Call of Duty to Host Asia Championship

Sony Interactive Entertainment Japan Asia, along with Activision and ESL, recently announced the Call of Duty Asia Championship. Competitions in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, and South East Asia will decide the six teams that will play in the Call of Duty Asia Championship Final in Korea on Jan. 22. The Call of Duty Asia Championship features a $20,000 prize pool, with the champion earning $12,000, second place earning $6,000, and third place earning $2,000. The tournament is set to be played on the Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare Asia esports version, following official Call of Duty World League rules. Participants must be 18 years or older and have a valid passport. The Call of Duty World League announced this year its expansion from Australia/New Zealand to covering the entire Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. The Call of Duty Asia Championship is the first event of the Infinite Warfare season in the region. Asian teams have participated in past Call of Duty Championships. Qualifiers for the final have already begun.

• SEA Qualifier 1 (Dec. 21)
• SEA Qualifier 2 (Dec. 23)
• SEA Final (Dec. 30)
• Korea Qualifier (Jan. 8)
• Hong Kong and Taiwan Qualifier (Jan. 8)

Though not explicitly stated, it appears that an APAC event is set to take place in Australia from Feb. 10-12. This will likely include all of the best Australian and New Zealand teams, as well as teams that place well at the Call of Duty Asia Championship Final. Details on the Australian event have not been released. The date of this unannounced event falls on the same weekend as MLG Atlanta, a Call of Duty World League global event that will include North American and European teams in pool play, leaving out APAC teams. 

Image: Call of Duty Will the APAC region improve from this expansion? Comment below or on Twitter. Josh Billy can be contacted via email (josh@gamurs.com) or on Twitter.