Epic conclusion to Blizzard Entertainment's global tournament series
will be streamed live in HD for FREE at www.battle.net/bwc
IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
The epic conclusion to months of intense competition plays out this
weekend at Blizzard Entertainment's Battle.net® World
Championship, where the world's top 32 StarCraft®
II players and top 10 World of Warcraft® Arena
teams will go head-to-head for the title of world champion.
The sold-out event takes place at the Shanghai Expo Mart in Shanghai,
China, before a local audience of more than 10,000, but eSports fans
from around the world can catch all the action live for free via a
six-channel HD broadcast on www.battle.net/bwc.
In North America, the live-stream action starts on Friday, November 16,
at 9:00 p.m. EST / 6:00 p.m. PST, and the second day of broadcasting
begins on Saturday, November 17, at 8:30 p.m. EST / 5:30 p.m. PST.
Cohosted by Blizzard Entertainment and its local partner, NetEase, Inc.,
the Battle.net World Championship is the grand finale to Blizzard's 2012 StarCraft
II World Championship Series, featuring more than 30 national and
continental tournaments, and the World of Warcraft Arena Global
Finals. Over the course of these competitions, millions of eSports fans
around the world watched more than 600 pro players face off for a chance
to represent their home region on the world stage.
"The Battle.net World Championship will be a truly epic finale to a
series that's already featured some unforgettable action," said Mike
Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "It's been a
thrill to watch the world's best StarCraft II and World of
Warcraft players fight for a seat at the event, and we can't wait to
see who's going to win it all."
"We're excited to bring this world-class eSports event to China, and we
feel this is a historic occasion for eSports and the community of gamers
worldwide," said William Ding, CEO of NetEase. "We're looking forward to
some spirited competition and to celebrating our shared passion for
gaming with Chinese players and eSports fans around the globe."
In addition to the intense StarCraft II and World of Warcraft
eSports action, the Battle.net World Championship will host a World
of Warcraft live raid and dungeon challenges featuring two top
Chinese guilds, Stars and Supreme Quicksand, that will be included as
part of the free HD live stream.
The Battle.net World Championship would not be possible without the
enthusiasm of Blizzard gamers around the world and the generous support
of the event's sponsors, including ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) and
Razer.
The latest news and media about the Battle.net World Championship, as
well as detailed StarCraft II finalist and World of Warcraft
Arena team information, can be found at the official Battle.net World
Championship website: www.battle.net/bwc.
About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft®
and the Warcraft®, StarCraft®, and Diablo®
franchises, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com),
a division of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), is a premier developer
and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating some of
the industry's most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard Entertainment's
track record includes fourteen #1-selling games and multiple Game of the
Year awards. The company's online-gaming service, Battle.net®,
is one of the largest in the world, with millions of active players.
About NetEase, Inc.
NetEase, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTES) is a leading China-based Internet
technology company that pioneered the development of applications,
services and other technologies for the Internet in China. NetEase's
online communities and personalized premium services have established a
large and stable user base for the NetEase websites which are operated
by its affiliates. In particular, NetEase provides online game services
to Internet users through its in-house development or licensing of
massively multi-player online role-playing games, including Fantasy
Westward Journey, Westward Journey Online II and III, Tianxia
III, Heroes of Tang Dynasty, Datang and Ghost, as well
as the licensed Blizzard Entertainment games World of Warcraft
and StarCraft II.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking
Statements: Information in this press release that involves
Blizzard Entertainment's expectations, plans, intentions, or strategies
regarding the future, including statements about the Battle.net World
Championship, are forward-looking statements that are not facts and
involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause
Blizzard Entertainment'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 Blizzard Entertainment and Activision
Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Blizzard
Entertainment 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 Blizzard
Entertainment 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.
Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
Lisa Jensen
Vice President,
Global Public Relations
949-854-6200 dir
949-854-7900 fax
ljensen@blizzard.com
or
Rob
Hilburger
Global PR Director
949-242-8404 dir
949-854-7900
fax
rhilburger@blizzard.com
or
Bob
Colayco
PR Manager
949-955-1380 x12528 dir
949-854-7900
fax
bcolayco@blizzard.com
Source: Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
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