ESL Major Series Season VIII

Cologne, 5 January 2011- The European gaming league ESL Major Series starts the new year with a heroic bang, announcing today that Season VIII will introduce a new and highly requested title to the mix. Heroes of Newerth (HoN), based on the popular mod, Defense of the Ancients (DotA), will become an official game within the major league.

In Heroes of Newerth two teams of up to five members fight against each other as special Hero units with the assistance of AI-controlled armies in an attempt to destroy the enemy base. As a match progresses, players can earn experience and gold which can be used to upgrade skills or purchase items to make their character more powerful.

The session-based, multiplayer, action-RPG recently released a highly anticipated and upgraded version, HoN 2.0, which features a more action-packed game style that enhances the adrenaline factor for hardcore gamers and attracts more casual gamers. In addition to enhanced visual elements, 3V3 map and map editor, and cosmetic items shop, HoN 2.0 easily matches teammates with a new Match Making System. HoN 2.0 also introduced an entirely new game play mode – Casual Mode – that lowers the barrier to entry for new and casual gamers.

HoN 2.0 streamlines the game play experience, enabling faster and shorter games– and taking the HoN platform one step further than DotA. HoN, since its launch earlier this year has garnered a dedicated following, with more than 12.3 million downloads, and an average of more than 230,000 players per day. The team-oriented design of HoN, when combined with the HoN 2.0 upgrades, allow for an incredibly deep tactical team-based experience unlike any other.

In addition to the ESL Major Series integration, HoN, developed by S2 Games, will become an important eSport-title within the ESL—one of the biggest gaming leagues in the world with more than 2.6 million members. Further information will be announced in the upcoming weeks.

All information about HoN 2.0 within the ESL: www.esl.eu/eu/hon

The ESL Major Series: www.esl.eu/ems

HoN 2.0 online: www.heroesofnewerth.com

HoN-Trailer on Youtube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=fE3caJoOxMI

Turtle Entertainment runs the ESL as the European leader in eSports: www.turtle-entertainment.com

Heroes of Newerth Logo Kit: www.turtle-entertainment.com/Dateien/HoN_Logokit.zip

ESL Major Series

The ESL Major Series is the top European league for electronic sports (eSports). Among the competitors are the best teams and players from all over Europe. The qualification for the ESL Major Series is done on the way of national and international tournaments where only the best computer gamers prevail in the competition. In 2011 the European top league launches its eightth season. The ESL Major Series includes games from different genres like strategy, sports and action. Heroes of Newerth 2.0 will be an official discipline of the ESL Major Series for the very first time.

Further information: www.esl.eu/ems

Turtle Entertainment GmbH

Turtle Entertainment was founded in 2000. The company quickly grew to be the European leader in the sector of electronic sports (eSports). The Electronic Sports League (ESL), operated by Turtle Entertainment, is active in 37 different countries worldwide. The league portal www.esl.eu reaches above ten million visits a month generated by more than 2,7 million registered users. Turtle Entertainment has 140 employees and is located in Cologne, Germany. Fifteen international license holders operate the ESL worldwide. Turtle Entertainment owns the majority of the Chinese eSports league PGL (Pro Gamer League) since 2007. Important business partners of Turtle Entertainment are global corporations and brands such as Intel, Alienware, DELL, adidas, Volkswagen, Nokia, ASUS, Blizzard Entertainment, Trend Micro, Sennheiser, Windows 7, Sidewinder and SteelSeries. Turtle Entertainment markets its products worldwide using these specific brands: Electronic Sports League (ESL), ESL Pro Series, ESL Major Series, ASUS European Nations Championship (ENC), ESL WC3L Series, ESL TV, Intel Extreme Masters, Consoles Sports League, eSport Schulmeisterschaft, eSports Award, ESL Female and ESL Sports.

Further information is available at www.turtle-entertainment.com

S2 Games

S2 Games is an independent game publisher and developer with a mission to identify, develop, evolve and unleash the future of online multiplayer games. Since its inception in 2003, S2 has been focused on driving innovation into the global online game space, through identifying and solving industry issues, listening closely to its passionate gamer base and incorporating features that gamers truly want.

Active in sponsoring and helping drive many global tournaments, S2 is focused on providing the best online and multiplayer gaming experience, and opportunities for its fans to shine. For more information about S2, please visit www.s2games.com.