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.