23 November 2015
Gfinity plc
("Gfinity" or "the Company")
Gfinity Selected by Microsoft to Exclusively Host UK Halo World Championship 2016
Gfinity Arena to host UK's elite Halo 5 teams as they compete in the UK Championship for a £10,000 prize pot and entry into the $1.7million Halo World Championship 2016
Gfinity (AIM: GFIN), a leading eSports business, is pleased to announce that it has been appointed by Microsoft to exclusively host the UK Halo World Championship 2016 qualifiers and finals, part of the Halo World Championship, the largest Halo eSports competition in the history of the iconic franchise. The current prize pool stands tall at $1.7million, partly achieved through crowd funding, and is expected to rise further.
The UK Championship Finals will be played in front of a live audience at the Gfinity Arena in London and streamed online at http://www.gfinity.net/live-tv. Gfinity will organise, promote and deliver the championship event, starting with the online ladder qualifiers from 6th December onwards, culminating in the live finals from 15th to 17th January 2016 where 16 teams will compete.
At the event spectators will get the chance to watch the UK's best teams compete for a £10,000 prize pool. The tournament will be the first live event of the Halo World Championship 2016 and the top four teams will receive a coveted invitation to the Halo World Championship EMEA Regional Finals.
International eSports competitions featuring leading electronic video games and star players have become a global spectator sport attracting thousands of fee-paying fans to live fixtures as well as millions of online fans who watch streamed broadcasts on personal computers or mobile devices.
Halo 5 has already made history as the biggest Halo launch and fastest-selling Xbox One game to-date, with more than $400 million in global sales. Halo 5: Live has also earned a Guinness World Records title for the most watched video game launch broadcast, setting a precedent with more than 330,000 unique streams on the evening of the broadcast and content from the broadcast generating 5.5 million total views throughout the week.
Neville Upton, Chief Executive Officer of Gfinity, said: "We are delighted to be selected by Microsoft to host the UK Championship of their most successful version of Halo ever. We have proven our ability to organise and deliver pioneering industry events and this announcement is another endorsement of our leading position in eSports."
Enquiries
Gfinity plc |
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Neville Upton, Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Hall, Finance Director |
+44 330 223 0860 |
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Arden Partners plc - Nominated Adviser and Broker |
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Chris Hardie, Ciaran Walsh |
+44 20 7614 5900 |
Luther Pendragon - Public Relations |
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Harry Chathli, Alexis Gore, Oliver Hibberd |
+44 20 7618 9100 |
About Gfinity
Gfinity is a leading UK-based eSports company serving, in co-operation with games publishers, a rapidly-growing community of on-line gamers worldwide. Founded in September 2012, the Company has established a popular on-line brand, gfinity.net, where gamers can compete, socialise and enjoy a wide range of content relating to electronic games on a proprietary technology platform. This platform enables Gfinity to run a regular roster of on-line competitions, leagues and ladders with the opportunity for gamers to enter and potentially win substantial prize money and/or pit their skills against professional and widely-followed ''star'' players.
Gfinity has quickly become a widely-recognised "destination" for gamers in the UK and internationally, typically aged 18 - 34 years old. The growing user base and the demographic of Gfinity's audience, together with the sheer numbers who view Gfinity's events online, provide brand owners and advertisers with an attractive environment in which to promote their products and services, as well as offering Gfinity the opportunity to generate significant revenues over the long term. Gfinity website: www.gfinityplc.com
