Activision’s Call of Duty® World League Marks New Era for eSports
September 24 2015 - 10:00AM
Business Wire
New Global eSports League Triples its Prize
Pool to $3 million, Expands Competitive Opportunities for Pros and
Amateurs Alike
Call of Duty Championship Moved to Fall 2016 in
Support of All-New Seasonal Structure
The Arrival of Call of Duty: Black Ops III Will
Mark the Deepest eSports In-Game Integration in Franchise
History
With the upcoming release of Call of Duty®: Black Ops
III, the sequel to the best-selling series in Call of Duty®
history, eSports is poised to expand to new audiences, while
introducing new ways for fans of all skill levels to join the
eSports movement. Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned
subsidiary of Activision Blizzard (Nasdaq: ATVI), and Call of Duty
announced today the creation of the Call of Duty® World League, a
worldwide eSports league by Activision in support of the #1 console
eSports franchise, Call of Duty. The new league marks an
unprecedented commitment by Call of Duty and its dedicated eSports
team to directly support the growing community of eSports fans. The
program will provide a deeper level of engagement with the elite
circuit of professional gamers, while also encouraging casual fans
and aspiring competitors of Call of Duty to enjoy the thrill of
competition across different skill levels.
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“Call of Duty has always been about community, camaraderie and
competition, which drives incredible engagement with the game all
year long. eSports allows us to deliver these moments to our fans
whether they are playing the game themselves or cheering on those
who are,” said Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing, Inc.
“Three years ago, we held the first Call of Duty Championship to
showcase the dedication and skill of Call of Duty players around
the world. Since then, eSports has become a global phenomenon with
more than 120 million people watching online competitive gaming
each year and Call of Duty continues to lead as the top console
eSports franchise in the world.”
Call of Duty World LeagueThe Call of Duty World League
will be comprised of two Divisions – The Pro Division and The
Challenge Division – each of which will feed into the grand finale
of the competitive Call of Duty season, and the biggest event in
console eSports, the Call of Duty Championship. Professional Call
of Duty teams in North America, Europe, and Australia & New
Zealand will battle throughout the year in regional competition
during The Pro Division regular season to earn their ticket to the
Call of Duty Championship, and will compete for the largest
seasonal cash prizes in Call of Duty to date. The Call of Duty
World League Pro Division kicks off competition in January 2016 in
North America, Europe, and Australia & New Zealand.
The Challenge Division will provide a path for amateur and other
aspiring pro players to compete with each other and enhance their
competitive skills as well. The winning teams in The Challenge
Division will also earn a spot in the Call of Duty Championship by
competing in a series of official LAN events.
“Treyarch’s passion for competitive gaming precedes Call of
Duty: Black Ops II, a heritage that inspired us to introduce
dedicated eSports features into the franchise and one that
compelled us to push the boundaries of Call of Duty: Black Ops
III’s offerings beyond anything we’ve delivered before,” said
Mark Lamia, Treyarch studio head. “While our global fan base of
players range from casual to professional, they all share a desire
to compete – some at the highest levels. With Call of Duty:
Black Ops III, we are introducing a series of new features,
like Arena mode that not only accommodate that diversity of play
styles, but also let players see how they stack up against one
another. Treyarch is giving the community of Call of Duty players
new ways to compete and enjoy the thrill of competition.”
Call of Duty ChampionshipFor the first time in its
history, the Call of Duty Championship will move from spring to
fall, taking place in fall of 2016 to give players an extended
amount of time to hone their competitive skills in Call of Duty:
Black Ops III through competing in the Call of Duty World
League regular season.
With the Pro and Challenge Divisions of the Call of Duty World
League there is an unmatched level of series and tournament
combined prizing available. There’s more than $3 million on the
line between series payouts, LAN events, and the Call of Duty
Championship, making it is the biggest total prize pool for Call of
Duty eSports, and more than triple the previous prizing.
Activision has formed a team dedicated to launching and
coordinating the Call of Duty World League, which will start with
the launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops III. Further details
including broadcast, personnel and partnerships will be released at
a later date. For more information on the Call of Duty World
League, announcements about the Call of Duty Championship 2016 and
other Call of Duty eSports news go to
https://www.callofduty.com/esports. Fans can also follow
@eSportsCOD on Twitter.
More information on Call of Duty: Black Ops III can be
found at http://www.callofduty.com/blackops3, on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/Callofduty or on Twitter @Treyarch.
About Activision Publishing,
Inc.Headquartered in Santa Monica, California,
Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading global producer and
publisher of interactive entertainment. Activision maintains
operations throughout the world and is a division
of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), an S&P 500
company. More information about Activision and its products can be
found on the company's website www.activision.com or by following
@Activision.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements:
Information in this press release that involves Activision
Publishing’s expectations, plans, intentions or strategies
regarding the future, including statements about the Call of Duty®
World League and its Divisions, are forward-looking statements that
are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties.
Factors that could cause Activision Publishing’s actual future
results to differ materially from those expressed in the
forward-looking statements set forth in this release include
unanticipated product delays and other factors identified in the
risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard’s most recent annual
report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form
10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon
information available to Activision Publishing and Activision
Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Activision
Publishing nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update
any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements
believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect.
These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of
Activision Publishing or Activision Blizzard and are subject to
risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond
its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from
current expectations.
ACTIVISION, CALL OF DUTY, CALL OF DUTY BLACK OPS, and stylized
roman numeral III are trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. All
other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their
respective owners.
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Activision Publishing, Inc.Robert TaylorPR
Manager310.496.5206robert.taylor@activision.com
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