Category: Blizzard News

IRVINE, Calif.—January 25, 2017—College esports reaches a new level of engagement with Heroes of the Dorm^™ 2017 as Blizzard Entertainment and Facebook team up to stream the action exclusively via Facebook Live. Blizzard and Tespa’s preeminent collegiate esports tournament once again offers Heroes of the Storm^® teams from colleges across the United States and Canada a chance to earn free tuition for the remainder of their college careers—more than $500,000 in scholarships and prizes will be handed out this spring. For the first time ever, Heroes of the Dorm will be broadcast via Facebook Live on the Heroes of the Storm Esports Facebook page, beginning with the regular season and continuing all the way through the Heroic Four and National Championship.

With Facebook friends and Heroes of the Storm personalities just a click away, Heroes of the Dorm 2017 will be a new kind of connected esports event, offering a global real-time connected experience for viewers that supports live interaction (or smack-talking) during the heat of competition. From the nervous anticipation of the first regular season matches to the bright lights and excitement of the championship, Facebook’s global network will enhance every shareable, likable, and otherwise epic moment in Heroes of the Dorm. To further amplify this year’s Heroes of the Dorm viewing experience, Blizzard will serve up-to-date statistics, team and player profiles, updates for the Bracket Challenge and a new Pick ‘em Challenge, and more will all be available on www.heroesofthedorm.com.

“Heroes of the Dorm has featured some of the most dramatic college esports action of the past two years, and with more prizes for more teams up for grabs this year, we’re looking forward to a whole new level of competition,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “We’re also excited to be working with Facebook this year to bring more live Heroes of the Dorm play to more viewers around the world than ever before.”

Starting today, eligible college gamers in the United States and Canada can sign up to compete in Heroes of the Dorm at www.heroesofthedorm.com. The group stages of the regular season kick off February 15, with the full schedule proceeding as follows:

Tournament Stage	Date
Group Stages	February 15–16, 22–23, March 1–2
Regional Playoffs	March 4­–5
Regional Finals	March 8­­–9
Round of 64	March 18–21
Round of 32	March 22–23
Round of 16	March 25
Round of 8	March 26
Heroic Four	April 8
National Championship	April 8

Everyone Can Play, Anyone Can Win

While Heroes of the Dorm competition is reserved for some of the most elite Heroes of the Storm college teams in North America, savvy fans around the world will be able to flex their expertise in the Heroes of the Dorm Bracket Challenge and the Heroes of the Dorm Pick ‘em Challenge. Accurately picking the winners of each matchup, beginning with the Round of 64, will win prizes for the top 500 entries in the Bracket Challenge, while the grand prize winner will receive USD $10,000. Midway through the tournament, fans get a second chance in the Pick ‘em Challenge, where they’ll pick just one team to hopefully carry them all the way to the National Championship—earning a Heroes of the Storm Stimpack just for participating, with a chance for more Stimpacks the better their team does.

In 2015, UC Berkeley dominated, becoming the first-ever Heroes of the Dorm. In 2016, Arizona State University avenged their championship loss from the previous year to claim the title. This year, a new story will be written and new heroes will be celebrated in the ultimate college esports event!

Fans can relive the gripping journey of last year’s Heroes of the Dorm Championship team in A New Hero: The Rise of College Esports, a documentary on Arizona State’s climb to the top of college esports.

Learn more about Heroes of the Dorm and the viewer-participation challenges, and stay tuned for further details, at www.heroesofthedorm.com.

About Heroes of the Storm

Heroes of the Storm brings together a diverse cast of iconic characters from Blizzard’s far-flung realms of science fiction and fantasy, including the Warcraft®, StarCraft®, and Diablo® universes, and challenges them to compete in epic, adrenaline-charged battles. To learn more about Heroes of the Storm, head over to the official website at www.heroesofthestorm.com.

About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.

Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft®, Hearthstone®, Overwatch®, the Warcraft®, StarCraft®, and Diablo® franchises, and the multi-franchise 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, Battle.net®, is one of the largest in the world, with millions of active players.

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

About Tespa

Tespa is the premier college gaming network in North America, dedicated to creating a home for gamers on every campus. Recognized as the leader in college esports, Tespa cultivates student communities that host epic gaming events on campuses in the United States and Canada, and plans to distribute more than $800,000 in scholarship prizing in 2017 through intercollegiate leagues. Tespa has had more than 5000 teams from more than 1200 universities compete in its college tournaments and has empowered student leaders to become entrepreneurs in the gaming industry.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Blizzard Entertainment’s expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future, including statements about Heroes of the Dorm 2017 and the related Facebook viewing experience, are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause Blizzard Entertainment’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 Blizzard Entertainment and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Blizzard Entertainment 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 Blizzard Entertainment 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.

IRVINE, Calif.—December 8, 2016—Blizzard Entertainment today announced the creation of a book-publishing label, Blizzard Publishing, dedicated to developing and releasing new Blizzard publications and reissuing out-of-print titles in the company’s Warcraft®, StarCraft®, and Diablo® settings, directly and through ongoing global partnerships. Each of Blizzard’s game universes has been inhabited by millions of players worldwide, and Blizzard Publishing will help maintain the lore and legacy of the company’s earliest novels and manga while also providing a variety of new ways for people to engage with Blizzard’s rich worlds and characters. Several of Blizzard Publishing’s upcoming releases will be available in multiple formats, such as print, audiobook, and e-book.

The first books published under the Blizzard Publishing label include two sets of previously released novels and manga from award-winning and New York Times best-selling authors.

Blizzard Legends

• Warcraft: The Last Guardian by Jeff Grubb
• Warcraft: Lord of the Clans by Christie Golden
• World of Warcraft: Rise of the Horde by Christie Golden

Blizzard Manga

• Warcraft Legends: Volume One, with stories by Richard A. Knaak, Dan Jolley, and Jae-Hwan Kim
• Warcraft Legends: Volume Two, with stories by Richard A. Knaak, Dan Jolley, and Aaron Sparrow

Future releases in the Blizzard Legends and Blizzard Manga series will include titles across multiple Blizzard franchises.  

Blizzard Publishing has also developed a new original title, the World of Warcraft Adult Coloring Book—an epic volume of more than 80 pieces of concept art, sketches, and more, featuring characters and scenes from beloved locales across Azeroth.

“Great stories and inspiring artwork have always been at the heart of everything we do,” said Lydia Bottegoni, senior vice president of story and franchise development at Blizzard Entertainment. “The creation of Blizzard Publishing gives us new opportunities to celebrate the art and stories of our games with Blizzard gamers as well as fantasy and sci-fi fans around the world.”

Those looking to dive into a new book today can find the aforementioned Blizzard Legends novels and Blizzard Manga titles, as well as the World of Warcraft Adult Coloring Book, wherever books are sold and online at gear.blizzard.com. Blizzard Legends titles are available for USD $14.95; Blizzard Manga titles and the World of Warcraft Adult Coloring Book can be purchased for USD $12.95. Blizzard Publishing releases are distributed by Publishers Group West.

Blizzard Publishing is also planning to release a captivating series of full-color coffee table art books, starting with Art of Hearthstone® and Cinematic Art of StarCraft, as well as additional novel and manga reissues, in 2017 and beyond. Further details about these and other Blizzard Publishing titles, including pricing for regional translations, will be announced at a later date.

About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.

Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft®, Hearthstone®, Overwatch®, the Warcraft®, StarCraft®, and Diablo® franchises, and the multi-franchise 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, Battle.net®, is one of the largest in the world, with millions of active players.

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

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements:
Information in this press release that involves Blizzard Entertainment’s expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future, including statements about pricing, release dates, and contents of works to be published by Blizzard Publishing are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause Blizzard Entertainment’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 Blizzard Entertainment and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Blizzard Entertainment 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 Blizzard Entertainment 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.

IRVINE, Calif.—December 1, 2016—City officials today announced that crime in Azeroth’s biggest trade city has skyrocketed following the release of Mean Streets of Gadgetzan^™, the fourth expansion for Hearthstone®, Blizzard Entertainment’s smash- (and grab) hit digital card game. Determined to make their fortunes in the city of opportunity, players from around the world are pouring into Gadgetzan . . . and the city’s three major crime families have taken notice. These fresh recruits have signed up for a life of crime in the hopes of a big score—132 sly new Hearthstone cards to add to their collections!

In Mean Streets of Gadgetzan, players find themselves in the grimy back-alleys of a lawless locale where criminals from all over Azeroth have found a haven free of scrutiny from the Horde and the Alliance. Above all the petty perpetrators and small-time criminals sit three crime families that truly rule the streets: the weapon-smuggling Grimy Goons, the assassins of the Jade Lotus, and the mana-hungry Kabal. Each family offers unique benefits to its own select set of three Hearthstone classes, allowing them to use special tricks of the trade unavailable to rival families. When building decks, players must choose their allies wisely!

“With Mean Streets of Gadgetzan, we’re introducing some exciting new mechanics to give deck-builders all-new ways to play Hearthstone,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “It’s going to be fun to see the influence of the three crime families spread throughout Gadgetzan as players align themselves with the Grimy Goons, the Kabal, and the Jade Lotus.”

Mean Streets of Gadgetzan is available now for Windows® and Mac® PCs, 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 Mean Streets of Gadgetzan 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.

Learn more about the unscrupulous opportunities that await you in the Mean Streets of Gadgetzan at www.gadgetzan.com.

Experience Gadgetzan’s glitz and grime in the fourth expansion for Hearthstone®, Blizzard’s internationally acclaimed digital card game

Prepare to hit the streets running by pre-purchasing a Mean Streets of Gadgetzan card-pack bundle at a special one-time-only price of $49.99†

IRVINE, Calif.—November 4, 2016—Overwatch^®, Blizzard Entertainment’s blockbuster team-based shooter, is now over 20 million players strong, and among that number are a new generation of sports heroes. With more and more players continuing to distinguish themselves in the game, Blizzard Entertainment today announced the creation of the Overwatch League—a world-class sports ecosystem for professional Overwatch competition. Combining Blizzard’s esports pedigree with the best practices of major professional sports, the Overwatch League will focus on long-term stability for teams as well as opportunities for players to establish the types of professional careers associated with traditional sports.

“The Overwatch League represents not only the pinnacle of Overwatch competition, but also a genuine career opportunity for the most skilled Overwatch players,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “We’re building a league that’s accessible to players and fans, sustainable, and exciting for everyone involved.”

The inaugural season of the Overwatch League will begin in 2017. At the start of the season, Blizzard will host a combine, where eligible players who have previously distinguished themselves in competition will be invited to try out for teams. Players at the combine will be evaluated across a range of tests, giving teams the opportunity to sign those who best round out their rosters. Anyone picked up by a team during the signing period will be guaranteed a contract that includes a baseline minimum salary and benefits package.

To support the growth and sustainability of local fan bases, Overwatch League teams will represent major cities from different regions. Once these city-based teams have been admitted to the league, their spots will be secured, giving them the best opportunity to grow and thrive for years to come.

Team announcements and additional Overwatch League information will be shared in the coming months. In the meantime, players who aspire to compete in the Overwatch League should continue making a name for themselves in Overwatch.

To learn more about the Overwatch League, visit the official website at www.overwatchleague.com.

About Overwatch

Built from the ground up to usher in a new era of competitive gaming, Overwatch is a team-based shooter that features a cast of 23 different heroes—each with their own unique arsenal of extraordinary weapons and incredible abilities. As battles to capture and control objectives play out in exotic locations all over the world, players can switch between these heroes on the fly, adapting their team’s composition to the ever-changing state of the battlefield.

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Blizzard’s new expansion for #1 MMORPG matches launch-day record with 3.3 million sold

Heroes of the Horde and the Alliance from around the globe unite as World of Warcraft achieves highest launch-week player concurrency since Cataclysm®

Find Hope In the Army of the Light

Your struggle against the fel horrors that surround you will lead you across the paths of both the paladin Turalyon and the elven ranger Alleria Windrunner. They lead the Army of the Light—a band of lost warriors dedicated to combating the Legion. United in arms with these veterans of Azeroth’s greatest battles, you’ll rally the forces of virtue to strike at the Legion.

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