Players to Compete for Nearly $195,000 Playing StarCraft II®: Wings of Liberty®, League of Legends, and Fighting Games -- Mortal Kombat, Soul Calibur V and THE KING OF FIGHTERS XIII on PlayStation®3 (PS3™) System
Blizzard Entertainment to Offer Beta Sneak Peek of StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm™
KeSPA Players to Participate in StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty Expo Tournament for the First Time in the US
Competition Streamed LIVE at www.majorleaguegaming.com/live
NEW YORK, May 31, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The world's best video game players will converge next weekend for one of the largest events in eSports history. Major League Gaming (MLG), the world's largest competitive video game league, is returning to Anaheim, CA, June 8-10 for the MLG Spring Championship. Thousands of fans will descend upon the Anaheim Convention Center and hundreds of thousands more will watch the action online including intense competitive play, new games, exclusive footage of unreleased games and KeSPA players participating in a StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty expo tournament for the first time in the US.
The Games, Players and Prizing
Gamers from around the globe will compete in the Pro Circuit tournament playing Blizzard Entertainment's blockbuster real-time strategy game StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty on PC, League of Legends on PC, which will make its 2012 debut in Anaheim, and fighting games - Mortal Kombat, Soul Calibur V and THE KING OF FIGHTERS XIII on PlayStation®3 (PS3™) system.
Additionally, Blizzard Entertainment will offer a beta sneak peek of the highly anticipated StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm on 200 demo stations at the venue.
MLG and the Korean eSports Association (KeSPA) will kick off an exclusive multi-year global partnership that will bridge the Western and Korean StarCraft worlds. On Saturday, June 9 at 9pm PT, KeSPA Pro players will compete in a StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty exhibition tournament marking the first time in eSports history that KeSPA players will participate in a StarCraft II tournament in the United States.
Pro Circuit Competition:
- StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty on PC - $76,000 in prizes; $25,000 for 1st Place - Hundreds of top StarCraft II players from around the world will compete for the 1st place prize of $25,000. Coming off recent wins, Korean players DRG and Marine King will go up against Violet who captured first place at the MLG Spring Arena 2 last month.
- League of Legends on PC - $40,000 in prizes – 12 invited teams will take on eight open teams in the double elimination bracket for a chance to play on the main stage, as the game makes its debut on the 2012 Pro Circuit.
- Fighting Games on PS3 – More than $48,000 in prizes - Mortal Kombat ($26,700 in prizes), Soul Calibur V ($16,700 in prizes) and THE KING OF FIGHTERS XIII ($5,000 in prizes) will be showcased on the main stage throughout the weekend. Top player CDjr (Mortal Kombat) will defend his title after taking first at the MLG Winter Championship and Fighting Game Arena.
StarCraft II World Championship Series USA Nationals:
In addition to the MLG Pro Circuit competition and Heart of the Swarm demo stations, the Anaheim event will also feature the USA National finals for Blizzard Entertainment's StarCraft II World Championship Series. Participants in the USA Nationals will vie for $30,000 in prize money as well as invitations to the upcoming North America Finals of the StarCraft II World Championship Series. The top finishers in that event will represent their countries in StarCraft II at the Battle.net World Championship event, to be held later this year in Asia.
On Site Spectating - $35 for the weekend
Thousands of in-person spectators will view the competition on huge video screens, experience LIVE commentating and visit an array of booths featuring meet and greets with Pro Players and MLG personalities, the latest products from partners, pre-release access to games like Heart of the Swarm and more. Booth highlights 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 $249 (RL2450HT) and $179 (GL2450HM).
- BIC® Flex4® Razors, official razor of MLG: Compete in the BIC® Flex4® Razors Challenge Center and take on other spectators for prizes in a variety of popular games for PS3, Xbox, and PC.
- Dr Pepper, official soft drink of MLG: Stop by for Play-a-Pro sessions, photo opps in the Dr Pepper Photo Booth, Text-to-Win promotions or to try an ice cold Dr Pepper.
- Full Sail University: Take a moment to relax, re-charge your phones and learn how to create your own gaming character at the Full Sail University booth! Located in Winter Park, Florida (just outside of Orlando), Full Sail University specializes in an accelerated style of education geared toward video games, design, animation and more. Visit fullsail.edu 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. Stop by the GUNNAR bus inside the venue to check out even more new items. Keep an eye on the MLG Mobile Application for special videos, photo contests, prize giveaways, swag, and more.
- iBUYPOWER, official gaming PC of MLG: Stop by and play on iBUYPOWER systems. Learn about the hardware engineering and design that goes into making a competitive-grade gaming system.
- Mad Catz - MLG Pro Circuit Controllers for Xbox 360 and PS3 and MLG Arcade FightStick Tournament Edition: Purchase the MLG Pro Circuit Controller and accessories and the MLG Arcade FightStick.
- MLG Pro Shop: Purchase an array of new MLG merchandise including Nike apparel (quarter zips, hoodies and t shirts), limited edition Anaheim Spring Championship gear, Battle.net World Championship and Heart of the Swarm tees, v-necks designed for girls and much more.
- NOS, official energy drink of MLG: NOS invites fans to attend the NOS MLG Spring Championship Kick Off Party on Thursday, June 7 from 8 - 10pm at Heat Ultra Lounge. Stop by the party to play MLG Pro Circuit games, sample free NOS and mingle with Pro players and MLG personalities.
- PlayStation®, official partner of MLG: PlayStation®, official partner of MLG: Play, Compete, and Win at the all new PlayStation Compound. Go head to head on PS3and PlayStation®Vita (PS Vita) handheld entertainment system for big prizes! Compete in PS3 exclusives like UNCHARTED 3: Drake's Deception™, Gran Turismo®5, Twisted Metal™ and Starhawk™ as well as PS Vita titles including Resistance: Burning Skies™,wipEout®2048 and Mortal Kombat™. Get your hands on the latest PlayStation games and experience gaming on a massive 10ft HD screen all weekend long.
- SteelSeries: Try out the NEW SteelSeries Sensei MLG Edition mouse inside the SteelSeries booth before it goes on sale in August. You can also check out the MLG branded SteelSeries QcK+ mousepads available in the MLG Pro Shop $14.99.
- Xperia™ ion and Xperia™ S: Visit the Sony Mobile Experience to compete on the Xperia™ ion & Xperia™ S, PlayStation Certified to guarantee a high quality smartphone gaming experience. Sign up to be a contender on the Xperia Mobile Gaming arena for a chance to win great prizes.
Online Viewing in HD
For those not attending in person, the weekend competition will be broadcast LIVE online via 11 streams at www.majorleaguegaming.com/live beginning June 8 at 5pm PT. Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty will be featured on six streams, and four additional streams will showcase League of Legends and one stream will feature fighting games. Fans can watch standard definition for free or purchase passes to watch ad-free in HD, and secure immediate access to VODs following the event. MLG's streaming partner is Streamworks International, a global company that specializes in delivering live, real-time video to internet-enabled devices.
Some of the most talented casters in the world of eSports will be commentating the tournament including:
- StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty: Six streams casted by DJ Wheat, Husky, Tasteless, Artosis, Apollo, Total Biscuit, Rob Simpson, Mr. Bitter, Robin, Gwin, Jorosar, Frodan, and Kibbelz.
- League of Legends: Four streams casted by Phreak, Rivington, Joe Miller, Jatt, Studio, and Dan Dinh.
- Fighting Games: One stream hosted by Juicebox Abel and casted by The Answer (THE KING OF FIGHTERS), Tom Brady (Mortal Kombat), and BrewtusBibulus (Soul Calibur V).
Details about the MLG Spring Championship - Anaheim:
Dates: Friday, June 8 – Sunday, June 10
Hours: All times PT
- Friday, June 8 - Doors open at 1:30 PM with the official welcome at 5:00 PM and competition on the main stages from 5:30 PM – 1:30 AM
- Saturday, June 9 - 10:00 AM to 1:00 AM with 3 hours of KeSPA Player Expo Matches starting at 9:00 PM
- Sunday, June 10 - 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM, finals on the main stages from approximately 4:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Location:
Anaheim Convention Center, Hall D
800 West Katella Avenue
Anaheim, CA 92802
Pricing: Spectator Passes for the weekend: $35 ($30 for Gold Members)
Katie Goldberg - VP Communications and PR
Major League Gaming
P: 917-338-2391
ABOUT MAJOR LEAGUE GAMING:
Founded in 2002, Major League Gaming (MLG) (www.majorleaguegaming.com) is the dominant media property exclusively targeting tens of millions of consumers worldwide who have a passion for playing video games as a competitive social activity. The company gives aspiring gamers around the world an opportunity to compete, improve their skills, and socialize through a thriving competitive community with more than 750,000 matches each month online and LIVE in-person Pro Circuit tournaments in cities nationwide. MLG broadcasts all Pro Circuit play via LIVE streaming online to hundreds of thousands of fans from more than 170 countries.
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 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 11 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 WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT:
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, a division of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, is a premier worldwide publisher, developer, licensor and distributor of entertainment content for the interactive space across all current and future platforms, including console, handheld and PC-based gaming for both internal and third party game titles.
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