PARIS, France - July 22, 2015 - Europe’s top Hearthstone®, Heroes of the Storm™, and World of Warcraft® players will be bringing the fight to a shared battlefield this fall. Blizzard Entertainment today announced that the 2015 European Road to BlizzCon ® tournament series will be making its final stop at the O2 Arena in Prague, Czech Republic, where the European Championship for each of the three games will take place October 3rd and 4th.
Participants in the European Championships will vie for a share of $300,000 USD in prize money combined across the three games—a portion of which will be up for grabs during the Heroes of the Storm online qualifying phase. The players and teams who make it through Prague will go on to compete against the best gamers from the rest of the globe in the World Championships, culminating at BlizzCon in Anaheim, CA, November 6–7. Further details on the European Championships, including how to sign up to compete in Hearthstone, Heroes of the Storm, and World of Warcraft, will be released in the coming weeks.
“Having the European Championships for Hearthstone, Heroes of the Storm, and World of Warcraft take place in Prague during the same weekend will make for a spectacular finish to the 2015 European Road to BlizzCon,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “We can’t wait to see which players and teams distinguish themselves in the competition—and we’ll be looking forward to seeing the battles continue at BlizzCon.”
In addition to witnessing epic eSports action live, attendees at the event will be able to go hands-on with Blizzard’s upcoming team-based shooter, Overwatch™. Visitors will also be able to participate in cosplay activities, trivia contests, and more. Real-time strategy fans are also in for a treat, as some of Europe’s best players will put their skills on display in StarCraft® II: Legacy of the Void™ show matches. Anyone unable to attend will be able to follow the action via online streams—ticket and stream details will be announced soon.
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 nineteen #1 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.
*Sales and/or downloads. Based on internal company records and reports from key distribution partners.
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 Heroes of the Storm, World of Warcraft, Overwatch, and Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, 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.
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