ELEAGUE Media Advisory: Overwatch Open Credential Application
The Overwatch Open eSports tournament in Atlanta presented by Blizzard, ELEAGUE and FACEIT are next weekend at Turner Studios ELEAGUE arena. Turner is accepting media credential applications for the event that runs from September 25 through 30, 2016. The state-of-the-art, eSport specific facility has revealing POV cameras as host of the tourney produced by the partnership between Turner and WME | IMG, and FACEIT, an independent competitive gaming platform. Participants and spectators in person, on TV, and over the web, are jacked up for the Overwatch® North American and Open European regional finals all streamed live on Twitch, with the Grand Final televised live on TBS on September 30 with Twitch live streaming simulcast coverage. This new Blizzard Entertainment multiplayer first-person shooter video game has a cast of 22 heroes, each one programmed with their own unique weapons and fighting abilities. The Sports Techie community blog will be in attendance to deliver live reports over our social media channels using the new iPhone 7 Plus created by Apple and shipped to me by my long-time carrier, AT&T. Tickets for the Grand Final are now available. What an epic player and fan experience this should be for all as Overwatch, officially sponsored by ASUS ROG, inspires creativity and teamwork as player’s battle for control of key locations on an animated earth in the near-future.
Openwatch Open
The Open Tournaments competition began with an online phase on FACEIT, July 23. Four weekly Open tournaments ran with up to 128/256 teams in a double elimination format. The winning team of each qualifier advanced directly into the Group Stage (Playoffs), joined by twelve teams with most ranking points. The internet hosted playoffs round were held over August 26-28.
Finally, the top eight teams from each of these regional playoffs earned their coveted invitation to the Finals. The North American Regional Finals will be held Sunday and Monday, September 25–26, ahead of the European Regional Finals played on Wednesday and Thursday, September 28–29.
The competitive online tournament playoff culminates with the Grand Finals on Friday, Sept. 30 here in Georgia. The Grand Final is broadcasting live on TBS, with simultaneous coverage available over the web by Twitch.
“This opportunity to feature Blizzard’s popular Overwatch further expands our eSports offerings and aligns ELEAGUE with a game that is widely embraced by the community,” said Craig Barry, EVP and Chief Content Officer, Turner Sports. “We look forward to bringing the same level of production and storytelling capabilities we’ve demonstrated throughout the first season of ELEAGUE to this championship event.”
Overwatch Open
“Overwatch is an exciting new game with thrilling and expertly-balanced action that makes it perfect for competitive play,” said Michelle Attisani, Chief Business Officer, FACEIT. “We are confident that our capabilities as a platform and knowledge as a media partner will make this an exciting tournament for fans.”
Gaming competitors in the Overwatch Open are attempting to win cash money from a $300,000 total contest prize pool. This marks the largest Overwatch competition to date. The talented and skilled winning team earns $100,000, while the almost as good runners-up bring home $32,000. Regional Finals prizes will also include $24,000 for the second place team, $18,000 for the third and fourth place teams, and $6,000 for the fifth through eighth place teams.
“ELEAGUE serves as the perfect stage for the evolution of the eSports industry and we are thrilled to expand our platform with Blizzard’s Overwatch,” said Karen Brodkin, President of Business Affairs, WME | IMG. “We look forward to capitalizing on the momentum from season one of ELEAGUE with another compelling event featuring one of the most exciting new games in eSports.”
IMG is responsible for international distribution on behalf of ELEAGUE and FACEIT.
ASUS ROG is the official PC and monitor sponsor for the entire tournament. ROG provides all gaming PCs and monitors for both the North American and European Regional Finals and the Grand Finals.
“We’re excited to continue our successful relationship with ASUS with its sponsorship of the Overwatch® Open,” said Michele Attisani, COO of FACEIT. “ASUS is the leader in the gaming community and its computer hardware for the Overwatch Open will help us provide a stellar competitive experience for the players and fans.”
ELEAGUE Arena
Turner Studios in Atlanta is a cutting edge facility used exclusively for ELEAGUE, the professional eSports organization. The 10,000 square foot arena was specifically designed and constructed for eSports in order to best capture all of the riveting action and unpredictable gaming excitement the live event experience entails.
The new ELEAGUE arena – hosting a live studio audience – is fitted with 26 cameras including 12 devoted to capturing point of view perspective for each player and one focused on the collective team throughout the competition. The studio will also leverage a JitaCam, a camera suspended from the ceiling that is capable of capturing 360-degree angles of the entire event floor. Overall, the studio will have 25,000 square feet of LED lighting.
DragonCon
Fans I personally know descended upon Atlanta over Labor Day Weekend to celebrate their favorite heroes at DragonCon. Check out the amazing cosplay video on Youtube.
Overwatch Open Credential Application
Local, national and international media interested in attending and covering The Overwatch® Open, can apply online for a credential using this email – [email protected].
Plan to use a wi-fi enabled media workspace for media members as well as designated seats allowing credentialed attendees to follow the action from inside the studio.
Additional information on the Overwatch® Open:
Tickets and Parking
Free tickets for the Overwatch Open Grand Final at Tuner Studios on September 30 are now available, here. The live audience can enter the arena at 9 pm with the broadcast scheduled to begin at 10 pm ET. You must reserve a ticket to gain entry. This is a first-come, first-served studio seating and complimentary parking opportunity. Ticket holders are not guaranteed access to the studio and parking area making early arrival for fans a must.
Please use the Turner Broadcasting System Inc, 1oth street entrance on Techwood Drive for parking.
Age restrictions
Adults must have their ticket and a form of ID, and minors must be accompanied by an adult
Attendees are prohibited from bringing certain items into Turner Studios, and ALL guests will be screened by security prior to entry. The following items are prohibited and may not be brought into the premises:
- Hard coolers or containers
- Sealed packages of any kind
- Glass bottles or cans
- Food
- Alcohol
- Illegal drugs
- Weapons (Guns, Knives, Pepper Spray, and any other sharp items)
- Bicycles, scooters, rollerblades, skateboards
- Camera lenses exceeding 18” in length, tripods or camera stands
- Selfie sticks
- Commercial video cameras or recording devices
- Computers or laptops
- Laser pointing devices
- Aerosol cans or noise makers
- Animals
- Any unauthorized advertising or promotion materials
FACEIT
Founded in London in 2012, FACEIT is the leading independent competitive gaming platform for online multiplayer games, with more than 4 million users logging in a total of over 12 million online game sessions each month. FACEIT allows players to easily play in tournaments and leagues for virtual and real-world prizes through automated tournament management and matchmaking technology. For developers, FACEIT’s advanced software development kit (SDK) allows game creators to easily integrate user-friendly matchmaking and tournaments into their titles to allow gamers to take part in competitive online games at all skill levels. eSports organizers, players and communities use FACEIT to create and manage online competitions. For more information on FACEIT, please visit www.faceit.com.
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 twenty #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.
ROG
For years since its establishment, ASUS aimed to put an ever-greater emphasis on PC gaming. This process resulted in the 2006 founding of the Republic of Gamers brand (ROG). ROG is celebrating its 10th anniversary; join them as they continue their sole purpose of delivering the most innovative PC hardware for truly dedicated gamers.
Vivian Lien, Chief Marketing Officer at ASUS North America, believes this unique partnership strongly supports eSports and the incredibly diverse Overwatch® gaming community. “The Overwatch Open is a great way to showcase the full capabilities of ROG gaming technology with class leading products like the G752VS OC Edition laptop that is built to easily handle even the most demanding games and ensure gamers are equipped for success. We’re excited about this opportunity, and can’t wait to see the upcoming Overwatch®competitions.”
Television, Web and Social Media
For the latest ELEAGUE updates, ticket information and more, visit http://www.eleague.com, its Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/eleaguegaming) and Twitter handle (@EL).
All the competitive online gaming action is viewable on the official Overwatch® Open Twitch channel, twitch.tv/overwatchopen with the Grand Finals set to air on TBS.
For more information on the Overwatch® Open, visit overwatchopen.com or follow @OverwatchOpen or the @FACEIT Twitter handles.
Engage and follow official Openwatch Open hashtag #OWOPEN.
Sports Techie, it has been awesome following and reporting about the growth of eSports around the world and here in the US. The new sport that requires advanced technologies such as computers, software and hardware in order to play is growing like crazy globally. Gamers are made up of all ages and both sexes but let’s face it, generation Z and millennial video game players truly dominate the sport.
I look forward to observing the Overwatch Open online competitive gaming tournament in person down at Turner Studios next week with my iPhone 7 Plus dual-camera system in hand. This upgraded smartphone snaps pictures using a shallow and artificial depth of field, letting users take digital single-lens quality photos with a camera in hand, on a tripod or a selfie stick.
The business of eSports has matured quickly into a global industry.
Get ready for the Overwatch Open, because here it comes.
See y’all later in Seattle, Atlanta and around the world.
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