Newly announced Twitch distribution deal drives an average audience per minute of 408,000 for the opening day broadcast

IRVINE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– The Overwatch League roared to life last week at the Blizzard Arena Los Angeles, with four days of intense competition between all 12 teams of the world’s first major global city-based professional esports league.

Buoyed by a newly announced two-year deal with Twitch, the Overwatch League’s exclusive worldwide^[1] third-party digital broadcast partner, opening day drew an impressive average audience per minute of 408,000, and 280,000 for the week. More than 10 million viewers tuned in over the four-day period via Twitch, MLG, and Chinese streaming partners ZhanQi TV, NetEase CC, and Panda TV—not to mention the countless additional viewers at watch parties worldwide. On Twitch and MLG alone, the peak concurrent online audience of 437,000 hit during the highly anticipated day-one matchup between Dallas Fuel and Seoul Dynasty. In addition, tickets to Blizzard Arena Los Angeles were sold out for the entirety of opening week.

“We’re thrilled by the overwhelming response to the Overwatch League’s opening week of play,” said Pete Vlastelica, president and CEO of Major League Gaming (MLG). “But this is only the beginning. With more than 35 million Overwatch® players, the Overwatch League has the potential to become one of the most-watched leagues—of any kind—in the world.”

“Since we announced Overwatch League at BlizzCon 2016, we’ve been eagerly awaiting the day when the global competitive Overwatch community could come together under one banner,” said Nate Nanzer, Overwatch League commissioner. “Opening week was that coming-out party—for the fans, both in-person at Blizzard Arena Los Angeles and tuned in by the millions all over the world, and for the players, whose love for the game came through crystal clear.”

“We had high expectations for the inaugural broadcast of the Overwatch League on Twitch, given our platform’s passionate fanbase for Overwatch,” said Kevin Lin, COO of Twitch. “They really put on an amazing show and fans showed up en masse to support and celebrate Overwatch. Based on the response from the community, Overwatch League is off to a great start and we look forward to watching how the season progresses. This league demonstrates the power and potential of esports, and we’re thrilled to continue expanding our partnership with Blizzard.”

Viewers can tune in to catch all the action on Twitch, www.mlg.com, the MLG app (on iOS and Android), www.overwatchleague.com, and the Overwatch League app, which launched last week for iOS and Android. Blizzard gamers also can get easy access to the Overwatch League via a new Overwatch League tab in the Blizzard Battle.net desktop app.

The first season of the Overwatch League runs until June, with playoffs and finals scheduled for July. For the inaugural season, all regular-season games will take place at Blizzard Arena Los Angeles, a state-of-the-art live-event venue in Burbank, California, custom-renovated for Blizzard Entertainment esports events. Fans can purchase tickets to attend matches, which will be played each Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. A full schedule and information about ticket sales can be found at www.overwatchleague.com.

About the Overwatch League^™

The Overwatch League^™ is the first major global professional esports league with city-based teams across Asia, Europe, and North America. Overwatch® was created by globally acclaimed publisher Blizzard Entertainment (a division of Activision Blizzard—Nasdaq: ATVI), whose iconic franchises have helped lay the foundations and push the boundaries of professional esports over the last 15 years. The latest addition to Blizzard’s stable of twenty-one #1 games,^[2] Overwatch was built from the ground up for online competition, with memorable characters and fast-paced action designed for the most engaging gameplay and spectator experiences. To learn more about the Overwatch League, visit www.overwatchleague.com.

© 2018 Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. OVERWATCH, OVERWATCH LEAGUE, BLIZZARD and BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT are trademarks of Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. MAJOR LEAGUE GAMING is a trademark of Major League Gaming Corp.

[1] Not including China.
[2] Sales and/or downloads, based on internal company records and reports from key distribution partners

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Blizzard Entertainment’s expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future, including statements about the dates, events and features of the Overwatch League, are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause Blizzard Entertainment’s actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include unanticipated product delays and other factors identified in the risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Blizzard Entertainment and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Blizzard Entertainment nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Blizzard Entertainment or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180117005551/en/

Overwatch League
Mark Van Lommel, 949-955-1380 x61147
MVanLommel@overwatchleague.com

Source: Overwatch League

News Provided by Acquire Media

Today is Valentines Day! We couldn’t think of any better way to show our love for you than to give you a snapshot
full of new things. <3

The full changelog can be found on Minecraft.net.

• Added Phantoms (MineCon voted mob!)
• Added Turtles
• Added new swimming ability (sprint underwater!)
• Added bubble columns
• Added ability to strip logs
• Added new trident weapon
• Squids now shoot ink to defend themselves
• Added new kelp and sea grass blocks
• Items in water now float to the top
• Added new prismarine stairs and slabs

PHANTOMS

You look tired. When’s the last time you got a decent night’s rest? Bad things happen to those who don’t sleep… they start to hallucinate, and see what’s really there.

• Spawns in the overworld and the end
• Attacks players who haven’t slept in a while
• Drops leather, but this may change

TURTLES

The turtle moves.

• Spawns on warm beaches, but this is temporary
• Will lay eggs in their home beach
• You can craft pieces of their old shell into one big shell
  
  • And wear it on your head!
  • Or craft it into a potion!
  • Turtles are known for their strength, not their speed
• Please be kind to turtles. They hold up the world.

KELP AND SEAGRASS

The green in the blue!

• Seagrass generates in all oceans, but this is temporary
• Kelp doesn’t generate in deep oceans, but this is temporary
• Kelp can be smelted to get dry kelp
  
  • A tasty snack for the ocean adventurer!
  • Or a convenient way to fuel more smelting
  • Or just store it away into a dried kelp block

BUBBLE COLUMNS

Blub blub blub blub.

• Doesn’t generate anywhere currently
• Occurs when a magma block is in water
• Watch out, you’ll get sucked under!
• A good way to breath without cheating game mechanics

STRIPPED LOGS

Go ahead, axe us a question.

• You can strip logs by using an axe on them (right-click)
• Stripped logs act like regular logs in furnaces, crafting, etc
• They look neat!

TRIDENTS

Some say that throwing your only weapon away is a bad idea. We disagree.

• Right click to throw the trident
• Left click to melee
• Currently unobtainable in survival, that will change
• Super overpowered, we’ll balance them later
• Has 4 available enchantments
  
  • Loyalty: Your trident will come back to you. Spoil-sport.
  • Impaling: Very useful against creatures of the sea.
  • Riptide: Gotta go fast.
  • Channeling: We’re not sure. It’s pretty spooky.
• UI icon is not yet implemented

FIXED BUGS

• MC-11208 – The big tree generator handles tree height variable incorrectly
• MC-124890 – Can’t insert charcoal into furnace
• MC-124897 – “Balloon oak” tree variant generates upside down, with often only stumps visible on the surface
• MC-124902 – Furnace recipes work in crafting interfaces and interfere with crafting recipes
• MC-124903 – Random crash in snow biomes: java.lang.NullPointerException: Exception ticking world
• MC-124913 – Horses, rabbit, parrot, llamas and sheep generate with default color / variant only
• MC-124916 – Chorus plant generation broken
• MC-124930 – The game crashes when pressing “show craftable” in the furnace recipe book.
• MC-124952 – Large oak trees fail to generate in all biomes with the new generator
• MC-125016 – Debug world does not generate
• MC-125047 – World generator not fully cleaned before making new world

To get snapshots, open your launcher and go to the “launch options” tab. Check the box saying “Enable snapshots” and save. To switch between the snapshot and normal version, you can find a new dropdown menu next to the “Play” button. Back up your world first or run the game on in a different folder (In the “launch options” page).

Please report any and all bugs you find in Minecraft to bugs.mojang.com.

Snapshots can corrupt your world, please backup and/or run them in a different folder from your main worlds. 1.13 will have a lot of experimental snapshots that may break everything and smell funny. This may be one of those snapshots. This is what happens when Mojang are changing all the things! 

Share your thoughts on how 1.13 is shaping up in the comments below!

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IRVINE, Calif.—August 23, 2017—Blizzard Entertainment today debuted Hearth and Home, a brand-new musical animated short that explores the story of Hearthstone®’s mystical Tavern—the setting for Blizzard’s smash-hit digital strategy card game. Hearth and Home is a whimsical introduction to the Tavern and its patrons and serves as the first in an upcoming series of animated shorts, as well as comics, that draw players into the game’s distinctively charming setting.  

The Tavern is a warm and welcoming place full of laughter, camaraderie, and good-natured competition, and home to a charming cast of characters assembled from every corner of Azeroth. This includes vibrant and (mostly) friendly folks such as Malto, the kindly old mage; and Sarge, the Tavern’s resident mouse. The personalities in this ethereal inn draw inspiration from the many types of Hearthstone players who enjoy Hearthstone in real life. Whether they’re seasoned pros or just getting into the game like the young protagonist Ava, there’s a place in the Tavern for everyone.

“With Hearth and Home, our new animated short, we aimed to capture the wonder and magic of Hearthstone—in the Tavern’s welcoming interior, in its colorful patrons, and of course in their catchy song,” said Lydia Bottegoni, senior vice president of Story & Franchise Development at Blizzard Entertainment. “We’re looking forward to sharing more tales from the Hearthstone Tavern featuring Ava and her friends in the months ahead.”

Pull up a chair and watch Hearth and Home, the new Hearthstone animated short, on YouTube.

Earlier this month, Blizzard Entertainment released Knights of the Frozen Throne, the latest expansion for Hearthstone, which is available now for Windows® and Mac® PCs; Windows, iOS, and Android™ tablets; and iOS and Android phones. In Knights of the Frozen Throne, players storm Icecrown Citadel, the Lich King’s frozen fortress, in pursuit of the icy monarch’s unholy power.

Please visit the Blizzard press center for assets and information.

UPDATE 8/29/17: The Destiny 2 PC Open Beta has begun! Guardians everywhere can now play for FREE until August 31.

EARLY ACCESS – AUGUST 28

Players who’ve pre-ordered or pre-purchased the PC version of Destiny 2 will be able to play the Early Access phase of the PC Beta beginning August 28 at 10 a.m. PT. If you pre-purchased directly from the Blizzard Shop, you should already have a Beta Early Access license, so you’ll be ready to play when the time comes. If you pre-ordered or pre-purchased Destiny 2 through other means, please visit www.destinythegame.com/beta. If you haven’t pre-purchased Destiny 2 for PC yet, you can do so through the Blizzard Shop. 

If you have any problems accessing the PC Beta, please visit Blizzard’s support page.

OPEN BETA – AUGUST 29–31

The Open Beta phase will begin on August 29 at 10 a.m. PT. All PC players will be able to play for FREE during this period. To play, you’ll just need the Blizzard Battle.net desktop app and a free Blizzard account—no additional sign-up or code required.

For more detailed information, including what content will be available and how to submit feedback, please visit Bungie’s latest PC Beta update on Bungie.net.

INSTALLATION AND PLAY INSTRUCTIONS

When the time comes, you’ll first need to download the Destiny 2 PC Beta through the Blizzard Battle.net desktop app. To install and play on August 28 (for Early Access) or August 29 (for Open Beta), please follow the instructions below.

Step 1: Download and install the Blizzard Battle.net desktop app, if you haven’t already, and launch it.

Step 2: Create a FREE Blizzard account, or log in with an existing account.

Step 3: Click the “Destiny 2” icon, located on the left-hand side of the Blizzard Battle.net desktop app.

Step 4: Once the PC Beta client is available, select your region from the drop-down menu, then click Install to begin the installation process.

Step 5: Once installed, click Play to begin when the time comes!

PC BETA SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

Here is what you will need for your PC to run the Destiny 2 PC Beta once it goes live (final specs subject to change):

Recommended Specs

CPU: Intel – Core i5-2400; AMD – Ryzen R5 1600X
GPU: Nvidia – GeForce GTX 970, AMD – Radeon R9 390
RAM: 8GB

Minimum Specs

CPU: Intel – Core i3-3250, AMD – FX-4350
GPU: Nvidia – GeForce GTX 660 2GB, AMD – Radeon HD 7850 2GB
RAM: 6GB

For more information on the Destiny 2 PC Beta, visit www.destinythegame.com/beta and www.bungie.net.

Blizzard esports competitions have a cutting-edge, live-event destination with the opening of Blizzard Arena Los Angeles. The Burbank, California venue was custom-designed and built with amenities to accommodate top esports competitors and their fans. With high profile events for Hearthstone esports and Overwatch esports already scheduled, Blizzard Arena Los Angeles will be the hot destination for premier esports competition.

Multiple broadcasts and events can be run out of Blizzard Arena simultaneously, thanks to the multiple sound stages, control rooms and player lounges throughout the facility. The on-site Blizzard store will open during events and feature a rotating selection of gear and goods based on the event taking place at the time.

The Overwatch Contenders Playoffs will run the weekend of October 7–8 and serve as the grand opening event of Blizzard Arena Los Angeles. The top Overwatch Contenders teams from Europe and North America will arrive to battle over prize pools and regional dominance as they take center stage at the Arena.

On October 13, the Summer Championship for the Hearthstone Championship Tour takes over the Arena for a full weekend of championship competition with $250,000 on the line. The players left standing will be the final entrants in the Hearthstone World Championship, scheduled for early 2018.

When the Overwatch League launches later this year, Blizzard Arena Los Angeles will be the home for the inaugural season, bringing players and fans together for a celebration of professional Overwatch esports.

Tickets are available now for the Overwatch Contenders Playoffs and the HCT Summer Championship.

Game Director Christopher Barrett:

In less than two weeks, Update 1.1.4 will be available to install, bringing many quality of life changes to Destiny 2. Late in development, our team discovered a major issue impacting Heroic Strike Modifiers. Changing the design to fix the issue meant pushing Heroic Modifiers out to 1.2.0, but we will be able to use the extra time to add more variety than was in the original plan.

Starting March 27, the Weekly Crucible Playlist will become available to all. This playlist will contain Rumble, Mayhem, and 6v6 Iron Banner to start. Here’s a calendar for when you can expect these game modes to appear through the week of May 1:

<3 Chris

Dontnod, the French game developer behind Life is Strange and the upcoming Vampyr, has registered with the French regulator Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF) and taken the first steps toward going public on the Euronext Growth stock exchange.

A translation of a story from the French publication Le Figaro notes that listing on the exchange and opening up for an IPO should give Dontnod enough of a solid cash boost to continue partially funding its own games alongside investments from publishers, as it has with publishers like Focus Home Interactive for Vampyr.

“By financing a small part of the development ourselves, we take a controlled financial risk, but this allows us to generate larger royalties if successful,” Dontnod CEO Oskar Guilbert tells Le Figaro. “We are not abandoning the classic model of full funding by the publisher. We want to achieve a smart balance between the two models.”

The Dontnod CEO continues, explaining that the company had been eyeing an IPO for some time but that it “had to first reach a certain maturity,” something that he notes has taken a significant amount of work, likely in the wake of some financial trouble during the studio’s earlier years.

“The global video game market, which is already worth $109 billion in 2017, has a strong dynamic and we want to take full advantage of it,” said Guilbert in a translation of a statement published by the AFJV. “The original works of our studio, developed by experienced and passionate collaborators, have enabled us to appeal to the world’s largest publishers and a very wide audience, and we intend to continue this momentum through this IPO project.”