- Schools to compete for esports scholarship funds
- College esports becoming the development leagues for pro
esports
- UMG to stream Overwatch competition on Twitch
MIAMI, March 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Torque Esports
Corp.'s (TSXV: GAME) (OTCQB: MLLLF) esports tournament and
broadcast operations group, UMG Media Ltd. has signed an official
contract with Activision Blizzard to host an eight-week Overwatch
Collegiate Series.
The series will be titled the "UMG Overwatch Collegiate Clash"
with a planned start for late March
2020.
The schools taking part in the series will compete for
$40,000 in total prize money – all to
be given as scholarships to further esports at each of the winning
schools.
Hundreds of colleges around the nation now field a competitive
Overwatch team. Each week, UMG will bring in eight of those teams
to compete. The eight-week series will culminate with a final
winner's round.
This is the next step in Torque and UMG's mission to support and
grow the esports space and help create a clear path to professional
competition for these players currently on collegiate teams.
"Esports observers have highlighted colleges in the USA as a big opportunity for publishers and
brands alike and Torque will use this huge opportunity with
Overwatch to prove the value to all parties," Torque Esports
President and CEO, Darren Cox
said.
"Like stick and ball sports, college competition is becoming the
development league where young esports stars of the future are
honing their skills and preparing to become professional gamers. It
is a clear step to the "big leagues."
"The UMG acquisition was an important step in Torques' growth
strategy. Already we are seeing this being rewarded with deals like
this, and the previously announced Microsoft Gears of War
tournament.
"Within the group we will be able to measure the success through
our in-house data group at Stream Hatchet - once again showing our
ability to deliver a full service to our partners."
Launched in May, 2016, Overwatch is a team-based multiplayer
combat game available on the PlayStation and Xbox consoles, PC and
the Nintendo Switch portable platform.
UMG is the leading platform for online tournament play and
esports entertainment events. The platform has generated more than
20 million views and has paid out more than US$3 million in prize money.
The Overwatch Collegiate Series will be streamed at
Twitch.tv/UMGGaming.
About Torque Esports
The company focuses on three areas – esports business
intelligence, esports tournament & series streaming and esports
racing. Torque aims to revolutionize esports racing and the racing
gaming genre via its industry-leading gaming studio Eden Games which focuses on mobile racing games
and its unique motorsport IP, including World's Fastest Gamer
(created and managed by wholly-owned subsidiary IDEAS+CARS,
Silverstone UK). With simulator company AiS – Torque will offer
gamers everything from Free to Play mobile games to the highest end
simulation experiences. Building on the leading position of Stream
Hatchet, a wholly-owned subsidiary, Torque also provides robust
esports data analytics and performance information reports to
brands, sponsors, and industry leaders. Through its tournament
organizing and streaming arm, UMG, Torque has recently added a
digital tournament platform and OTT platform to its portfolio of
assets in an ever-growing ecosystem.
For more information, visit www.torqueesport.com.
About UMG
UMG Media Ltd. ("UMG") is a premier esports
company in North America, offering
live gaming entertainment events and online play. UMG provides
online and live tournaments as well as the creation and
distribution of original esports content.
For more information about UMG visit www.umggaming.com.
About Activision Blizzard Esports
Activision Blizzard Esports (ABE) is responsible for the
development, operation, and commercialization of Activision
Blizzard's professional gaming properties including the Overwatch
League™, the Call of Duty® League™, Call of
Duty® Challengers™, Hearthstone® Masters,
StarCraft® II esports, Warcraft® III:
Reforged™, and the World of Warcraft® Arena World
Championship and Mythic Dungeon International, among others. ABE
also operates Tespa®, the leader in collegiate esports.
It is ABE's vision to be the most innovative, scalable, and
valuable developer of global competitive entertainment.
About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft®,
Hearthstone®, Overwatch®, Warcraft®, StarCraft®, and Diablo®
franchises, and the multifranchise Heroes of the Storm®, Blizzard
Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision
Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), is a premier developer and publisher of
entertainment software renowned for creating some of the industry's
most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard Entertainment's track
record includes twenty-two #1 games* and numerous Game of the Year
awards. The company's online gaming service,
Battle.net®, is one of the largest in the world, with
millions of active players.
*Sales and/or downloads. Based on internal company records and
reports from key distributors.
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SOURCE Torque Esports Corp.