Activision seems to have been quite busy these last couple of months, the company is gearing up for the release of their next installment to their hit franchises, Call of Duty: Black Ops III. Not only is the company working on new ways to get all skill levels to join the eSports crusade, they have decided to take their eSports tournaments to the next level.
Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, and Call of Duty announced today their creation of the Call of Duty World League, a worldwide eSports league by Activision in support of the number one console eSports franchise, Call of Duty.
The reason for the new league is to help the eSports teams, as well as supporting the growing community of eSports fans. Activision started this program to provide a deeper level of engagement with pro players, being around them and talking to them will hopefully encourage fans and casual players to join in on the competition, and having to worrying about their skill level.
“Call of Duty has always been about community, camaraderie and competition, which drives incredible engagement with the game all year long. eSports allows us to deliver these moments to our fans whether they are playing the game themselves or cheering on those who are,” said Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing, Inc. “Three years ago, we held the first Call of Duty Championship to showcase the dedication and skill of Call of Duty players around the world. Since then, eSports has become a global phenomenon with more than 120 million people watching online competitive gaming each year and Call of Duty continues to lead as the top console eSports franchise in the world.”
“Treyarch’s passion for competitive gaming precedes Call of Duty: Black Ops III, a heritage that inspired us to introduce dedicated eSports features into the franchise and one that compelled us to push the boundaries of Call of Duty: Black Ops III’s offerings beyond anything we’ve delivered before,” said Mark Lamia, Treyarch studio head. “While our global fan base of players range from casual to professional, they all share a desire to compete – some at the highest levels. With Call of Duty: Black Ops III, we are introducing a series of new features, like Arena mode that not only accommodate that diversity of play styles, but also let players see how they stack up against one another. Treyarch is giving the community of Call of Duty players new ways to compete and enjoy the thrill of competition.”
Call of Duty World League will consist of two Divisions – The Pro Division and The Challenge Division – each will make its way into the grand finale of the competitive Call of Duty season, and the biggest event in console eSports, the Call of Duty Championship. Teams from North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, these teams will compete throughout the year in regional competition during The Pro Division regular season, this will help them earn their ticket to the Call of Duty Championship, and will compete for the largest seasonal cash prizes in Call of Duty to date. The Call of Duty World League Pro Division kicks off competition in January 2016 in North America, Europe, and Australia & New Zealand.
Challenge Division is a way to provide a path for amateur and other aspiring pro players to compete with each other and enhance their competitive skills. The winning teams in The Challenge Division will also earn a spot in the Call of Duty Championship by competing in a series of official LAN events.
By now most of you are used to having the Call of Duty Championship in the spring, but they will now be moved from spring to fall. Taking place in fall of 2016 this will give players the necessary time to develop their competitive skills in Call of Duty: Black Ops III through competing in the Call of Duty World League regular season. Now, let’s talk about the prize money. There is more than $3 million up for grabs between the series payouts, LAN events and of course the Call of Duty Championship, making this the biggest total prize pool for Call of Duty eSports, and more than triple the previous prize amounts.
Activision has formed a team dedicated to launching and coordinating the Call of Duty World League, which will start with the launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops III. As of right now broadcasting, personnel and partnerships have yet to be released, but will be announced at a later date. For more information on the Call of Duty World League, announcements about the Call of Duty Championship 2016 and other check out:
Call of Duty eSports news go to Call of Duty. Fans can also follow @eSportsCOD on Twitter.
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