Posted Thu Sep 24, 2015 at 08:42 AM PDT by Brian Hoss
Call of Duty Championship is moving to Fall 2016.
It's been brewing for some time, and it appears that with 'Call of Duty: Black Ops III' poised to reignite many players fascination with 'Call of Duty' multiplayer, Activision is moving to turn competitive Call of Duty eSports into its own league. With the creation of the Call of Duty World League, Activision plans to put together both professional teams and casual competitors into one place. (One place with different skill levels.)
From 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."
To be clear, this new league will break down into two divisions that will come together in the Call of Duty Championship, which is moving to a fall setting. The extra time in 2016 will allows players to become even more 'Black Ops III' savvy. The Pro Division will host the pro teams in event in North America, Europe, and Oceanic (Australia/New Zealand) regions. The Pro Division will be its cash-heavy competition in January 2016.
On the other hand, the Challenge Division will be the proving grounds for casual and aspiring amateur players. The best of the Challenge Division will be invited to LAN events, and will compete for a chance to enter the Call of Duty Championship.
From 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."
Activision is talking about a $3 million prize pool for the Call of Duty World League, and it seems clear that console 'Call of Duty' play is going to continue to grow its serious eSports presence.
You can find the latest info on 'Call of Duty: Black Ops III' linked from our Video Game Release Schedule.
Source: Activision
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