Activision and Microsoft kick off the Call of Duty Championships in Hollywood

By Anthony John Agnello Published April 5, 2013

Beyond better graphics: 5 features we want from next-gen consoles — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Activision, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 developer Treyarch, Twitch, and Gamespot are hosting a Call of Duty tournament for the billion dollar shooter series, starting today, with 32 teams competing in Hollywood for $1 million in prizes. The festivities should kick off right as this article runs on Digital Trends.

The world of competitive Call of Duty play is a strange one. Just look at footage from the European Call of Duty Championships that took place in March. Yes, those sparkling, upstanding gentlemen are the fine face of eSports today. It’s not unusual for competitors in all sorts of sport to get rowdy. The NFL is, after all, home to players who are regularly arrested for illegally carrying guns. They’re also fined for acting like idiots during competition. eSports leagues are starting to sportsmanship far more seriously, though.

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One particularly interesting thing about the Call of Duty Championships: If there was any doubt in the past that Call of Duty is a brand and gaming series inextricably linked to Microsoft and the Xbox 360, this event should settle those doubts. The event’s full name is The Call of Duty Championships, presented by Xbox.

The event should also prove to be another growth opportunity for Twitch. The game broadcasting company tied itself to Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 in January when it made its broadcasting tools available on consoles from within the game.

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Anthony John Agnello

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Anthony John Agnello is a writer living in New York. He works as the Community Manager of Joystiq.com and his writing has…

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