Street Fighter V to form part of Elite Series

RNS Number : 8811Y

Gfinity PLC

08 March 2017

 

Dissemination of a Regulatory Announcement that contains inside information according to REGULATION (EU) No 596/2014 (MAR)

Gfinity plc

("GFIN" or the "Company")

Street Fighter™ V to form part of Elite Series

Gfinity announces second game to feature in Elite Series

Gfinity plc (AIM: GFIN), a leading eSports business, announces Street Fighter™ V, one of the most successful fighting video game titles, will be the second game to feature in the Gfinity Elite Series ("Elite Series"), launching later this year.

The legendary fighting franchise returned with the release of Street Fighter™ V last year. Stunning visuals depict the next generation of World Warriors in unprecedented detail, while exciting and accessible battle mechanics deliver endless fighting fun that both beginners and veterans can enjoy. The next generation Street Fighter experience offers cross-platform play that has united PlayStation 4 and PC fans into a centralised player base for the first time.

The Elite Series, first announced in November 2016, is a dynamic new eSports league format which will provide the eSports community with an exciting new platform to play and watch games in a fiercely competitive environment on www.gfinityesports.com. The series is expected to attract an active audience of eSport enthusiasts and competitive gamers to generate sponsorship and broadcasting rights for the Company and provide a unique set of sponsorship, media and franchise opportunities for potential partners.

Registration is now open for gamers to participate in the Challenger Series tournament, where aspiring gamers can acquire ranking points ("G-Points") and the opportunity to be drafted into one of eight pro-franchises. The Challenger Series is expected to launch on 27 March 2017, where gamers will compete in a series of online competitions to determine who will be selected to play in the Gfinity Arena in the Elite Series, which is expected to be launched in May this year.

Neville Upton, Chief Executive Officer, Gfinity plc, said: "We are delighted to announce that Street Fighter V is part of the Gfinity Elite Series during 2017.  Street Fighter is one of the most iconic brands in the video gaming industry, with a passionate global community of fans. We look forward to welcoming them to the Elite Series, a tournament that we believe will have a big impact on eSports in the UK."

Matt Edwards, Community and eSports Manager, Capcom said "The UK is home to a very strong and expanding Street Fighter V competitive scene with vibrant communities in London, Birmingham, Glasgow, Manchester, Edinburgh, Leeds and Leicester to name a few. This makes our new partnership with Gfinity even more exciting. It gives aspiring Street Fighter V players an all new league to rise up and compete with the best."

For more information on Gfinity's Elite Series click on the following hyperlink: www.gfinityesports.com.

Enquiries:

Gfinity plc	www.gfinityplc.com
Neville Upton, Chief Executive Officer	Via Walbrook PR
Allenby Capital Limited - Nominated Adviser and Broker	Tel. [phone]
Jeremy Porter / John Depasquale / James Thomas
Walbrook PR (Media & Investor Relations)	Tel: [phone]
Paul Cornelius / Sam Allen / Paul Whittington	or [e-mail]

About Gfinity

Founded in 2012, Gfinity has quickly established itself as one of the world's leading eSports companies.  The London-based business enjoys strong relationships with game publishers, players and the wider eSports community and has already built a strong reputation for delivering high quality competitions, both on-line and off-line, and producing industry leading eSports broadcasts.

The Company has over half a million registered users, eligible to compete in its online competitions and stages world leading off-line events, which see the top players in the world, across a range of eSports titles travel to the Gfinity Arena in London to take part in competitions, which are broadcast on-line to millions of viewers around the world.  The Company stages events featuring a number of top video gaming titles, across PCs, consoles and mobile devices.

The Company monetises the strong position that it has created through a combination of sponsorship, advertising, broadcast income relating to Gfinity's own events and through fees received for creating and delivering bespoke events for sponsors and game publishers seeking to engage with the eSports community.

About Capcom

Capcom is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment for game consoles, PCs, handheld and wireless devices.  Founded in 1983, the company has created hundreds of games including ground-breaking franchises Resident Evil®, Street Fighter®, Monster Hunter™, Ace Attorney®, Mega Man® and Devil May Cry®. Capcom maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, U.K., France, Germany, Tokyo, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Korea, with corporate headquarters located in Osaka, Japan.  More information about Capcom and its products can be found at www.capcom.com or www.capcom-unity.com.

About eSports

eSports (electronic sports) is watching or playing competitive video gaming. Leading titles include League of Legends, Counter Strike: Global Offensive, Defence of the Ancients 2 (DoTA 2), Call of Duty and Rocket League. The industry is growing rapidly, with new communities developing around more and more titles. The global eSports market generated US$325 million of revenue in 2015 and is expected to make $463 million in 2016. The global eSports audience in 2015 was 226 million people, 80% under the age of 35 and 70% male (source: Newzoo). Online streaming channels Twitch and YouTube command the biggest audiences, although eSports events are also now being broadcast on conventional TV.  The 2015 League of Legends Championships finals in Berlin were watched by 36 million people, with a peak concurrent viewership of 14 million viewers, while at DotA 2's flagship annual championship 'The International 2016' competitors from around the world competed for a prize pot of over $20 million.

 

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