More than 1.1 million viewers tuned into StarCraft II®: Heart of the Swarm? launch broadcast
More than 1.1 million eSports fans watched StarCraft II competition at Major League Gaming Pro Circuit Winter Championship
IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. today announced a trio of milestones achieved during the launch week of StarCraft® II: Heart of the Swarm?. More than 1.1 million viewers tuned into the company's 21-hour, global broadcast of launch events and community celebrations around the world, with peak concurrent viewership reaching over 125,000, as reported by Twitch. As of the end of its first two days of sales, Heart of the Swarm had sold through approximately 1.1 million copies worldwide, including both retail and digital sales.
?Heart of the Swarm has generated even more excitement, and we're all looking forward to what the future brings for StarCraft II eSports.?
Last weekend, more than 1.1 million viewers tuned in to see the StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm tournament at the Major League Gaming (MLG) Winter Championship in Dallas, Texas. Heart of the Swarm reached a peak concurrent viewership of more than 157,000 viewers, as reported by Twitch.
?We want to thank the global StarCraft community for the incredible passion and support they've shown for Heart of the Swarm,? said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. ?In addition to a brand-new single-player campaign, we added a ton of enhancements with this expansion to make StarCraft II even more fun to play, and more exciting to watch. We're pleased to see gamers and eSports fans around the world enjoying Heart of the Swarm.?
?StarCraft II has been a premier game at Major League Gaming events since Wings of Liberty® was released,? said Sundance DiGiovanni, CEO of Major League Gaming. ?Heart of the Swarm has generated even more excitement, and we're all looking forward to what the future brings for StarCraft II eSports.?
"StarCraft II has always been one of the most popular games on Twitch, and we've noticed a wave of new viewership since Heart of the Swarm launched last week," said Kevin Lin, COO of Twitch. "Viewer numbers are up just about across the board for the most popular StarCraft II pro-gamers and personalities who stream on Twitch."
Learn more about StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm at http://www.StarCraft2.com. With multiple games in development, Blizzard Entertainment has numerous positions currently open?visit http://jobs.blizzard.com for more information and to learn how to apply.
For press inquiries, please contact Emil Rodriguez in Blizzard Entertainment public relations at elrodriguez@blizzard.com.
About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft® and the Warcraft®, StarCraft®, and Diablo® franchises, 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 sixteen #1-selling games and multiple 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.
About Twitch
Twitch is the world?s leading video platform and community for gamers. More than 28 million gamers gather every month on Twitch to broadcast, watch and chat about gaming. Twitch?s video platform is the backbone of both live and on-demand distribution for leading video game broadcasters including casual gamers, pro players, tournaments, leagues, developers and gaming media organizations. Twitch is leading a revolution in the gaming community, working to create a participatory experience that transcends gameplay. Learn more at http://twitch.tv