Author: sick skills

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When we announced that we’d be transitioning away from the Battle.net name for our online-gaming service, we suspected that the shift would be challenging. We understood that Battle.net stood for something special—it represents years of shared history and enjoyment, community and friendship, for all of us and our players.

Battle.net is the central nervous system for Blizzard games and the connective tissue that has brought Blizzard players together since 1996. The technology was never going away, but after giving the branding change further consideration and also hearing your feedback, we’re in agreement that the name should stay as well. Take it from the developer formerly known as Silicon & Synapse, and Chaos Studios, names are important too.

Moving forward, to help offset some of the original concerns we listed back in September, we will be connecting “Blizzard” to “Battle.net” in our logo for the service and in general when we refer to it in print: Blizzard Battle.net.

We appreciate your feedback and look forward to many more years of bringing players together online.

Thanks,

Blizzard Entertainment

IRVINE, Calif.—August 10, 2017—As the cold shroud of death falls upon the land of the living, Azeroth’s mortal inhabitants shiver with fear—Knights of the Frozen Throne™, the new expansion for Blizzard Entertainment’s smash-hit digital card game Hearthstone®, has arrived. The Lich King—Lord of the Scourge, master of Icecrown Citadel, and wielder of the cursed runeblade Frostmourne—has come to conquer the tavern and those within it, promising power in the form of 135 frosty new cards.

Knights of the Frozen Throne takes players to Northrend, where they’ll meet an untimely demise, only to be raised by the Lich King and granted terrifying new powers from beyond the grave. Adventurers can harness this unholy might by collecting nine new legendary Hero Cards that, when played, transform the heroes of Hearthstone into fearsome Death Knights.

Those with the will to rise against the Lich King can embark on a series of challenging missions that Knights of the Frozen Throne offers to everyone—for free. Players who enter the icy halls of Icecrown Citadel and complete the prologue shall receive a random Legendary Death Knight Hero Card before battling through two wings guarded by iconic bosses like the pestilent Professor Putricide and Blood Queen Lana’thel . . . until only the Lich King stands between them and the Frozen Throne.

 “The Lich King is one of our most iconic villains, and we’re excited to finally bring him—and his nine new Death Knights—to Hearthstone,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “Whether they’re ascending the Frozen Throne or dueling with friends at Fireside Gatherings, we can’t wait to see how players wield these deadly new cards.”

Knights of the Frozen Throne is available now for Windows® and Mac® PCs; Windows, iOS, and Android™ tablets; and iOS and Android phones. Card packs can be purchased individually or in discounted bundles from the in-game Shop for gold or real-world currency at the same price as all other Hearthstone card packs. Players now have the chance to win Knights of the Frozen Throne card packs as quest rewards or prizes in the Arena, and can also craft cards from the expansion by using Arcane Dust collected from disenchanting unwanted cards. Players who log in by November 1 will receive three free Knights of the Frozen Throne card packs^* to aid them as reinforcements arrive to storm Icecrown Citadel.

Taste the Lich King’s power at thefrozenthrone.com.

* 3 free Knights of the Frozen Throne packs are a one-time offer and available only for a limited time. Offer ends November 1.
 

About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft®, Hearthstone®, Overwatch®, the Warcraft®, StarCraft®, and Diablo® franchises, and the multifranchise Heroes of the Storm®, 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-one #1 games^†  and multiple Game of the Year awards. The company’s online-gaming service is one of the largest in the world, with millions of active players.

^†Based on internal company records and reports from key distribution partners.

SANTA MONICA and IRVINE, Calif. – August 10, 2017 – The Overwatch League™ today announced its latest team sales, with esports organization founder Jack Etienne of Cloud9 purchasing the team for London, and sports industry leaders Stan and Josh Kroenke purchasing a team for Los Angeles.

The Overwatch League is the first major global professional esports league with city-based teams, and will showcase world-class competitive play in Blizzard Entertainment’s hit game Overwatch®. Last month the League announced its first team sales to seven leading entrepreneurs and organizations from traditional sports, esports, and the technology sector, representing major global cities from Boston to Shanghai. With today’s announcement, the League now includes teams from Asia, Europe, and North America, including two teams for Los Angeles.

“The Overwatch League continues to have great momentum,” said Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick. “We’re thrilled to add Jack Etienne of Cloud9 and Stan and Josh Kroenke of the Los Angeles Rams, Arsenal Football Club, Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche to our group of extraordinary Overwatch League owners around the world. They will enhance our ability to celebrate and reward players and fans in Los Angeles, London, and beyond.”

“Overwatch is a global game, with heroes – and players – from around the world, so it’s important to us that as many Overwatch League fans as possible have local or regional teams to root for,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “In addition to broadening the competitive field for Season 1, we’re excited that today’s announcement helps set the stage for more epic intercontinental rivalries.”

“Building communities around the best competitive experiences in the world is incredibly rewarding, and the Overwatch League offers the chance to create something special,” said Josh Kroenke, cofounder of KSE Esports. “We’re impressed by the vision and strategy for the League, and we’re going to build a great team for Los Angeles that inspires fans near and far.”

 “We applaud the creation of the Overwatch League, and couldn’t be happier partnering with an organization that shares our values and vision of serving athletes, teams, and fans,” said Jack Etienne, founder and CEO of Cloud9. “We are thrilled that Cloud9’s formidable fan base throughout Europe and the UK now has a local team to call their own, and can’t wait to start representing London in the Overwatch League.”

The Overwatch League is slated to begin later this year, with an official player signing window for Season 1 now open from August 1 to October 30, 2017. Details on player signings, salaries and benefits have been announced, with players earning a minimum of $50,000 each year, and at least 50 percent of team performance bonuses from winning playoffs and other league events going directly to players. Teams will provide players with health insurance and a retirement savings plan, as well as player housing and practice facilities during the season which will meet professional standards set by the Overwatch League.

More information about the League’s format and timeline, as well as new team announcements, will be shared over the coming months.

About Overwatch League™

The Overwatch League™ is the first major global professional esports league with city-based teams in Boston, London, Los Angeles, Miami-Orlando, New York, San Francisco, Seoul, and Shanghai. Overwatch® was created by globally acclaimed publisher Blizzard Entertainment (a division of Activision Blizzard – Nasdaq: ATVI), whose iconic franchises have helped lay the foundations and push the boundaries of professional esports over the last 15 years. Among Blizzard’s stable of twenty-one #1 games,^* Overwatch is the fastest to reach more than 30 million players. Overwatch was built from the ground up for online competition, with memorable characters and fast-paced action designed for the most engaging gameplay and spectator experiences. To learn more about the Overwatch League, visit www.overwatchleague.com.

*Sales and/or downloads, based on internal company records and reports from key distribution partners.