European winners crowned at the Pokémon International Championships

2016/17 PES LEAGUE and the official UEFA Champions League eSports tournament now open via PES LEAGUE mode, as key qualifying dates and iconic venues confirmed 

Sydney, 16th December 2016 – Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. has confirmed its exciting plans for PES LEAGUE and the ROAD TO CARDIFF, the official UEFA Champions League eSports tournament, with an incredible $200,000 as first prize in the revamped 2016/17 PES LEAGUE. Available exclusively to PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®3 users, the Road to Cardiff season begins today via the dedicated PES LEAGUE mode available in PES 2017, and the new free-to-play PES 2017 Trial Edition. Additional PES LEAGUE events will be open to players on all platforms.

The huge prize incentive comes as KONAMI increases the scope of its annual competition, which is recognised by UEFA as the official UEFA Champions League eSports tournament. The ultimate winner will receive $200,000 with those in second and third place receiving $100,000 and $50,000 respectively. Additional prizes will also be available, with $20,000 going to the winners of the two European Regional Finals, the Americas Final and the Asia Final, with additional prizes for the runners-ups.

“KONAMI has demonstrated its skill in expanding the PES LEAGUE as a global totem for PES players, and we are delighted to be involved with this illustrious competition,” said Guy-Laurent Epstein, Managing Director Marketing at UEFA. “The PES series has been a stunning showcase for the UEFA Champions League, and the confirmation that the PES LEAGUE is the Official UEFA Champions League eSport tournament, is the next logical step. As Europe’s greatest club teams compete to play in Cardiff in June, so the world’s best PES 2017 players will do the same for a chance to be crowned the greatest.”

Officially kicking off today, users can register to compete in the 2016/17 PES LEAGUE via www.pesleague.com and begin the first of many games as they play matches that will see them ranked against their peers. All scores and results from matches played within the PES LEAGUE mode are logged and entrants can monitor their progress via the PES LEAGUE website. Entry is also open to those using the new free-to-play, PES 2017 Trial Edition. This special version of PES 2017 showcases the Exhibition mode and Skills Training, but will also allow users to compete within PES LEAGUE. The PES LEAGUE has seen huge growth in recent years, and the 2016/17 event will be open to players from all over the globe, each looking to represent their region in Cardiff ahead of the 2016/17 UEFA Champions League Final.

Launched under the ROAD TO CARDIFF banner to reflect the 2016/17 competitions position as the official UEFA Champions League eSports tournament, the national qualifying stages take place in Europe, Asia, as well as North and South America, using online matches to determine the best qualifying 16.

Entry to the new PES LEAGUE season is free. “I saw for myself at Gamescom last year just how high the level of skill is within the PES community,” stated Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Borussia Dortmund striker and one of the official PES ambassadors. “While I consider myself good at the game, the guys who will vie for a place in Cardiff are at another level. The Official PES LEAGUE is the best way to prove just how good you are at PES 2017, and I look forward to seeing the world’s best players showing their skills.”

For Europe, the first season of the regional qualifiers will run until January 5th, 2017. The second season will be held between February 16th and March 16th, 2017. Similarly, two qualifying stages in the Americas will take place, with the first running between December 15th through until January 12th, 2017 and the second taking place between January 12th through until February 16th, 2017. Asia will have one qualifying stage that begins today and will finish on February 23rd, 2017.

“We have enjoyed many great nights of European football at the Camp Nou and now we welcome the cream of mainland Europe’s PES 2017 community,” said Manel Arroyo, FCB Vice President of Marketing and Communications. “Our facilities will be a fitting venue to host such a meeting of PES talent and we anticipate a series of highly-charged matches full of flowing football and individual brilliance during this illustrious eSports event.”

With KONAMI establishing preferred partnership programmes with the world’s greatest football clubs, the first of the European qualifiers will be held at FC Barcelona in February 2017. The 16 competitors will gather in a special play area within the iconic ground, before entering a series of knock-out matches to decide the final four players to represent Europe at the PES LEAGUE World Final in Cardiff. April 2017 will then see the 16 best American players gather at a soon to be announced location for their regional final. Four places are on offer for those qualifying from the Americas, thus ensuring a high level of competition to make the cut.

The European regional qualifiers finals will take place in April 2017 at a stadium location, soon to be announced. The initial 16 players will be whittled down to just four via another knock-out competition. Thus, with Europe’s eight entrants determined, they will be joined by the four qualifiers from the Americas, two from Asia, and one representing the rest of world, as well as one challenger to be selected at a later stage.

As has become traditional and in line with PES 2017’s position as exclusive licensee of the UEFA competitions, the conclusion to the 2016/17 season will take place ahead of the UEFA Champions League Final in June 2017. The ultimate winner will be given the main prize. The finalists will also receive tickets to watch the UEFA Champions League Final match.

“The Official PES LEAGUE continues to go from strength to strength, and we are delighted to announce that the Road to Cardiff tournament begins today and is officially recognised by UEFA as the official UEFA Champions League eSports tournament,” said Jonas Lygaard, Senior Director – Brand & Business Development for Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. “We are also delighted that such key matches will take place in suitably auspicious venues, and thank our partners at FC Barcelona for providing such an iconic landscape for one of the official UEFA Champions League eSports tournament qualifier venues. There are more stadium announcements coming though so watch this space.”

Full details and schedules of KONAMI’s other exciting plans for PES LEAGUE tournament will be announced for wider players early next year.

To register for the 2016/17 PES LEAGUE, please visit: www.pesleague.com/

VICTOR VRAN, THE AWARD WINNING PC ACTION RPG, DOUBLE JUMPS ONTO PLAYSTATION® 4 AND XBOX ONE IN 2017

Alongside a Brand New Trailer, Haemimont Games AD and Wired Productions Announce Strategic Partnership to Co-publish Worldwide PC and Console Physical and Digital Releases

Watford, U.K. — December 15, 2016 — Wired Productions, an independent games publisher, is pleased to reveal today its strategic partnership and co-publishing agreement with renowned Bulgarian developer Haemimont Games AD, beginning with the upcoming launch of the multi-award winning action RPG, Victor Vran, for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft. Victor Vran will be published globally at digital and physical retail in early 2017 and will serve as a key point of momentum in Wired Productions’ ongoing foray into publishing games on home consoles.

Victor Vran is an isometric action RPG that encourages players to venture and vanquish to their liking. Players can forge their own personal version of Victor by utilizing a vast array of powerful weapons, game-changing outfits, and wicked, spell-like demon powers as they explore the vast city of Zagaravia and its sprawling districts. Take on waves of demons and clever boss monsters alone, on the couch alongside an ally, or online as a team of four – and emerge victorious.

Victor Vran for console has been built from the ground-up using Haemimont’s proprietary engine, delivering outstanding performance at 60fps, along with local co-op for 2 players and online co-op for 4 players, which includes daily and weekly maps. PC owners will also be getting exciting news in the coming weeks.

“We’re excited to be working with Wired Productions to bring Victor Vran to millions of players around the world,” said Gabriel Dobrev, CEO at Haemimont Games AD. “Our original vision was to shake up the RPG genre by delivering the first all action role playing game, and the response from press and fans alike has been incredible. This partnership with Wired Productions will allow us to grow that fan base, and to engage with more players than ever before.”

“The first time I played Victor Vran, I was smitten, and to be able to work with such a revered studio as Haemimont Games to expand its army of fans is a privilege,” added Leo Zullo, Managing Director at Wired Productions. “We’re delighted to begin this partnership, and to share something we love so much in Victor Vran with a community of gamers globally is a coup for us; we can’t wait to get started.”

For more information and to stay versed with the latest news on Victor Vran, please visit the official website at www.VictorVran.com, Like the official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/VictorVran, and follow the official Twitter account at https://twitter.com/VictorVran.

About Haemimont Games AD
Haemimont Games is Bulgaria’s largest independent video game developer. Founded in 1997 by CEO Gabriel Dobrev, the award winning studio is home to more than 50 passionate designers, programmers and artists who have been brought together by a common passion: to thrill, engage and provoke gamers worldwide.  The studio has developed multiple titles including the highly acclaimed Tropico series, Grand Ages: Rome, Omerta: City of Gangsters and Victor Vran on a variety of platforms – MS Windows, MacOS, Linux, Xbox 360, Xbox One and PS4, using its proprietary multi-platform engine.

For more information visit www.HaemimontGames.com.

About Wired Productions Ltd
Wired Productions is an established independent computer games publisher based in Watford, Hertfordshire, UK.  Founded in 2008, Wired have produced over 40 titles for many global publishers and are part of the team responsible for the 1.5 million unit selling We Sing franchise. In 2013, Wired moved into console publishing on all major platforms. Notable launches to date include Let’s Fish! Hooked On, Tiny Troopers Joint Ops, Last Inua and Super Dungeon Bros. Victor Vran is the latest title to be signed for 2017.

Wired Productions are also a founding member of We Sing Productions, which is a collaboration between THQ Nordic, Wired Productions and Le Cortex, with the sole mission to establish a new range of We Sing products for all formats.

For more information visit www.wiredproductions.com or follow at:  www.facebook.com/WiredPro and on Twitter https://twitter.com/WiredP.

VR INVADERS NOW AVAILABLE ON STEAM VR

Dive Into My.com’s New Story Driven VR Shooter

Amsterdam, The Netherlands – December 15, 2016 – Global publisher My.com is proud to announce that their first virtual reality PC game, VR Invaders, is now available on Steam VR. Follow the story of Thomas Hall in this visceral shooter experience in the year 2046. In this future timeline, some people spend almost all of their life logged into the virtual reality programs, to the delight of corporations. However, not everyone stays logged in voluntarily. Sometimes a VR user can’t disconnect because of a virus. To protect their profits and extract the “Stuck,” corporations have hired freelance hackers called Divers to enter the client’s neural session and reboot it. Thomas Hall is one of them, and he is always up for the task.

“My.com has created virtual worlds for players for years now and it is finally time to let them truly dive in,” said Volker Boenigk, Producer at My.com. “VR Invaders is our first entry into this exciting market. Gamers are embracing VR rapidly and in the story of our game, we explore what might lie ahead for humanity once we all do!”

Watch the VR Invaders Launch Trailer HERE: www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTb9t8OidFY

VR Invaders is developed by My.com’s in-house studio and delivers a story driven dive into Virtual Reality. Built on Unreal engine 4, VR Invaders puts the player in the role of a Diver. They are special members of a virtual reality rescue force that plunges into VR when dreams turn into nightmares. During a routine operation to rescue a “stuck” user, the player will have to fight back unexpected hordes of droids created by a vicious virus program. Equipped with a blaster that has multiple firing modes and a time-bending energy shield, players can rush through a variety of levels with challenging bosses at the end of each level. Players will be able to use power ups to slow time or even equip dual blasters, which will significantly help in critical situations that are created by the virus program.

Steam VR page: store.steampowered.com/app/561360

Key Features:

• We must go deeper: Engaging story with interesting characters, which unfolds as you “Dive” into a virtual reality program of a future world to save a user that is stuck, and to battle the unforeseen causes of the glitch.
• Fast-paced action: Shoot with a blaster and block bullets with a shield. Core mechanics are easy to grasp, but using them to the fullest against all the threats will be a challenge.
• Various levels: Virtual reality is vast. You’ll see radically different and gorgeous environments, from claustrophobic and dark, to enormously big and bright. Level structure shapes the gameplay.
• Hordes of droids: Enemies are numerous in quantity and type. Each one behaves differently and demands a change in combat tactics. A memorable boss awaits at the end of every level.
• Slow motion shield power: Freeze time to a halt when you need breathing space. Use this to kill lots of enemies at once or to check that no one is attacking you from the side.
• Multifunctional blaster: Gather power-ups from killed enemies to temporary transform your cyber weapon into various more powerful modes, such as a laser, a plasma gun, or dual blasters.
• Different play modes: After completing a level in story mode, you can replay it in rating mode on three different difficulty levels to get a high score and become the best cyberspace diver.

VR Invaders is accessible for HTC Vive or Oculus Rift + Touch users through Steam VR today.

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ABOUT MY.COM

My.com comprises myMail, MAPS.ME, myTarget, and online and mobile games. Its mobile communications and entertainment services and apps facilitate people in pursuing their business goals – and let them relax and have a good time gaming in-between. Copyright © 2016 My.com.

For more information, visit my.com

KOEI TECMO AMERICA ANNOUNCES NEXT INSTALLMENT IN POPULAR DEMON-HUNTING RPG SERIES – TOUKIDEN 2

Embark on a Brand New Open World Adventure and Join the Battle Against Hordes of Oni

Burlingame, Calif. — December 15, 2016 — KOEI TECMO America is thrilled to confirm today that Toukiden 2, the sequel to the popular demon-hunting RPG Toukiden, will release across the Americas in Spring 2017. With more information and details to be disclosed in early 2017, KOEI TECMO America today released a selection of screenshots introducing the game’s revamped battlefields alongside an original Toukiden anime short film by Studio 4°C. Focusing on events that take place prior to the game’s narrative, the anime short exemplifies the rich lore of the Toukiden series and highlights some of the new characters who join players on their journey and whose fates play a key role in the Toukiden 2 storyline!

The Toukiden series tells the tale of humanity’s last stand for survival against demonic, soul-devouring Oni. As revealed in Toukiden: The Age of Demons, humanity was protected for centuries by a secret clan of warriors, the Slayers, trained to dispose of the supernatural threat before it could consume the world. An event known as the Awakening caused rifts to appear in space and time – resurfacing places that had long disappeared from the world and unleashing swarms of Oni that relentlessly hunted humans.

Set shortly after the events detailed in Toukiden: Kiwami, Toukiden 2 introduces an all-new, captivating narrative featuring a compelling cast of companions and more devious demons to defeat. Players will step into the shoes of a Slayer tasked with saving humankind by carrying out special quests to reduce the monstrous hordes and liberate Oni-infested areas. Toukiden 2 boasts a vast and extensive open world full of danger and wonder, and takes the player deep into enemy territory. Slayers and Oni will battle it out in the Otherworld, a tormented battleground divided into six distinct Ages. Revisit the redesigned Ages of Yore, Grace, Honor, War, Peace and Chaos, each distinctively representing an era of Japanese history, and discover more about the Oni threat and your character’s unique role in its resolution!

For more information and to stay up-to-date on news regarding Toukiden 2, please visit the official website at www.koeitecmoamerica.com.com/toukiden2, Like KOEI TECMO America on Facebook at www.facebook.com/koeitecmous, and become part of the #KTfamily by following KOEI TECMO America on Twitter at @KoeiTecmoUS.

ABOUT KOEI TECMO AMERICA CORP.

KOEI TECMO AMERICA CORP. is a publisher of interactive entertainment software for current generation consoles, handhelds and digital download content based in Burlingame, California. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of KOEI TECMO HOLDINGS CO., LTD., headquartered in Yokohama, Japan. KOEI is best known for its Dynasty Warriors® and Samurai Warriors® franchises. TECMO is best known for the Dead or Alive®, Ninja Gaiden®, Tecmo Bowl®, and Fatal Frame® series.

©2016 KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD. The KT logo is a registered trademark of KOEI TECMO HOLDINGS CO., LTD.