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League of Legends has been on a roll with the eSports community. The Season Two championships are already boasting to have the biggest prize purse in eSports history with over $5 million in prize money on the line. But Riot Games is looking to turn things up a notch. Today the League of Legends developer announced the formation of a new league coming in Season Three dubbed the League of Legends Championship Series. The new league will be considered the pinnacle of eSports for League of Legends players, with the first qualifiers made up of the top three teams from the EU & NA Regionals at this year’s gamescom and PAX Prime events.

The global league will feature salaried teams, a structured season with multiple weekly matches and playoff events to determine the best eight teams from NA, EU and Asia that will culminate in the World Championship with millions of dollars in prize money on the line. As a little extra icing on the cake, all of the matches will be streamed online for free in HD.

And don’t worry, Challenger Circuit partners such as Intel Extreme Masters, Major League Gaming, and the IGN Pro League will continue to work with League of Legends to build the eSports community.

Additional Details: League of Legends website

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Riot Games Shares Its Vision for the Future of eSports, Reveals Initial Details of League of Legends Championship Series

New Pro League is an Unprecedented Advancement in eSports, Featuring the World’s Top League of Legends Players, Salaried Pro Teams, and 100% Free, HD Broadcasts

LOS ANGELES – Aug. 6, 2012 –  Riot Games, the company behind the most-played PC game in the world, League of Legends, today shared its vision for the future of eSports. Beginning in early 2013, the best players on the planet will compete in the League of Legends Championship Series – a new professional gaming league with teams from North America, Europe and Asia, multiple regular season matches each week, and HD streaming broadcasts available globally for free.

“Talking to players around the world, they repeatedly asked if we could kick League of Legends eSports into higher gear,” said Brandon Beck, co-founder and CEO of Riot Games. “The new League of Legends Championship Series is our answer. Millions of fans tune in every time we support a major League of Legends tournament, so we're broadening that support in an unprecedented way.”

League of Legends Championship Series key facts:

• Global Operations: The top eight teams from both North America and Europe, plus top teams from Asia, will compete for regional and global dominance.
• Millions of Dollars on the Line: Salaries, prize pools and other compensation for Championship Series teams will ensure League of Legends is a sustainable career choice for professional players.
• Regular Season and Playoffs: eSports fans will get to see teams battling in the traditional format of organized sports – a regular season with several matches per week, culminating in regional playoffs and a World Championship, which will crown the world’s best League of Legends team.
• Free, HD broadcast events: League of Legends fans will watch Championship Series matches live online with HD broadcast streaming that is always 100% free.

The upcoming Season Two North American and European Regional competitions have momentous consequences for next season’s Championship Series: the top three teams from each region will pre-qualify for the league. The Regionals are:

• European Season Two Regionals @ Gamescom in Cologne, Germany – Aug. 16 through Aug. 19
• North American Season Two Regionals @ PAX Prime in Seattle, Washing – Aug. 30 through Sep. 2

While the Championship Series will represent the absolute highest level of competitive play in League of Legends Season 3, the competition will also be fierce in the Challenger Circuit, which consists of events hosted by Intel Extreme Masters, Major League Gaming, and the IGN Pro League. “IEM, MLG and IPL are invaluable partners, and we’ll continue to work closely with each of them in Season 3 as they foster the next generation of League of Legends competitors,” said Dustin Beck, vice president of eSports at Riot Games.

League of Legends is a multiplayer online battle arena where teams of players compete for dominance, selecting from a growing cast of more than 100 uniquely powerful champions.

About Riot Games
Riot Games was established in 2006 by entrepreneurial gamers who believe that player-focused game development can result in great games. In 2009, Riot released its debut title League of Legends to critical and player acclaim. Over 11 million play every month. Players form the foundation of our community and it’s for them that we continue to evolve and improve the League of Legends experience. 

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