Press release - Turtle Entertainment

Press release
Intel Sponsors Electronic Sports League in
the UK
ESL Pro Series to Launch with £30,000 prize fund – Live gaming
event: ESL Pro Series Finals
Cologne, August 29th, 2008 – Turtle Entertainment operator of the
Electronic Sports League (ESL) is launching the UK section of the
multinational eSports platform including the ESL Pro Series. Launched in
conjunction with Intel, the ESL Pro Series aims to be the national premier
league of eSports.
A prize fund of £30,000 will be played for by all comers from the rapidly
expanding UK gaming community during the first season. The twelve
best eSports teams of the United Kingdom will compete in the disciplines
of Counter-Strike:Source and Call of Duty 4, with the finals taking place at
a public event in January 2009.
“Professionalising eSports worldwide has been the primary objective of
Turtle Entertainment and Intel since 2001. Ultimately we found the perfect
solution to reach the UK gaming community with the Electronic Sports
League”, says Jens Hilgers, CEO of Turtle Entertainment.

“It is a pleasure to be able to bring a weekly competition to the UK, to
offer it to the vibrant UK gaming community,” said Simon Shipley, UK
Consumer Marketing Manager for Intel UK. “This kind of week-in, week-
out competition provides a professional level and excitement that has
been missing outside of the major gaming events we have here in the
UK.”
Jonathan Baker, Player of the hugely successful Team Dignitas said:
“ESL has been a huge promoter of e-sports for many years and Team
Dignitas are delighted that they will be bringing Intel Friday Night Games
to the UK”.
Ten ESL franchise partners organize the national premier league of
eSports champions, ESL Pro Series, in fourteen countries. A sum of
500,000 euro prize money will be paid out in all ESL Pro Series this year.
Additionally Turtle Entertainment administrates the Intel Extreme
Masters, global league of eSports champions, with 750,000 USD prize
money.
More information can be found at: www.esl.eu/uk/.
Turtle Entertainment
Turtle Entertainment was founded in 2000. The company quickly grew to the European
leader in the sector of electronic sports (eSports). The Electronic Sports League (ESL),
operated by Turtle Entertainment, is active in 20 different countries worldwide. The
league portal www.esl.eu reaches above one million unique visitors a month generated
by more than 840,000 active members. Turtle Entertainment broadcasts ESL events via
IPTV channel ESL TV since 2007. Turtle Entertainment has 140 employees and is
located in Cologne, Germany. Turtle Entertainment owns the majority of the Chinese
eSports league PGL (Pro Gamer League) since 2007. Important business partners of
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Turtle Entertainment are global corporations such as Intel, Volkswagen and adidas.
Further information is available at www.turtle-entertainment.de
Electronic Sports League
The Electronic Sports League (ESL) is the largest and most important league for gamers
in Europe consisting of more than 840,000 active members and more than 410,000
registered teams. ESL is operated by the company Turtle Entertainment GmbH since
2000 and offers more than 3,500 professional leagues and amateur ladders from a
variety of games. More than 190.000 matches per month are being played worldwide
using the ESL technology. The ESL website currently reaches more than one million
unique visitors a month and about 10.000 people register every month.
Further information: www.esl.eu
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