Activision announces Call of Duty World League, a new eSports structure for Call of Duty starting with Black Ops 3
UPDATE: Activision has stated that players have to be 18 or older to compete in the World League. In addition, they’ve re-confirmed PS4 as the platform for all competitions.
Activision today announced that they’re going to be taking their involvement in eSports to the next level by hosting their own World League called Call of Duty World League. Activision has created a new team dedicated to launching and maintaining the new league.
Call of Duty World League
The Call of Duty World League will be comprised of two Divisions – The Pro Division and The Challenge Division – each of which will feed into the grand finale of the competitive Call of Duty season, and the biggest event in console eSports, the Call of Duty Championship.
The Pro Division
Professional Call of Duty teams in North America, Europe, and Australia & New Zealand will battle throughout the year in regional competition during The Pro Division regular season to earn their ticket to the Call of Duty Championship, and will compete for the largest seasonal cash prizes in Call of Duty to date. The Call of Duty World League Pro Division kicks off competition in January 2016 in North America, Europe, and Australia & New Zealand.
Activision has confirmed that the Pro Division Season 1 will begin in January 2016. North America will have 12 teams, of which 8 will make the stage 1 and stage 2 finals; Europe will host 10 teams of which 6 will make the stage finals; and Australia/New Zealand will have 8 teams taking part, of which 4 will make the stage finals. Qualification for the Pro Division begins in December 2015. Stay tuned for more information.
The Challenge Division
The Challenge Division will provide a path for amateur and other aspiring pro players to compete with each other and enhance their competitive skills as well. The winning teams in The Challenge Division will also earn a spot in the Call of Duty Championship by competing in a series of official LAN events.
The Challenge Division will allow for teams from countries within the Pro Division, and those from countries that are not supported by the Pro Division to participate. Qualification information will be announced soon.
“Treyarch’s passion for competitive gaming precedes Call of Duty: Black Ops II, a heritage that inspired us to introduce dedicated eSports features into the franchise and one that compelled us to push the boundaries of Call of Duty: Black Ops III’s offerings beyond anything we’ve delivered before,” said Mark Lamia, Treyarch studio head. “While our global fan base of players range from casual to professional, they all share a desire to compete – some at the highest levels. With Call of Duty: Black Ops III, we are introducing a series of new features, like Arena mode that not only accommodate that diversity of play styles, but also let players see how they stack up against one another. Treyarch is giving the community of Call of Duty players new ways to compete and enjoy the thrill of competition.”
Activision has stated that they will be revealing new details on broadcasting partners and more in the months ahead. This new eSports structure starts with Black Ops 3 and will be the foundation of Call of Duty eSports going forward.
More details are available on this FAQ.