Features Largest Gaming Franchises and eSports Titles - Call of Duty®: Black Ops II on Xbox 360®, League of Legends and StarCraft® II: Heart of the Swarm™
Nearly 1000 of the World's Best Players Compete for $170,000 in Prizes
Competition Streamed LIVE at www.majorleaguegaming.com
NEW YORK, March 6, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The top eSports superstars from around the globe will compete for $170,000 in prizes at the Major League Gaming (MLG) Winter Championship in Dallas from March 15-17. MLG, the world's largest eSports league, will return to Dallas, Texas, for the ninth time to kick off the 10th annual MLG Pro Circuit season. Thousands of fans will descend upon the Dallas Convention Center and hundreds of thousands more will watch online as nearly 1000 of the best video game players in the world compete in the action-packed, three-day tournament. Spectator, VIP and HD online viewing passes are available at http://store.majorleaguegaming.com/.
The Games, Players and Prizing
Call of Duty®: Black Ops II on Xbox 360®: $50,000 in prizes; First place - $20,000: The highly acclaimed franchise returns to the Pro Circuit during the Winter Season. In Dallas, nearly 200 teams will compete in an Open Bracket to secure placement in the Championship Bracket. There they will join teams that qualified from MLG's Winter Championship Bracket Qualifier to compete for $50,000 in prizes. In addition to cash prizes, the top eight teams will earn trips to Hollywood, CA to compete for their share of a $1 million total tournament purse in the Call of Duty® Championship on April 5-7. More information on the Call of Duty Championship, presented by Activision and Xbox tournament can be found here.
League of Legends: Three separate events - $45,000 in Prizes total for North American Summer Promotion Qualifier and International Exhibition:
- The North American Summer Promotion Qualifier - $30,000 in prizes: Four top North American teams who qualified online will receive all expenses paid trips to compete for $30,000 in prizes. The first place team will receive $20,000 and a spot in the May Promotion Tournament into the LCS.
- International Exhibition Tournament - $15,000 in prizes: Four top teams from around the globe including KT Rolster B, Gambit Gaming, Dignitas and Curse will compete in an International Exhibition Tournament for $15,000 in prizes and a first place prize of $10,000.
- Season Three North American League Championship Series (LCS) matches: The LCS matches will feature all eight teams from the North American LCS playing LIVE in person. Over the weekend, each team will play three action-packed matches.
StarCraft® II: Heart of the Swarm™: $75,000 in prizes; First place - $25,000: 32 of the world's best will compete in a StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm exhibition tournament just days after the game is released. 28 players who won their Winter Season Showdowns online including PartinG, Stephano, Mvp, MKP, MC, Taeja and more will join the top four from the MLG 2012 Fall Championship - Life, Leenock, Flash, Bomber - to compete for $75,000 and a first place prize of $25,000.
During the tournament, all Pro Circuit competitors will have the chance to use the Turtle Beach/MLG Tournament Mixers and Ear Force XP-SEVEN and Z-SEVEN headsets.
On Site Spectating
The Winter Championship will deliver an all new event experience with a completely redesigned layout and both VIP and General Admission ticket options. Tickets are now available online. Spectators can:
- Enjoy the competition from three distinct staging areas, including a theater-style arena for Call of Duty: Black Ops II and individual areas for League of Legends and StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm.
- Watch all of the gameplay action on enormous viewing screens that will make spectators feel like they are a part of the tournament and players look larger-than life.
- View the broadcast production like never before. Previously behind the curtain, casters will be on an elevated broadcast platform for fans to watch in real-time.
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Engage in more hands-on opportunities and activities on site. Booths and partner areas and activities include:
-- BenQ, official gaming monitor sponsor of MLG: See how BenQ's professional gaming monitors, designed by legendary gamers, will take your game to the next level. Why play when you can conQuer! Tournament monitors available at $169 - RL2450HT; $179 - RL2455HM - Purchase of 4 or more for $159.00 each and $349 - XL2420T.
-- Dr Pepper, official soft drink of MLG: Stop by for Free Play, photo opps in the Dr Pepper Photo Booth, to try an ice cold Dr Pepper, Diet Dr Pepper or Dr Pepper Ten and tweet @DRPEPPERGAMING.
-- Flipz: Want a flippin' awesome snack to get through the game? Visit the Flipz area to enjoy a free sample of milk chocolate or white fudge Flipz pretzels (while supplies last) and meet the Flipz Squad.
-- Full Sail University: Take a moment to relax, re-charge your phones and play student made games at the Full Sail University booth! Full Sail University is one of the premier gaming, design, music, and film schools in the world. If you're looking to launch or further your career in the media and entertainment industry, visit fullsail.edu/mlg for more information.
-- GUNNAR Optiks, officially licensed eyewear of MLG - Advanced Gaming Eyewear: Nab those extra frags by visiting the MLG Pro Shop where you can demo, ask questions, and purchase MLG Phantoms and MLG Legends.
-- iBUYPOWER, official gaming PC of MLG: Stop by to learn about the hardware engineering and design that goes into making a competitive-grade gaming system, and play on one too.
-- Mad Catz - MLG Pro Circuit Controllers for Xbox 360 and PS3: Purchase the MLG Pro Circuit Controller and accessories. Mad Catz will be featuring their entire range of MLG Pro Circuit Controller accessories including the new Hard Tension Analog ProModule™ and 4-Button D-Pad ProModule™. Try the MLG Pro Circuit Controller/Accessories at the Mad Catz booth with the latest console titles.
-- MLG Pro Shop: Get all of your official MLG merchandise including Nike apparel (quarter zips, hoodies and t shirts), limited edition Winter Championship gear. Brand new items that will be available are Flex Fit Baseball Caps and what will easily become some of your favorite new t shirts.
-- NOS®, official energy drink of MLG: NOS invites fans to attend the NOS MLG Winter Championship Kick Off Party on Thursday, March 14 at 8pm at the Fan Sports Lounge. Stop by the party to play MLG Pro Circuit games, sample free NOS, mingle with Pro players and MLG personalities, and pick-up exclusive co-branded MLG & NOS gear.
-- PowerA, the official gaming backpack of MLG: Designed by gamers for gamers, there's a spot for everything: keyboard, mouse, headphones, console, controller, laptop, and more. Stop by the MLG Pro Shop and check it out!
-- PlanetSide®2: PlanetSide 2 makes its debut at the Pro Circuit Championship events. The massively multiplayer online first person shooter will be showcased all weekend long with free-to-play stations and will be featured as part of the Sunday broadcast. Stop by the PlanetSide 2 booth, declare your allegiance, and battle with other spectators. For more information: www.PlanetSide2.com.
-- SteelSeries, official Licensed Mouse and Mousepad of MLG: Winning Is everything. Be sure to stop by the MLG Pro Shop to check out and buy the SteelSeries Sensei MLG Edition gaming mouse and Qck+ mousepad. Evolved from hours of pro gameplay and feedback, the SteelSeries Sensei MLG Edition has the performance specs you need to compete at the highest level.
-- Turtle Beach, official audio provider for MLG: Take the competitive edge home with the MLG licensed Ear Force XP SEVEN, Z SEVEN, and PX22 gaming headsets, offering unsurpassed versatility with outstanding audio quality and comfort. Exclusive for a limited time to Winter Championship attendees, the Z SEVEN and brand new Ear Force PX22 headsets will be available on the show floor.
The Broadcast: Online Viewing in HD
For those not attending in person, the weekend competition will be broadcast LIVE online at www.majorleaguegaming.com beginning March 15 at 5pm CST. Fans can watch four streams for free in up to 720p HD or upgrade to watch in 1080p HD. Some of the industry's most talented eSports personalities will be commentating and reporting on the competition including:
- Call of Duty: Black Ops II: Puckett, Fwiz, Hastro, Revan, and floor reporter – Bee.
- League of Legends: Riot Rivington, Riot Phreak, Kobe24, Optimus Tom, EGADorFEED, and floor reporter – Jade.
- StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm: Day[9], DJ Wheat, Husky, Total Biscuit, Incontrol, Axslav, Axeltoss, and floor reporter - Anna Prosser Robinson.
Event Details
Dates: March 15-17, 2013
Hours:
Friday, March 15 - Doors open at 2:00 PM with the official welcome at 5:00 PM and competition on the main stages from 5:30 PM – 12:30 AM. VIPs – 12:30 PM entry; Gold Members – 1:30 PM entry
Saturday, March 16 - 10:00 AM to 12:30 AM
Sunday, March 17 - 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Spectator Passes for the weekend: $35 in advance, $50 at the door
VIP Passes for the weekend: $250
HD upgrade: HD upgrade passes will be available on March 11
Location:
Dallas Convention Center, Hall B
650 S. Griffin Street
Dallas, TX 75202
Katie Goldberg - SVP Communications
Major League Gaming
P: 917-558-6462
ABOUT MAJOR LEAGUE GAMING:
Major League Gaming (MLG) (www.majorleaguegaming.com) is the world's largest eSports organization with millions of LIVE viewers, fans and competitors around the globe. MLG enables gamers to compete, improve their skills, and socialize via the largest online destination for competitive console and PC gaming featuring more than 8 million registered gamers, and the annual MLG Pro Circuit featuring LIVE, in-person tournaments in cities nationwide. MLG broadcasts competitive play, analysis and more via online streaming to hundreds of thousands of fans in an average of more than 170 countries.
ABOUT ACTIVISION PUBLISHING, INC.:
Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products.
Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, South Korea, mainland China and the region of Taiwan. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company's website, www.activision.com.
ABOUT TREYARCH:
Treyarch is an industry-leading game developer, wholly owned by Activision Publishing, Inc. whose Call of Duty: Black Ops II set world-wide launch day records, and whose previous game Call of Duty®: Black Ops set an entertainment launch opening record upon its release in 2010 and continues to be one of the best-selling games of all time, according to NPD and GfK Chart-Track.
ABOUT RIOT GAMES:
Riot Games was established in 2006 by entrepreneurial gamers who believe that player-focused game development can result in great games. In 2009, Riot released its debut title League of Legends to critical and player acclaim. Since launch, gamers from around the world have flocked to League of Legends -- over 32 million play every month. Players form the foundation of our community and it's for them that we continue to evolve and improve the League of Legends experience.
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, 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 fifteen #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.
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The following files are available for download:
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