Call of Duty World League – Pro Division Stage 1, Week 6 Recap

Get the recap on all regions in Week 6

Shakeups occurred at the top for all three regions in Week 6 of the Call of Duty World League Pro Division. While North American teams still have five weeks to battle back in the standings, Europe and Australia/New Zealand have less than three weeks in Stage 1 competition. Playoff positioning is one thing, but avoiding the Relegation tournament will also be on the minds of several teams in the weeks ahead.

Check out the standings and stories from all three Pro Division regions:

ANZ:

Long considered the ANZ favourites, Mindfreak finally moved into the top position of the Australia/New Zealand region this week. Mindfreak capped their fourth consecutive 2-0 week with a sweep of former league leaders Orbit. It was a tough week for Orbit as they would also fall to Tainted Minds, another team that leapfrogged them in the standings.

North America:

The battle at the top continues in the North American standings, as the familiar names continue to lead the pack. OpTic Gaming’s perfect week helped them retake the top spot over Team EnVyUs, while split performances from Rise Nation, compLexity, and FaZe Clan meant everyone held their positions. Team eLevate meanwhile has silently climbed into contention, though a tough Week 7 matchup against OpTic Gaming will be a true test for the team.

At the bottom of the standings, a six-series losing streak has dropped Team Kaliber to a 3-9 record. tK has struggled to replicate their Week 3 performance in which they defeated both compLexity and FaZe Clan. With upcoming matchups against low-performing teams Dream Team and H2k, Week 7 could be a deciding week for Team Kaliber in avoiding the Relegation tournament.

Europe:

An amazing four-team race has emerged in the European region with all teams tied at a league-leading 9-3 record. Millenium had an opportunity to maintain their one-game lead, but they fell for the second time to Team Vitality in a thrilling 3-2 series. That loss combined with their map win/loss record has now dropped the team to 4th place, the team’s lowest position since Week 1.

It was a disappointing Week 6 for Giants Gaming, who lost to Splyce and Team Infused in 3-0 sweeps. After the Spanish squad rallied off four-straight series wins, Giants Gaming are once again in danger of falling out of the European playoff picture. They’re in for an up and down Week 7 as they take on Millenium and PuLse Gaming.

Tune in next week for more exciting action from the Call of Duty World League. See the Week 7 start times:

• Australia/New Zealand: 2/23 at 6pm AEDT
• Europe: 2/23 at 4pm CET
• North America: 2/23 at 3pm PST/6pm EST

As always, be sure to follow @CODWorldLeague on Twitter for the latest on all things Call of Duty esports.

RISE ABOVE EXTINCTION IN UBISOFT’S FAR CRY® PRIMAL

Sydney, Australia — February 23, 2016 — Today, Ubisoft announced that Far Cry Primal, the next exciting installment of the critically acclaimed Far Cry franchise, where sabretooth tigers and woolly mammoths rule the world, is now available worldwide on PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and Xbox One. Far Cry Primal brings its innovative open world sandbox gameplay to a time of extreme danger and limitless adventure, featuring the fight to climb to the top of the food chain. Far Cry Primal will release on March 1 for Windows PC.

Developed by Ubisoft Montreal*, Far Cry Primal is set in the majestic land of Oros in 10,000 BC, the first frontier of man. Playing as Takkar, a seasoned hunter and the last surviving member of his hunting group, gamers will take on the savage Stone Age. In order to find, rescue and protect the scattered members of his Wenja tribe, Takkar must craft a deadly arsenal, fend off fierce predators and outsmart enemy tribes to become the apex predator.

A range of weapons are at Takkar’s disposal, including the deadly double-bow, bee bombs, and fire. In addition to these, Takkar’s special ability to tame and command wild beasts empowers gamers to tame predators they find in the open world and use them as tools and weapons. Animals like the owl or honey badger can be summoned at any moment to take down enemies, scout the area or act as a distraction during battle and hunts. With these constant companions fighting at the player’s side, the Wenja can flourish despite the fierce nature of Oros and its inhabitants.

In addition, the Far Cry Primal Collector’s edition, which will equip every player and Far Cry fan with the best premium package to survive Oros, will be available for customers in Australia.

It includes:
Physical Content
• Far Cry Primal game.
• Exclusive Far Cry Primal Collector Box with sabretooth skull opening.
• Official Wenja phrasebook: your guide in Oros, full of useful words and in-game sentences. It is a condensed collection of the work of specialists/experts that have adapted a unique language for this game, based on the Proto-Indo European language.
• Exclusive Steelbook™.
• Far Cry Primal map of Oros.
• The official game soundtrack and Wenja audio recordings to discover the basics of Far Cry Primal’s official language.

Digital Content: all digital content available, a complete pack of ”Legend of the Mammoth” missions, a new weapon and 4 enhancements packs.
• “Legend of the Mammoth” missions: Up to almost 45 minutes of additional gameplay where the player will have the unique opportunity to play as the largest animal in Oros, the almighty mammoth, and feel the power to stomp its enemies and defend its herd from other beasts and humans.
o Duel of beasts: A powerful rhino spirit dares to challenge your might. Battle him and his herd across treacherous cliffs to assert your dominance.
o The trapped elder: Bloodthirsty hunters have trapped your leader. Crash their camp and lead the elder to freedom.
o Hunt the hunter: The time for revenge is now. Lead your herd to crush those who threaten your survival.
• A new weapon, the Blood Shasti Club: a bloodstained cudgel of bone and teeth wielded by Ull, the vicious leader of the Udam.
• 4 enhancement packs that offer early access to rare resources and unique customisation options.

For more information about Far Cry Primal, please visit farcrygame.com.

For the latest on all of Ubisoft’s games, please visit ubiblog.com.

*Far Cry Primal is developed by Ubisoft Montreal in collaboration with Ubisoft Toronto, Shanghai and Kiev Studios.

About Ubisoft
Ubisoft is a leading creator, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and services, with a rich portfolio of world-renowned brands, including Assassin’s Creed, Just Dance, Tom Clancy’s video game series, Rayman, Far Cry and Watch Dogs. The teams throughout Ubisoft’s worldwide network of studios and business offices are committed to delivering original and memorable gaming experiences across all popular platforms, including consoles, mobile phones, tablets and PCs. For the 2014–15 fiscal year Ubisoft generated sales of €1,464 million. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoftgroup.com.

© 2016 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Far Cry, Ubisoft, and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the US and/or other countries. Based on Crytek’s original Far Cry directed by Cevat Yerli. Powered by Crytek’s technology “CryEngine.” All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Ubisoft^®’s Tom Clancy’s The Division™ Beta Breaks Records with 6.4 Million Players

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – February 23, 2016 –Ubisoft^® has announced that 6.4 million players participated in the Beta for Tom Clancy’s The Division™, making it the industry’s biggest beta ever for a new game brand on current generation platforms. The Division launches for PlayStation^®4 computer entertainment system, and Xbox One and Windows PC on March 8.

On average, players spent 4 hours and 52 minutes as an activated sleeper agent, journeying through The Division’s pandemic-stricken New York City. More than one third of that time was spent in The Division’s unique and challenging player-versus-player (PVP) environment, the Dark Zone, with more than 2.5 million players going rogue.

The Beta was an opportunity for Ubisoft to test its online infrastructure as well as changes and updates made to the game. It also served as a chance for millions of players to try the game for the first time and provide their feedback to Ubisoft. With record breaking participation and engagement, Ubisoft is now looking ahead to The Division’s official release next month.

“We want to thank the millions of people who joined in on The Division’s Open Beta,” said, Magnus Jansen, creative director, Ubisoft. “We hope everybody enjoyed playing, and we think the beta is going to help ensure a great launch for the game. We’re looking forward to everyone getting their hands on the full game when The Division is released on March 8.”

The Division team thanked fans and offered more details here: http://tomclancy-thedivision.ubi.com/game

# # #

© 2016 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Tom Clancy’s, The Division logo, the Soldier icon, Ubisoft and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the U.S. and/or other countries.

About Ubisoft:

Ubisoft is a leading creator, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and services, with a rich portfolio of world-renowned brands, including Assassin’s Creed, Just Dance, Watch_Dogs, Tom Clancy’s video game series, Rayman and Far Cry. The teams throughout Ubisoft’s worldwide network of studios and business offices are committed to delivering original and memorable gaming experiences across all popular platforms, including consoles, mobile phones, tablets and PCs. For the 2014-15 fiscal year, Ubisoft generated sales of €1.464 billion. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoftgroup.com.

DiRT RALLY® DEVELOPER DIARY REVEALS THE ROAD TO CONSOLE RELEASE 

HEAR THE TEAM TELL THE STORY OF THE ACCLAIMED RALLY GAME IN THEIR OWN WORDS 

SYDNEY, 22^nd February 2016 – Codemasters & Bandai Namco Entertainment today released a developer diary for DiRT Rally® in which the team discuss the secrets of the game’s success and its road to release on PlayStation® 4 computer entertainment system and Xbox One on April 8^th 2016. The video is available to watch now at https://youtu.be/uvUtGgglEvE

In the video, the DiRT team talk about the reasons behind the latest in the smash hit DiRT series becoming a more focussed, more challenging rally and rallycross game that takes the series back in a similar direction to its early heritage in the Colin McRae games. They discuss DiRT Rally’s Steam Early Access programme and how the feedback process with the DiRT community helped shape the game into a thrilling and authentic racing game that delivers an unforgettable white-knuckle feeling of racing on the edge, which console players will soon be able to experience for themselves. They explain the core ideas behind the game, key components of immersing gamers in the fast, dangerous world of a rally driver and discuss the painstaking process of selecting, researching and building the game’s environments to deliver a wide variety of stages that challenge players’ endurance and concentration.

“The key pillar that we grew the whole game on was the idea of making the most authentic and best rally racing experience that had ever been made.” says Paul Coleman, Chief Games Designer “We started from the ground up, looking at what we needed to do with the tracks, how we needed to change the cars to make sure that they drove properly within them and getting that feeling right; the sense of flowing through a stage and of impending doom if you go off the road. All of that stuff really feeds into what it is to be a rally driver and the mind-set that you approach the stages with.”

DiRT Rally is now available on Steam and will be powersliding onto PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on April 8^th 2016.

VAINGLORY WINS 2016 GLOMO AWARD FOR “BEST MOBILE GAME”

World’s Leading Touchscreen eSport Honored at  Mobile World Congress in Barcelona

Barcelona  — February 22, 2016 – Super Evil Megacorp’s Vainglory, the world’s leading touchscreen eSport, was today crowned the “Best Mobile Game” by the GSMA and Gamelab Mobile during the 2016 GLOMO Awards. The awards ceremony, held at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, recognizes the most innovative, immersive, thrilling and sophisticated mobile games and apps from 2015.

The award recognition is particularly significant as this year marked a new record in GLOMO competition with more than 930 entries received by the GSMA. Over 285 nominees were shortlisted for more than 40 awards over eight categories. The GLOMO Awards are judged by independent experts, analysts, journalists, academics and mobile operator representatives.

“It is an honor for Vainglory to be recognized as the ‘Best Mobile Game’ by the GSMA,” said Kristian Segerstrale, COO and Executive Director of Super Evil Megacorp. “The rate at which the Vainglory community has grown and the eSports competition has increased throughout 2015 has been incredible, and we can not thank our players enough for their dedication across the globe. We are still early and have a lot to do in 2016, but we are very excited about progress so far!”

Vainglory is a battle between two teams (3 vs. 3 players who play with, and against, real people). Players control a single hero, and the team’s goal is to shatter a giant crystal called the Vain in the center of the enemy team’s base. The team that destroys the enemy’s Vain wins the game. Vainglory was the fastest growing mobile game of 2015 according to Twitch.

Following a very successful Vainglory Live Autumn Season Championships, the Winter eSports Season kicked off in January boasting a Lunar New Year-themed map skin including fireworks and other visually stunning effects in the Halcyon Fold. The Winter Championships for North America will be held at the Red Bull esports studio in Santa Monica from March 11-13 and the European event will be held in London at the Gfinity Arena from March 18-20. Tickets for both are now available and can be purchased for $12 at http://vainglorywinterna.eventbrite.com and http://vainglorywintereu.eventbrite.com.

To download Vainglory for free, visit the Apple App Store here or Google Play here.

About Super Evil Megacorp

Super Evil Megacorp is a team of masters-at-their-craft game developers. The company’s first title Vainglory, quickly rose to become the world’s largest mobile eSport after its global launch in early 2015. In less than a year, Vainglory has held live competitive gaming events in Asia, North America and Europe, and awarded more than $350,000 in prize money. In addition to its success in the eSports realm, Vainglory has received top game development honors including Apple’s “Best Apps” in 2104 and 2015, the Apple Design Award at WWDC, The IMGA’s Best Technical Achievement and People’s Choice Awards, and the Tabby Award for Best iPad game in the RPG, Simulation and Strategy category. Super Evil Megacorp is based in San Mateo, CA. The team is currently 45 people strong and is hiring. Super Evil has raised $41M in funding from backers including General Catalyst, Index Ventures, Signia Venture Partners, Korea Investment Partners, CrossCut Ventures, Initial Capital, The Raine Group, ZhenFund, Yuri Milner, and Jim Breyer of Breyer Capital. For more information, visit http://www.superevilmegacorp.com/ and http://www.vainglorygame.com/.

About the GSMA

The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, uniting nearly 800 operators with more than 250 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset and device makers, software companies, equipment providers and internet companies, as well as organisations in adjacent industry sectors. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as Mobile World Congress, Mobile World Congress Shanghai and the Mobile 360 Series conferences.

DiRT RALLY® DEVELOPER DIARY REVEALS THE ROAD TO CONSOLE RELEASE

Hear the team tell the story of the acclaimed rally game

Larkspur, Calif. – February 22, 2016 – Codemasters and Deep Silver released a developer diary for DiRT Rally® today, in which the team discusses the secrets of the game’s success and its road to release on PlayStation® 4 computer entertainment system, and Xbox One on April 5th.

The video is available to watch now at youtube.com/dirtgame.

In the video, the DiRT team talk about the reasons behind the latest in the smash hit DiRT series becoming a more focused, more challenging rally and rallycross game that takes the series back in a similar direction to its early heritage in the Colin McRae games.

The team also explores DiRT Rally’s Steam Early Access program and how the feedback process with the DiRT community helped shape the game into a thrilling and authentic racing game that delivers an unforgettable white-knuckle feeling of racing on the edge, which console players will soon be able to experience for themselves.

They explain the core ideas behind the game, key components of immersing gamers in the fast, dangerous world of a rally driver and discuss the painstaking process of selecting, researching and building the game’s environments to deliver a wide variety of stages that challenge players’ endurance and concentration.

“The key pillar that we grew the whole game on was the idea of making the most authentic and best rally racing experience that had ever been made.” says Paul Coleman, chief games designer. “We started from the ground up, looking at what we needed to do with the tracks, how we needed to change the cars to make sure that they drove properly within them and getting that feeling right; the sense of flowing through a stage and of impending doom if you go off the road. All of that stuff really feeds into what it is to be a rally driver and the mind-set that you approach the stages with.”

Available to pre-order now is the limited run DiRT Rally Legend Edition, which includes both the Fully Loaded MINI Pack and Fully Loaded Ford Pack, which unlocks and fully upgrades the MINI Cooper S and Ford Escort MK2 from the start of the game, gives an exclusive livery for the cars and provides a unique team mechanic with perks.

Gamers pre-ordering the digital edition of DiRT Rally will receive both the Fully Loaded Rallycross Pack, which unlocks the Mini Classic Rallycross and provides the same benefits as the other packs.

DiRT Rally is now available on Steam and will be power sliding onto PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on April 5th.
# # #

ABOUT DiRT RALLY
DiRT Rally is the most authentic and thrilling rally game ever made, road-tested over 80 million miles by the DiRT community. It perfectly captures that white knuckle feeling of racing on the edge as you hurtle along dangerous roads at breakneck speed, knowing that one crash could irreparably harm your stage time.

Every stage tests you differently, as you race on the edge of control across snow, ice, tarmac and dirt and tackle a variety of weather types. As the car suffers attrition and stages string together, your dedicated rally team tries to keep you competitive and each rally becomes a marathon-like test of concentration and skill.

DiRT Rally also includes officially licensed World Rallycross content, allowing you to experience the breathless, high-speed thrills of some of the world’s fastest off-road cars as you trade paint with other drivers at some of the series’ best-loved circuits, in both singleplayer and high-intensity multiplayer races.

Join the DiRT team for the continuing road ahead and follow updates from the studio on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/dirtgame) and Twitter
(http://www.twitter.com/dirtgame).


ABOUT CODEMASTERS
Codemasters, the award winning video game developer and publisher, has a 30-year heritage. With titles distributed globally, Codemasters is a leading developer and publisher of driving and racing entertainment games including DiRT, GRID and the official BAFTA award-winning FORMULA 1 series of videogames. Since March 2010, Reliance Big Entertainment Ltd. (RBEL), a part of India’s Reliance ADA group, has been the principal shareholder (60%), alongside existing investor, Balderton Capital, the leading European venture capital firm. For more information on Codemasters’ product portfolio, please visit www.codemasters.com. Join in the conversation with @codemasters on Twitter or Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/codemasters.

About Deep Silver
Deep Silver develops and publishes interactive games for all platforms, seeking to deliver top-quality products that provide immersive game experiences driven by the desires of the gaming community. The company has published more than 200 games worldwide since 2003, including the best-selling zombie action Dead Island(TM) franchise, the critically-acclaimed Metro(TM): Last Light and the smash hit action adventure Saints Row IV(TM). Deep Silver is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Koch Media, GmbH, and also owns the development studios Deep Silver Fishlabs in Hamburg, Germany, Deep Silver Volition based in Champaign, IL, USA, and Deep Silver Dambuster Studios in Nottingham, UK. For more information please visit www.deepsilver.com.

The Fight for Asian Authority on the World of Tanks Battlefield Returns

The WGL APAC Season II Finals 2015-2016 Concludes in Seoul

February 22, 2016 — The Wargaming.net League (WGL) proudly presents the WGL APAC Season II Finals 2015-2016 this March 05 and 06 in Seoul, South Korea at the Yongsan eSports Stadium.

The participating teams are Horsemen, RefornGaming, EL Gaming and GoldBass. The stakes are high for the championship title and a hand in the total prize winnings of $92,500USD, with the winners taking home $60,000USD. Runners-up, third and fourth placed teams each go home with $20,000USD, $8,500USD and $4,000USD respectively. Expect a show of vastly different skills from teams as they engage in furious exchanges for glory and a bite of the cash pie. The two teams with the highest rating points will also be headed to the WGL Grand Finals 2016.

Teams will be fighting 7v7 with a total tier max of 68 and a top tier limit of X (10). This is World of Tanks eSports at the highest levels. The events schedule is as follows:

• March 05, 2016, Saturday, 4:00 pm – 9:30 pm (UTC +9)

Match 1: Horsemen vs RefornGaming

Match 2: EL Gaming vs GoldBass

3 / 4 Placing Match: Match 1 Loser vs Match 2 Loser

• March 06, 2016, Saturday, 7:00 pm – 9:30 pm (UTC +9)

Final Match: Match 1 Winner vs Match 2 Winner

The event will be broadcast online in Asia in English, Mandarin, Japanese, and in Korean on the official Twitch channels: ENG / ZH-TW / JPN / KOR.

Entry to WGL APAC Season II Finals 2015-2016 will be free to the public with exciting events and opportunities for the most passionate spectators to walk away with exclusive Wargaming premiums. Online viewers will also be treated to on-stream trivia events on official Wargaming Facebook pages where select in-game prizes will be given out.

The WGL APAC Season II Finals 2015-2016 will be held at the Yongsan eSports Stadium in Seoul, Korea, this coming March 05 and 06, 2016.

To learn more about the Wargaming.net League APAC, please visit:

• http://worldoftanks.asia

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About the Wargaming.net League

Established in 2013, the Wargaming.net League is Wargaming’s professional eSports league. It showcases one of the company’s key products in an eSports capacity; runs all-year-round world-class events giving professional and aspiring gamers a platform to compete and excel, and provides its ever-growing, global audience with instant access to premier competitive gaming content.

The League promotes eSports through large-scale events and premium content, fostering its popularity among gamers and spectators. The massive prize pools and world-class competitive gaming tournaments are broadcasted live to millions of viewers. In addition, the League’s accessibility attracts new teams and contributes to global audience growth, with the ultimate goal of turning all eSports into a professional sport.

Having grown from a player-encouraged initiative into a worldwide organization, the League puts its community first and evolves based on the needs of pro-gamers and viewers. Format and rule sets for matches are continually improved in close cooperation with professional players.

The Wargaming.net League infrastructure gives aspiring players a clear ladder of progression for them to transition to the pro scene. Split into three divisions—Gold, Silver, and Bronze Series—it allows for skilled players to tap into the world of pro-gaming and provides them with a clear path onward to the top echelon.

Official website:

• http://asia.wgleague.net

About Wargaming

Wargaming is an award-winning online game developer and publisher and one of the leaders in the free-to-play MMO market. Founded as a privately held company in 1998, Wargaming has shipped over 10 titles. Currently, Wargaming is focused on its team-based MMO war series dedicated to the mid-20th century warfare that includes the armored World of Tanks, the flight combat World of Warplanes, and the naval World of Warships. The three intertwined titles form a common gaming universe integrated within the portal www.wargaming.net.

As part of its multiplatform line-up, the company has introduced World of Tanks on Xbox and World of Tanks Blitz on mobile and tablet. Launched in 2014 and 2015, World of Tanks on Xbox introduced epic tank-on-tank battles to console gamers and offers the first cross-platform gaming experience between Xbox 360 and Xbox One. In 2016, Wargaming released World of Tanks for PlayStation®4, continuing its console campaign.

Official website:

• www.wargaming.com