Epic conclusion to Blizzard Entertainment’s global tournament series will be
streamed live in HD for FREE at www.battle.net/bwc
IRVINE, Calif. – November 14, 2012 – 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. The live-stream action starts on Saturday, November 17, at 1:00 p.m. AEDT / 3:00 p.m. NZDT, and the second day of broadcasting begins on Sunday, November 18, at 12:30 p.m. AEDT / 2:30 p.m. NZDT.
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.