BlizzCon 2011 to Feature eSports Competition

Blizzard Entertainment announced that the 2011 Global Battle.net Invitational and the 2011 GSL (Global StarCraft II League) October Final will both be held at BlizzCon 2011. The action will be live at BlizzCon and presented for free over the Internet at www.blizzcon.com. A free Battle.net account will be required for access to the Internet stream. Sign up for an account at www.battle.net.

BlizzCon, which takes place at the Anaheim Convention Center in California from October 21 to 22, is a celebration of the global player communities surrounding Blizzard Entertainment’s Warcraft,StarCraft, and Diablo universes. Tickets to attend BlizzCon are sold out, but virtual tickets, which provide comprehensive live coverage of the event, will be available for $39.99 USD atwww.blizzcon.com.

“Between the Global Battle.net Invitational and the GSL October Final, two of the biggest eSports events of the year will be taking place at BlizzCon 2011,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “We’re looking forward to witnessing the high level of competition between the pro gamers participating in these events alongside our attendees at BlizzCon and the viewers at home.”

The Global Battle.net Invitational is one of the top attractions at BlizzCon, featuring top-ranked pro players who have been invited to participate from across the world. This year, players will compete in StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty and World of Warcraft: Cataclysm.

The GSL is one of the world’s most-watched eSports competitions. Since its inception in 2010, millions of viewers have watched GSL broadcasts featuring intense matches between highly skilled professional players. These world-class competitors make a living through sponsorships and by battling it out for cash prizes in prestigious tournaments. The GSL October Final match is expected to bring much excitement to both domestic and overseas viewers as it will be the first GSL tournament final to take place outside of Korea. Between the Battle.net Invitational and the GSL October Final, a total prize pool of nearly $300,000 USD will be up for grabs at BlizzCon 2011.