Call of Duty Championship coming in April, promises $1 million purse
Despite all your mother's stern warnings, it looks like all that Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 you've been playing just might pay off, as Activision has announced the Call of Duty Championship. Set to take place April 5-7 in Hollywood, the tournament will pit 32 teams against one another for a chance at the $1 million purse.
Teams will be drawn from several areas, including Xbox Live, Major League Gaming and the Electronic Sports League. Those interested in competing for a spot on Xbox Live may do so by registering for Call of Duty Elite. Starting today, teams of four can then compete on Xbox Live in the February season of Black Ops 2 League Play.
Meanwhile, the top 8 team from the MLG Winter Championship, taking place March 15-17 in Dallas, will also earn spots in the tournament, as will the top 8 teams from the ESL's European Finals, which take place March 16-17 in Cologne, Germany. The final 8 seats will go to international teams "across Asia, Australia, and Brazil." Details for international team entry will be revealed at a later time via the Call of Duty eSports website.
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ACTIVISION AND XBOX PARTNER TO BRING LANDMARK
CALL OF DUTY® eSPORTS COMPETITION TO THE MASSES
WITH THE CALL OF DUTY® CHAMPIONSHIP,
PRESENTED BY XBOX TOURNAMENT
Players to Compete for $1 Million Purse in Worldwide
Call of Duty®: Black Ops II Tournament Taking Place in Hollywood, CA April 5-7
Santa Monica, CA – February 1, 2013 – It's time for gamers the world over to mark their calendars, because the ultimate high-stakes Call of Duty competition is coming this April, forever changing the face of competitive eSports. The Call of Duty Championship, presented by Xbox, featuring a $1 million Call of Duty®: Black Ops II tournament, will take place in Hollywood, CA April 5-7. Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard (Nasdaq: ATVI) and their award-winning studio Treyarch, in partnership with Xbox®, Major League Gaming (MLG) and the Electronic Sports League (ESL) will bring together 32 of the world's most skilled multiplayer teams on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft to compete head-to-head in Call of Duty: Black Ops II in a live-streamed spectacular to be broadcast to the masses.
"More people play Call of Duty multiplayer every day than watch the average regular season game of the NBA. The scale and passion of the Call of Duty fan base is simply humbling, and yet there is no formal way to find out who amongst those millions of players is the best of the best, until now," said Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing. "Watching the performances of the very best Call of Duty players is already a mass spectator sport on YouTube and Call of Duty® Elite. We are going to bring the best players in the world to Hollywood to compete on the ultimate stage, for the ultimate prize. And we are going to invite our entire worldwide fan base to join in the fun."
Beginning today, players interested in participating in the tournament can go to https://elite.callofduty.com/esports and register for a free Call of Duty Elite account – it takes just a few seconds. Once registered, teams of four can vie for entry into the Call of Duty Championship, presented by Xbox tournament by competing in the February season of League Play in Call of Duty: Black Ops II on Xbox LIVE®, which opens today. Following the close of the February season, the top eight eligible teams will earn coveted spots in the Call of Duty Championship, presented by Xbox, including a trip to Hollywood this April to compete for the $1 million tournament purse.
"It's an absolute honor to have players and fans celebrate the thrill of competition on such a grand stage," said Mark Lamia, Treyarch studio head. "From the very beginning of development for Call of Duty: Black Ops II, we committed to making eSports an integral part of the game, and it's going to be awesome to watch the best teams in the world battle it out for everyone to see."
Additionally, teams competing in the recently announced MLG 2013 Pro Circuit featuring Call of Duty: Black Ops II (www.majorleaguegaming.com) will vie for a chance to enter the Call of Duty Championship, presented by Xbox. At the MLG Winter Championship, March 15-17, in Dallas, Texas, the top eight teams will earn trips to Hollywood to play against the best Call of Duty players in the world. Joining them will be eight winning teams from the ESL's European Finals (http://cod.esl.eu) taking place March 16-17, in the famous ESL Arena live eSports Studios in Cologne, Germany.
Remaining seats in the 32-team tournament will be made available internationally across Asia, Australia, and Brazil, with territory-specific qualification details to be revealed locally as they become available and at https://elite.callofduty.com/esports.
Further details on the Call of Duty Championship, presented by Xbox, including full rules and regulations, Call of Duty: Black Ops II maps and modes for the tournament, prizing distribution, travel accommodations and more will be made available at https://elite.callofduty.com/esports.
