IGN Adds Riot Games' League of Legends to Line up at IPL 3: Origins Pro Gaming Tournament at Caesars Atlantic City
League of Legends joins StarCraft II as Second Game to be Featured at IGN Pro League Tournament at Caesars Atlantic City October 6-9
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- IGN Entertainment, the world's leading video games media company, today announced that Riot Games' League of Legends will join the tournament line up at IPL 3: Origins – the IGN Pro League competitive video gaming tournament taking place October 6-9th at Caesars Atlantic City.
The addition of League of Legends – the popular multiplayer online battle arena game – introduces team-based competitive gaming to the tournament mix at IGN's Caesars Atlantic City event and marks the first in a series of IGN Pro League tournaments that will feature League of Legends over the next year. With over 15 million registered players, League of Legends is one of the world's most popular PC games – and its eSports audience continues to grow, with over 2.8 million viewers for the game's most recent competitive livestream.
On Saturday October 8th and Sunday October 9th, eight of the world's top League of Legends teams will be invited to compete for cash prizes. Tickets for the IPL 3: Origins event can be purchased at http://tickets.ign.com.
"League of Legends has a tremendous following and adds a whole new dimension to our Caesars Atlantic City tournament," said David Ting, General Manager of eSports and Vice President of Research & Development at IGN Entertainment. "We're thrilled to partner with Riot to bring team-based gameplay to the stage at IPL 3: Origins and even more awareness and acceptance of eSports as a legitimate profession and spectator sport."
"We see an incredible future for eSports, which is why we're so committed to supporting the League of Legends competitive scene with a five million dollar Season Two prize pool," said Brandon Beck, co-founder and CEO of Riot Games. "We can't wait to see the level of competition in the IGN Pro League, starting with the Caesars Atlantic City event!"
IGN 3: Origins at Caesars Atlantic City marks the first time two mega-hit games will be featured at an IGN Pro League tournament and the first competitive video gaming tournament to be held at Caesars. In addition to the League of Legends tournament, IPL 3: Origins will feature the world's top StarCraft II players competing for $100,000 in prizes. IPL 3: Origins in Atlantic City, as well as past IPL tournaments, can be accessed online exclusively at http://www.ign.com/ipl.
About IGN Entertainment
IGN Entertainment is the leading Internet media and services provider focused on the video game and entertainment enthusiast markets. Collectively, IGN's properties reach more than 70 million unique users worldwide, and IGN's network of video game-related properties (IGN.com, 1UP.com, GameSpy, FilePlanet, TeamXbox and others) is the Web's #1 video game information destination. IGN also owns the world's largest men's lifestyle website, AskMen.com, and men's entertainment site UGO.com. It also provides technology for online game play in video games. IGN is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, with offices across North America, Europe and Australia.
About Riot Games
Riot Games was established in 2006 with the goal of bringing what we refer to as "Gamer's Games" to players all around the globe. We are passionate about our audience, and we aspire to be the most player and community focused game company in the world. That means that in addition to providing a great experience and a great value, we are committed to building lasting relationships with our players who help us shape ever evolving games.
League of Legends Joins IPL Gaming Tournament Popular battle arena game in IGN Pro League.
Riot Games' League of Legends is joining the tournament line up at IPL 3: Origins – the IGN Pro League competitive video gaming tournament taking place October 6-9th at Caesars Atlantic City.
The addition of multiplayer online battle arena game League of Legends introduces team-based competitive gaming to the tournament mix at IGN's Caesars Atlantic City event and marks the first in a series of IGN Pro League tournaments that will feature League of Legends over the next year.
With over 15 million registered players, League of Legends is one of the world's most popular PC games – and its eSports audience continues to grow, with over 2.8 million viewers for the game's most recent competitive live-stream.
On Saturday October 8th and Sunday October 9th, eight of the world's top League of Legends teams will be invited to compete for cash prizes. Tickets for the IPL 3: Origins event can be purchased here.
Brandon Beck, co-founder and CEO of Riot Games said, "We see an incredible future for eSports, which is why we're so committed to supporting the League of Legends competitive scene with a five million dollar Season Two prize pool."
"League of Legends has a tremendous following and adds a whole new dimension to our Caesars Atlantic City tournament," said David Ting, General Manager of eSports and Vice President of Research & Development at IGN Entertainment. "We're thrilled to partner with Riot to bring team-based gameplay to the stage at IPL 3: Origins and even more awareness and acceptance of eSports as a legitimate profession and spectator sport."
In addition to the League of Legends tournament, IPL 3: Origins will feature the world's top StarCraft II players competing for $100,000 in prizes. IPL 3: Origins in Atlantic City, as well as past IPL tournaments, can be accessed online exclusively here.
Cool stuff, I will admit to not having seen the IGN proleague before, but IGN should hopefully be able to provide a good addition to the LoL eSports scene
Wont be so bad thanks to the date line. They'll probably just fly out of China the night of the 5th, arriving probably in the U.S. (probably still on the 5th) and then have a full day to get settled.
Riot is definitely fighting back against HoN's inclusion in NASL. I didn't count MLG since it seems like MLG will test out HoN and even DotA2 before deciding which one to keep. This seems to be a pretty good collaboration so I hope there'll be no major hiccups in the tournament.
IPL doesn't have players on-site, right? So couldn't they just have a league that spans several months like SC2 does? Just have 2-4 teams play in a bo3 on a given night and then at the end of the season go into a playoff system. If EU teams got involved, you'd have prob 10-12 solid teams.
TSM EG CLG RS Crs Rez TGM Unr
AAA (disbanded?) M Fnatic SK Sypher Frag eXecutors GAMED myRevenge Competo TT mTL
On September 22 2011 03:14 Craton wrote: ISL doesn't have players on-site, right? So couldn't they just have a league that spans several months like SC2 does? Just have 2-4 teams play in a bo3 on a given night and then at the end of the season go into a playoff system. If EU teams got involved, you'd have prob 10-12 solid teams.
TSM EG CLG RS CRS
AAA M Fnatic SK
I'm missing some.
IPL 3 is going to be onsite at Atlantic City. I assume it's an invitational like every other major tournament was.
I know that this event is, but aren't the general games (that run fairly frequently) for IPL not on location? Or do they just cast old games? There's a qualifier on the sidebar right now for what I'm talking about.
So what about online tournaments for LoL games? There are certainly enough teams (just look at go4lol which packs a ridiculous amount of games into a single day every week).
Also, MAKE SURE YOU TEST IF THE OBSERVER MODE IS WORKING BEFORE THE DAY OF GAMES! I'ma be real upset if MLG 2.0 occurs.
Nice to actually see the announcement for this! The existence of a tournament in Atlantic City was accidentally leaked awhile ago and I imagined it would be IPL.
Sadly, at least three of the teams(EG, RS, Crs) are hurt by the player age requirement(18+). Salce, Voyboy, and Pobelter are all too young. Curse should be the least impacted because of their large roster, RS can sub Rambo in but he, Jatt, and Locust aren't the best solo laners, and EG has been practicing with Crumbzz (from TGM) as an AP sub.
I'm pretty sure almost every EU player (on a team that would've been invited) is in a country that is part of the visa waiver program and probably (or should at least) already have passports.
On September 22 2011 04:36 HPoirot wrote: Nice to actually see the announcement for this! The existence of a tournament in Atlantic City was accidentally leaked awhile ago and I imagined it would be IPL.
Sadly, at least three of the teams(EG, RS, Crs) are hurt by the player age requirement(18+). Salce, Voyboy, and Pobelter are all too young. Curse should be the least impacted because of their large roster, RS can sub Rambo in but he, Jatt, and Locust aren't the best solo laners, and EG has been practicing with Crumbzz (from TGM) as an AP sub.
I don't think they're barred from entry. When it first came out about IPL3 for SC2, the IPL admins stated competitors can sign a waiver if they are under age and can compete. The age restriction is only for spectators attending the event.
Good to see LoL at another big event. I'm not really worried about CLG @ China, as there are a ton of Starcraft players at that tournament as well flying back to compete. I'm sure IGN has it all planned out.
On September 22 2011 04:36 HPoirot wrote: Nice to actually see the announcement for this! The existence of a tournament in Atlantic City was accidentally leaked awhile ago and I imagined it would be IPL.
Sadly, at least three of the teams(EG, RS, Crs) are hurt by the player age requirement(18+). Salce, Voyboy, and Pobelter are all too young. Curse should be the least impacted because of their large roster, RS can sub Rambo in but he, Jatt, and Locust aren't the best solo laners, and EG has been practicing with Crumbzz (from TGM) as an AP sub.
I don't think they're barred from entry. When it first came out about IPL3 for SC2, the IPL admins stated competitors can sign a waiver if they are under age and can compete. The age restriction is only for spectators attending the event.
Good to see LoL at another big event. I'm not really worried about CLG @ China, as there are a ton of Starcraft players at that tournament as well flying back to compete. I'm sure IGN has it all planned out.
That was an exception for under 21, but you need 18 to compete, EG confirmed it today that Salce coudln't go because of the 18 age restriction.
This tourney just went from cool to kind of lame seeing many of the top players just can't go, integrity of the tournament should be paramount, yet in this case it isn't.
The age restriction is unfortunate but unavoidable for the venue that we have. New Jersey laws won't allow it. We agree that integrity is paramount but this is also our first venture into League of Legends and we want to ensure a smooth tournament for our first try. If things go well of course we will be more likely to see a bigger variety of LoL events in the future.
I hope you don't honestly think that we've failed just because a couple of players are too young to compete. They will have their chances in the future.
On September 23 2011 05:45 Joshy.IGN wrote: The age restriction is unfortunate but unavoidable for the venue that we have. New Jersey laws won't allow it. We agree that integrity is paramount but this is also our first venture into League of Legends and we want to ensure a smooth tournament for our first try. If things go well of course we will be more likely to see a bigger variety of LoL events in the future.
I hope you don't honestly think that we've failed just because a couple of players are too young to compete. They will have their chances in the future.
It's obviously not a failure but it's really really shitty, but it seems it can't be helped, it just sucks that some of the best talent is in kids like voyboy and salce and even pobelter, very KEY players in those teams and hopefully they do well without them.
On September 23 2011 05:45 Joshy.IGN wrote: The age restriction is unfortunate but unavoidable for the venue that we have. New Jersey laws won't allow it. We agree that integrity is paramount but this is also our first venture into League of Legends and we want to ensure a smooth tournament for our first try. If things go well of course we will be more likely to see a bigger variety of LoL events in the future.
I hope you don't honestly think that we've failed just because a couple of players are too young to compete. They will have their chances in the future.
It's a tournament that excludes top ranked players.
If a tournament is an attempt to decide wich team is the best then this tournament can only be called a failure because it excludes players.
I think IGN have tried their best in order to make a successful tournament. Sometimes, things just don't work out for whatever reason be they sheer bad luck, legal restrictions, etc. I'll be looking forward to this a lot.
what do you expect them to do? not host a LoL tournament in Jersey until the 3-4 players you think have to be at a tournament for it to be "a success" are old enough to legally enter a gaming tournament in that state? not host a LoL tournament in Jersey at all? are these really superior options or are you just nitpicking -_-
IPL's responding to LoL's growth and putting a tournament together, it's absurd to complain about it, call it a failure, and basically say they lack integrity over something like this.
It's another LAN tournament... not sure why you guys are griping. Sure, some premiere teams are going to miss some of their players but come on. An offline tournament for NA with a solid purse (not sure if this one is fully funded by Riot this time :o). I definitely feel the pros outweigh the cons here.
On September 23 2011 07:48 FakeSteve[TPR] wrote: what do you expect them to do? not host a LoL tournament in Jersey until the 3-4 players you think have to be at a tournament for it to be "a success" are old enough to legally enter a gaming tournament in that state? not host a LoL tournament in Jersey at all? are these really superior options or are you just nitpicking -_-
IPL's responding to LoL's growth and putting a tournament together, it's absurd to complain about it, call it a failure, and basically say they lack integrity over something like this.
Why is it unreasonable to expect them to host a tournament where the players can actually attend?
I hope you don't honestly think that we've failed just because a couple of players are too young to compete. They will have their chances in the future.
Why shouldn't I? This is a massive blunder by the organizers. You could've chosen so many other venues that would've allowed the players, but you chose one that actively prohibits them.
It's a shame some players are left out, but what can IPL really do against legal issues such as this? Not their fault.
How about pick a different venue? Age restrictions should've been a top priority when making that decision. It's entirely IGN's fault.
Any competent tournament should realize they're going to have players under 18 and plan accordingly. They didn't. What's so special about picking a place that actively denies players instead of picking one that would permit them? It's one of those head-slappingly obvious decisions, and yet they did the opposite.
If they picked a date that conflicted with another major tournament (say, MLG), then it would indeed by IGN's fault because of a failure to plan for obvious problems. Age restrictions are an obvious problem.
I don't get how you can plan a tournament and think "should I pick a venue with an age restriction or with no age restriction" and choose the first.
This tourney sounds great. Excited for it to go ahead.
Bummer bout certain players not being able to attend, but ya know - shit happens. Sounds like the venue is going to be pretty amazing. Would be cool if the next time one of these is hosted there aren't age restrictions, but it's only a couple players that can't make it, so it's an acceptable tradeoff for a sick venue IMO
On September 23 2011 10:40 Craton wrote: Why is it unreasonable to expect them to host a tournament where the players can actually attend?
Because IPL AC was going to be an event long before they even considered adding LoL to the roster? Not like it's the only game getting played there.
It was a last minute addition. Changing the venue now would piss off everyone who already booked their travel plans for IPL for other games (e.g. SC2). It's entirely unreasonable to ask that of them. The only other realistic option is to not have LoL at IPL AC at all.
On September 22 2011 03:14 Craton wrote: IPL doesn't have players on-site, right? So couldn't they just have a league that spans several months like SC2 does? Just have 2-4 teams play in a bo3 on a given night and then at the end of the season go into a playoff system. If EU teams got involved, you'd have prob 10-12 solid teams.
TSM EG CLG RS Crs Rez TGM Unr
AAA (disbanded?) M Fnatic SK Sypher Frag eXecutors GAMED myRevenge Competo TT mTL
AAA didn't disband they are part of millennium now
On September 23 2011 10:50 Craton wrote: That's a ridiculous comparison.
Any competent tournament should realize they're going to have players under 18 and plan accordingly. They didn't. What's so special about picking a place that actively denies players instead of picking one that would permit them? It's one of those head-slappingly obvious decisions, and yet they did the opposite.
If they picked a date that conflicted with another major tournament (say, MLG), then it would indeed by IGN's fault because of a failure to plan for obvious problems. Age restrictions are an obvious problem.
I don't get how you can plan a tournament and think "should I pick a venue with an age restriction or with no age restriction" and choose the first.
Or you can go with:
Do I want to set myself up with a venue that will create a spectacle and draw lots of attention to what I am doing? Or do I want to pidgeonhole myself into what everyone else has already done?
Im willing to trade a handful of competitors if it means that the ones who actually can compete are on a bigger stage with more eyeballs.
Ah yes, lets have all these people maybe see this game with substandard players... When you're trying to sell something to a new audience/market, you want the very best of the best to impress them. A very apt example is that of xPeke and fnatic and how their play was night and day between having a sub and having him.
You're operating on the tremendous assumption that you couldn't get this "spectacle" elsewhere and that a bunch of people who are there to gamble are going to want to instead watch video games, somehow drastically increasing the viewership they'd get elsewhere.
I'm unsure how it took until Yango's post for that to be pointed out. IPL3 has been in production for a lot longer than LoL has been involved. They decided with not much notice they wanted an LoL tourney and have clearly done the best they can to provide that. With LoL now on their 'games we play' list they will almost certainly make the <18 consideration in the future.
No they wont. There are sc2 players who also dont qualify. Pokebunny for one. The ability to trade a few competitors is worth the ability to legitimize an event by holding it in atlantic city.
"Consideration" means they will think about whether the players that will be excluded make it worth/not worth having an event. There are some big name under 18 sc2 players(a ton of the Koreans, Stephano), so IPL may very well encounter a tourney they organize that they wish to not exclude that age group from.
Or maybe they will 'consider' it and decide like you have that it's worth it to be in Atlantic City and not care about a few lost competitors.
There is a new promotional video featuring League of Legends and StarCraft 2 for IPL 3!
As for the age limit discussion, some users were right in that we knew there could be problems with certain players, but other users are also correct that League of Legends was not originally accommodated for in our beginning plans. Despite the lack of certain players (which will of course be accommodated for if there are future events), we are still very excited about this tournament and hope that you will all enjoy watching these teams clash. If anything, the use of substitute players is at least stimulating discussion. Perhaps if a substitute does well and impresses at IPL 3, the player will gain new fans or respect as well. There are many ways to look at the situation. =)
On September 24 2011 05:43 Craton wrote: Unlikely. Substitute players will most probably come from the teams that are already known, but weren't invited.
Eh, LoCi is known among us at TL, and has a small following on his stream, but I bet if RS does well he'll find himself with a lot more fans. Not having Voyboy is going to mess up their style, though. LoCi doesn't exactly fill the exact same role/playstyle on a team as Voyboy. Their scrims last night got messed up by RL issues, too
EPT
