Global partnership with the biggest names in eSports to make StarCraft II professional gaming more exciting and easier to follow than ever before

SEOUL, South Korea—April 3—Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. today announced a new StarCraft^® II World Championship Series for 2013 that establishes the first-ever official global ranking system for StarCraft II eSports. Operated in partnership with the world’s premier eSports organizations—the Korea eSports Association (KeSPA), Ongamenet (OGN), GomTV, Major League Gaming (MLG), Turtle Entertainment (ESL), and Twitch—the WCS features elite StarCraft II competition in three leagues (Korean, American, European) and provides a unified, cohesive global structure for players, fans, and major tournament organizers.

In the WCS, players in each league will compete in three seasons and clash in three global season finals, earning points within the WCS’s global ranking system for their performance along the way. The fierce competition will then culminate in a global grand final at BlizzCon^® in Anaheim, Calif. this November, where the top-ranked players for the year will compete for the title of StarCraft II World Champion.