Posted in: Blizzard, eSports, Games, StarCraft, Video Games | Tagged: Blizzard Entertainment, ESL, eSports, StarCraft II
ESL Pro Tour Announces StarCraft II 2022-23 Dates
ESL Gaming has revealed their plans to bring back the ESL Pro Tour for StarCraft II, with dates and major stops announced for 2022-2023. This particular circuit will be highlighted by three core ESL competitions in the form of DreamHack SC2 Masters in Valencia, DreamHack SC2 Masters in Atlanta, and ultimately ending at the Intel Extreme Masters Katowice 2023 for the World Championship. This entire schedule was planned out to allow for more flexibility while following the latest health guidelines in each area. We'll see how this schedule is affected as the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus is shutting down events again. Here's more info on the planned idea for the tour.
With a total of over $1.3M in prize money up for grabs across the whole tour, the newly-announced calendar marks the third year of ESL's partnership with Blizzard Entertainment, and will see closer collaboration with tournament organisers to support ESL's "Zero To Hero" player pathway. The schedule also features the brand new introduction of partner tournaments that will see ESL Gaming working closely with TakeTV and Team Liquid as their tournaments – Home Story Cup 21, TSL 9, and Home Story Cup 22 – now join the ESL Pro Tour. These partners have a history of great contribution to the StarCraft II community, and their inclusion in the ESL Pro Tour creates a more meaningful calendar for both players and viewers.
"We are proud to share the 2022/23 plans for our ESL Pro Tour SC2 tournaments," said Shaun Clark, Director Product Management at ESL Gaming. "Our SC2 work with Blizzard Entertainment has gone from strength to strength, and we have some really exciting plans in the pipeline as we look to work closely with tournament organisers new and old."
"ESL has been an incredible steward of StarCraft II esports," said Joshua Owyang, Senior Manager of Global Esports at Blizzard. "We are thrilled with what is to come in 2022. It's bound to be another brilliant year for one of the greatest competitive games ever."