of promotional material was a preview of a few upcoming DLC characters, which include Starfire, Red Hood, and Mortal Kombat's own Sub-Zero.

Not that Injustice 2 even needs additional fighters, as it already sports a solid roster. Among the list of playable characters available from the get-go are some of DC's best villains. Players will be able to face, and play as, classic villains like Scarecrow, Captain Cold, and Black Adam. The sequel's big bad was recently revealed to be one of Superman's greatest enemies, Brainiac. A contender for DC's most powerful evildoer, Darkseid, is also joining the ranks, but currently only available as a pre-order bonus.

And, of course there couldn't be an Injustice 2 game without Joker -- at least that's what NetherRealm and Warner Bros. seem to believe. The Joker will be making a rather shoehorned return to the series, with a very different aesthetic that is somewhat reminiscent of Jared Leto's recent iteration of the character.

With so many characters, good and bad, those competing in the Injustice 2 Champion Series will have plenty to choose from -- all with their own abilities and strategies. It should make for an interesting tournament for those viewing. But let's face it, everyone really just wants to see who rises to the top to earn that sweet prize money.

Injustice 2 is set to release on May 16, 2017 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.