Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. and NetEase, Inc. today announced that they will be co-hosting the Battle.net^® World Championship in Shanghai, China on Saturday, November 17 and Sunday, November 18, 2012.

      The Battle.net World Championship will bring to a riveting conclusion Blizzard’s 2012 StarCraft^® II World Championship Series, which comprises more than 30 national and continental tournaments around the world, and the World of Warcraft^® Arena global finals. Blizzard gamers and eSports fans will be able to witness some of the most skilled pro players on the planet in action as they battle it out at the Battle.net World Championship for glory, cash prizes, and the title of undisputed world champion.   

      “We’re looking forward to seeing the best players in the World Championship Series face each other at the Battle.net World Championship in Shanghai this November,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “The level of StarCraft II and World of Warcraft Arena competition we’ve already seen around the world has been amazing, so we’re anticipating a truly epic finale.”       

      “We’re excited to partner with Blizzard to co-host a world-class eSports event here in China,” said William Ding, CEO of NetEase. “There are millions of eSports enthusiasts in China and we’re looking forward to presenting them with the opportunity to come together, have fun, and celebrate their passion for professional gaming.”   

      In addition to highly competitive eSports matches, the Battle.net World Championship will serve as a gathering place for the Blizzard gaming community and offer attendees:       

     
•         Hands-on play time with some of the latest Blizzard games     
•         Opportunities to meet some of the world’s most popular pro players    
•         Commemorative merchandise based on Blizzard’s game universes     
•         More activities and attractions to be announced   

      Further details about the Battle.net World Championship will be announced at the official website http://battle.net/bwc as the event draws closer.