Blizzard Announces Twitch as Official Broadcast Partner of 2013 World Championship Series

Blizzard announced today at a special press event in Seoul, South Korea, details regarding their 2013 World Championship Series for StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm, including Twitch as the official broadcast partner of the event series. Blizzard will be unifying the online viewing experience through a brand-new StarCraft II destination, where fans will be able to watch matches from all regions, free, in ad-support 720p HD.

We’re excited to be a part of the continued excellence found in the StarCraft II World Championship Series and we look forward to seeing you all at the global finals at BlizzCon later this year. For more information regarding Blizzard’s announcement, see the press release below.

2013 World Championship Series Unifies Global StarCraft® II eSports

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.

“The structure of the StarCraft II World Championship Series is the result of an ongoing collaborative effort between Blizzard and our partners,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “Our collective goal was to make StarCraft II eSports even more exciting and easier to follow for fans than ever before. On the heels of the successful launch of StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm™, we’re all very excited about the present and future of StarCraft II eSports.”

The new structure kicks off with WCS Korea GSL on April 4. OGN will produce season 2 in Korea, with WCS Korea StarLeague. GomTV and OGN will alternate operation of the WCS Korea seasons and work in collaboration to broadcast all WCS Korea action in Korea via their respective online and TV broadcast platforms.

Operation of the American and European leagues will be managed by MLG and Turtle Entertainment (ESL), respectively. Scheduling and other information related to the American and European leagues will be announced at a later date.

Twitch, the official broadcast partner for the WCS, will broadcast all competition worldwide on its online platform through a unified StarCraft II destination, where fans can watch the action from all regions free in ad-supported 720p HD.

To learn more about the StarCraft II WCS, visit http://www.starcraft2.com/wcs.

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 sixteen #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.