Activision has launched a dedicated eSports division which will work across titles under both Activision and Blizzard. Heading up the new team will be chairman Steve Bornstein (former ESPN and NFL Network CEO), and senior vice president Mike Sepso (former MLG co-founder).
The existing eSports teams who currently organise competition for the likes of Call of Duty, Starcraft and more won’t change, but the new strategy is to make it more of a business focus.
That will apply to the new Call of Duty World League which kicks off in January 2016. There’s a Pro Division with local competitions in North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, with a championship in the Autumn and a $3 million prize pool, plus an amateur Challenge Division to pave the way for new names to break through.
It should also include new Blizzard first person shooter Overwatch, which will enter Closed Beta on October 27th, in Europe and North America.
Expect eSports to keep moving towards the mainstream with this kind of effort from Activision Blizzard.
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