First-ever global tournament series for Blizzard Entertainment's new
online team brawler joins the Road to BlizzCon®
2015—over $1.2 million in cash and prizes up for grabs
IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
The Nexus portal will soon be transporting the greatest Heroes of the
Storm™ players in the world to a new battleground—BlizzCon®!
Blizzard Entertainment today announced the first-ever global tournament
series for its brand-new free-to-play online team brawler. The
competition will feature regional championship tournaments for the
Americas, Europe, China, Korea, and Taiwan regions, with the top eight
teams duking it out at the Heroes of the Storm World Championship
at BlizzCon on November 6-7 in Anaheim.
The stakes are high, with a total prize pool of over $1.2 million in
cash and prizes—including $500,000 at BlizzCon. The world champion team
will walk away with $200,000—and bragging rights as the best Heroes
of the Storm players in the world.
The Road to BlizzCon kicks off later this month with a tournament in
China, and similar events will be taking place in the Americas
(including North America, Latin America, Southeast Asia, as well as
Australia and New Zealand), Europe, Korea, and Taiwan regions in the
weeks ahead. Everyone is encouraged to gather a team and compete in
their local tournament. Details on how to sign up, as well as further
event-related news, will be posted on www.heroesofthestorm.com.
"We're excited to kick off the inaugural Heroes of the Storm
tournament series, and we can't wait to see the best teams start to
distinguish themselves in battle," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder
of Blizzard Entertainment. "With the world championships for StarCraft
II, World of Warcraft Arena, Hearthstone, and now Heroes
of the Storm underway, 2015 is shaping up to be a great year for
eSports fans."
Officially launching June 2, Heroes of the Storm brings together
a diverse cast of iconic characters from Blizzard's far-flung realms of
science fiction and fantasy, including the Warcraft, StarCraft, and
Diablo® universes, and challenges them to compete
in epic, adrenaline-charged battles. Players can choose from more than
35 Blizzard heroes and customize them to suit their play style, and then
team up with friends to fight across 7 dynamic Battlegrounds—with more
heroes and Battlegrounds on the way. The game features a variety of
gameplay modes for players of every skill level, including a Versus A.I.
mode, in which players face computer-controlled opponents, and highly
competitive draft-style ranked play.
Stay tuned to www.heroesofthestorm.com
for further news on the Heroes of the Storm World Championship
tournament series, including details on how to sign up. You can also
watch the tournament action unfold live on Twitch (www.twitch.tv/blizzheroes).
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 nineteen #1 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.
*Sales and/or downloads, based on internal company records and
reports from key distribution partners.
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 scheduled release dates, 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.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20150514005234/en/
Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
Rob Hilburger, 949-242-8404
VP,
Global Communications
rhilburger@blizzard.com
or
Emil
Rodriguez, 949-955-1380 x12064
Director, Global PR
elrodriguez@blizzard.com
or
Che'von
Slaughter, 949-955-1380 x14338
PR Manager
cslaughter@blizzard.com
Source: Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
News Provided by Acquire Media