IGN PRO LEAGUE AND TEAM NINJA PARTNER TO BRING DEAD OR ALIVE 5
TO ESPORTS TOURNEYS IN 2013
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Venerable Fighting Franchise from Famed Developers Goes Pro
SAN FRANCISCO – November 29, 2012 – The IGN Pro League (IPL), the pro gaming league from IGN Entertainment, today announced that it will become the exclusive host of pro gaming tournaments for DEAD OR ALIVE 5 in 2013. Developed by Team NINJA and published by Tecmo Koei, DEAD OR ALIVE 5 continues its pro circuit presence, bringing to a new generation of pro gamers its distinctive fighting style and wealth of martial arts fighting techniques.
DEAD OR ALIVE 5 becomes part of the official tournament lineup for IPL, which will offer significant prize pools for the title beginning in 2013. By adding DEAD OR ALIVE 5, IPL extends the reach of its professional gaming competitions to the fighting game community.
“IPL is proud to bring Team NINJA’s popular fighting title to the eSports circuit in 2013. DEAD OR ALIVE 5 pros will now have the opportunity to win big money in the tournament arena, and the fighting game community will have access to DEAD OR ALIVE 5’s best matches against the world’s top players,†said David Ting, founder of the IGN Pro League.
“We are pleased to partner with the IPL on DEAD OR ALIVE 5 in the new year,†said Yosuke Hayashi, head of Team NINJA. “The game continues to garner solid sentiments from the pro fighters, so being able to extend our reach through such an esteemed organization will help cement DEAD OR ALIVE as a core fighting franchise for the next generation of fans.â€
This is the second time IPL has teamed up with Tecmo Koei and Team NINJA: In June 2012, IPL hosted a DEAD OR ALIVE 5 pro gaming tournament that began at E3 2012 and culminated in the crowning of the “I’m a Fighter†world champion leading into the game’s launch this past September.
DEAD OR ALIVE 5 continues to fuel the fighting community with its signature gameplay and robust series of DLC featuring an array of coveted costume packs for the renowned roster of beloved fighters. More details will be provided in the near future on the 2013 IPL events and plans.
DEAD OR ALIVE 5 tournaments will be featured alongside tournaments for StarCraft II, League of Legends and Ubisoft’s upcoming first-person shooter, ShootMania Storm. By adding DEAD OR ALIVE 5, IPL aims to draw the fighting game community to its events.
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 57 million unique users worldwide, according to Internet audience measurement firm comScore. IGN’s network of video game-related properties (IGN.com, 1UP.com, GameSpy 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. IGN is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, with offices across North America, Europe and Australia.
About TECMO KOEI AMERICA CORP.
TECMO KOEI AMERICA CORP. is a publisher of interactive entertainment software for current generation consoles, handhelds and digital download content based in Burlingame, California. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of TECMO KOEI HOLDINGS CO., LTD., headquartered in Yokohama, Japan. TECMO is best known for the Dead or Alive®, Ninja Gaiden®, Tecmo Bowl®, and Fatal Frame® series. KOEI is best known for its Dynasty Warriors® and Samurai Warriors® franchises. On April 1, 2009, TECMO KOEI HOLDINGS CO., LTD was established as a result of the TECMO, LTD. and KOEI Co., Ltd. merger.