2018 Call of Duty® World League Championship, Presented by PlayStation®4, Headed to Columbus

Record-Settling $4.2 Million Call of Duty World League Season Concludes at Nationwide Arena August 17 – 19

Rise Nation Claim CWL Seattle Open Championship Title

Rise Nation: CWL Seattle MVP Pierce "Gunless" Hillman, Tommy "TJHaLy" Haly, Austin "Slasher" Liddicoat, Daniel "Loony" Loza (Photo: Business Wire)

SANTA MONICA, Calif.--()--The year’s biggest competitive Call of Duty® event of the season, the 2018 Call of Duty World League Championship, Presented by PlayStation®4, is headed to Columbus, Ohio, on August 15 – 19. The definitive competition for the best Call of Duty® esports players from around the world will take place at the Nationwide Arena August 17 – 19 and will close a record-setting season, featuring $4.2 million in total prizing. The first two days of competition (August 15 – 16) will be streamed live from the MLG Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

“We’re only half-way through the season and already it’s been an incredible year for the CWL. Not only are teams competing for over $4 million this season, which has raised the stakes for everyone, but the action at every event has been amazing,” said Rob Kostich, EVP and general manager of Call of Duty, Activision. “The CWL continues to grow and that’s thanks to the greatest community of players and fans in the world. We can’t wait to see what unfolds as we head to Columbus this August.”

The announcement was made prior to the Grand Final at the CWL Seattle Open where Rise Nation captured the title of CWL Seattle Open champions, after three-days of intense competition. Teams Evil Geniuses, eUnited, and Echo Fox rounded out the top four spots at the CWL Seattle Open, Presented by PlayStation®4, at the CenturyLink Field Event Center in Seattle, Washington.

Players competed in Call of Duty®: WWII on PlayStation®4. Rise Nation will also be immortalized at a future CWL event in the G FUEL Hall of Champions, where championship teams throughout CWL history are celebrated for their achievements within the entrance of Call of Duty World League Global Open events. Rise Nation’s Pierce ‘Gunless’ Hillman was dominant while helping his team achieve victory in Seattle, earning him the title of ASTRO Gaming CWL MVP of the tournament.

Following their historic Loser’s Bracket run at CWL Seattle Open, the Rise Nation roster makes a strong argument to be named the SCUF Gaming Team of the Week, which honors top competitors in the CWL each week.

In addition to the excited crowd, the first-ever Call of Duty World League event in the Pacific Northwest was streamed to fans around the world on MLG.com/CallofDuty and Twitch.tv/CallofDuty, as well as within the in-game Call of Duty®: WWII theater on PlayStation®4.

Here are the final placements for the CWL Seattle Open:

  • 1st – Rise Nation
  • 2nd – Evil Geniuses
  • 3rd – eUnited
  • 4th – Echo Fox
  • 5th/6th – Team Kaliber / Ghost Gaming
  • 7th/8th – Red Reserve / Luminosity

The next Global Open event in the Call of Duty® World League calendar brings competitive action back to the Anaheim Convention Center. The CWL Anaheim Open takes place June 15 – 17.

CWL Anaheim Open tickets are available now in multiple varieties, while supplies last. General admission passes for the event are available for $59.99 (plus applicable fees and taxes). A Premium Pass for the event is also available for $89.99 (plus applicable fees and taxes) and includes an event t-shirt and one month of MLG GameBattles Premium. A $299.99 (plus applicable fees and taxes) Prestige Pass is also available and includes an event t-shirt, event jacket, one-hour early entrance to the venue, access to the Prestige Lounge and more. For tickets, visit MLG.com/CWLAnaheim.

Visit CallofDuty.com/esports and follow the Call of Duty World League on Twitter and Instagram for the latest CWL updates. For live broadcasts and Video on Demand, visit MLG.com/CallofDuty.

About Activision Publishing, Inc.

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading global producer and publisher of interactive entertainment. Activision maintains operations throughout the world and is a division of Activision Blizzard, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI), an S&P 500 company. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company's website, www.activision.com or by following @Activision.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Activision Publishing’s expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future, including statements about the expected dates and features of the 2018 Call of Duty World League Championship and the CWL Anaheim Open and the features of the Call of Duty World League, are forward-looking statements, that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause Activision Publishing’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 Activision Publishing and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Activision Publishing 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 Activision Publishing 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.

© 2018 Major League Gaming Corp. ACTIVISION, CALL OF DUTY and CALL OF DUTY WWII are trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. MAJOR LEAGUE GAMING is a trademark of Major League Gaming Corp. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners.

Contacts

Call of Duty World League
Xav de Matos
PR Manager
xdematos@mlg.tv

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Contacts

Call of Duty World League
Xav de Matos
PR Manager
xdematos@mlg.tv