From our friends at Red Bull eSports...
Washington, DC Welcomes First eSports Tournament in Four Years with the Red Bull Battle Grounds Grand Final at the Lincoln Theatre
Spectator Tickets Available Now for the Final Event in the Multi-City eSports Tournament Circuit
Today, Red Bull Media House announced that the Lincoln Theatre in Washington, D.C. will be the venue for the Red Bull Battle Grounds Grand Final, a worldwide tournament for players of Blizzard Entertainment’s award-winning real-time strategy game, StarCraft II. A globally popular spectator pastime, StarCraft II reigns supreme in Korea, where live audiences of more than 120,000 fill arenas to witness tournaments, eclipsing the onsite numbers for American events like the Super Bowl and World Series. Next month, Capitol City’s Lincoln Theatre will serve as an international eSports embassy, as eight of the best players from Canada, Korea, North America and around the world will converge for a weekend of intercontinental StarCraft II competition. Tickets are now on-sale for this event, taking place September 20th - 21st, concluding a summer of StarCraft II competition.
The Lincoln Theatre, which has hosted groundbreaking musicians on its historic stage, will serve as the venue for this new generation of riveting, boundary-pushing professionals - pro gamers. Likened to chess for its deep strategic complexity, StarCraft II strays from the classic board game in the blistering speed of top player’s hands and decision making, non-stop analysis from the event commentators, and deafening cheers of support from the spectators. As fans flock to events to see the best in the world compete, eSports - or competitive gaming - tournaments have exploded in frequency and popularity, taking this pastime from dorm rooms and basements to sold-out sporting arenas.
The Red Bull Battle Grounds Grand Final will provide some of the most exciting players from around the globe with a spectacular platform to showcase their tenacious talent, worthy of their skill, preparation and dedication. Hailing from overseas and over international borders, from our northern neighbors in Canada, to Korean compatriots nearly 7,000 miles away, these elite eight have bested hundreds of other hopefuls to earn their spot, by taking a top place win at other Red Bull Battle Grounds participating events in New York, Santa Monica, Atlanta, Detroit, and online, earning substantial prize winnings and World Championship Series of StarCraft (WCS) points from the game’s sanctioning body.
“Each year millions of people watch eSports through live streams or by attending live events in a variety of locales across the globe,” said Rich Taylor, senior vice president for communications and industry affairs at the Entertainment Software Association (ESA). “We are looking forward to seeing Washington DC serve as a meeting ground for gamers from around the world to compete and display the energy which drives this exciting segment of the video game community.”
Single-day and weekend passes for the event are available now, by visiting
http://battlegrounds.redbull.com. Tickets prices begin at $15 for single day passes, and $25 for weekend passes.
The entirety of Red Bull Battle Grounds Grand Finals will be streamed live, giving fans from around the globe the ability to take part in this WCS sanctioned event. Visit http://battlegrounds.redbull.com to tune into the livestream broadcast from 11AM EST each day of the tournament.
Visit http://battlegrounds.redbull.com for additional details, rules and registration, and for many more exciting programs and announcements from Red Bull eSports. Follow @redbullESPORTS on Twitter, #battlegrounds
About 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 sixteen #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.
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 sixteen #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.
About Red Bull Media House:
A global media company, Red Bull Media House produces, publishes, distributes and licenses high-quality sport, entertainment and educational programming from the areas of Sport & Lifestyle, Nature & Science and Tradition & Inspiration. Its product portfolio includes sport and lifestyle programming, documentaries, feature films, music, games and mobile apps, as well as print and online magazines, that fascinate and inspire audiences all over the world - through all media channels and on all types of devices. www.redbullmediahouse.com.
About RedBull.com/eSports:
Redbull.com/eSports is the digital source for the latest news, tournament coverage, interviews, video features and live digital broadcasts for the eSports community. Giving fans in-depth access to eSports scenes, Redbull.com/eSports provides the competitive gaming audience a venue to connect with personalities and players of the sport, as well as one another.
