Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare jolts players forward in a groundbreaking experience that's ripped-from-the-headlines-of-tomorrow, envisioning a future where both technology and tactics have evolved to usher in a new era of combat for the franchise. Set in the year 2054, a private military corporation (PMC) has emerged with the power to rescue humanity from a devastated world struggling to rebuild after a global attack on its military and infrastructure. You are the advanced soldier. Empowered with new, cutting-edge exoskeleton abilities, technological advancements and high-tech gear, players join the ranks of a highly-trained, specialized unit committed to restoring order in a state of advanced warfare.

With the expanded production capabilities, Sledgehammer Games is able to create an astonishing new, next generation experience, featuring an array of technical advancements from the sights and sounds that create a near photo realistic world unlike any Call of Duty before, to new performance capture and facial animation technologies that deliver lifelike characters, to a rich and immersive story that brings the fiction to life.

It's time to determine who is the best of the best as the third annual Call of Duty Championship tournament will bring the top Call of Duty eSport athletes in the world to Los Angeles, March 27 - 29, in the definitive Call of Duty competition.

Activision, Sledgehammer Games and Xbox, in partnership with Major League Gaming (MLG) and additional international eSports partners, will play host to 32 of the best Call of Duty teams from around the world, as they compete in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare and the rights to be called the Call of Duty "World Champions," and ultimately claim the lion's share of the tournament's $1 million prize purse in the crowning contest where Power Changes Everything.

This year's tournament will include a variety of compelling programming covering the weekend's non-stop excitement and hard fought matches, with the final match live streamed on the Xbox Live online entertainment network and other broadcast partners for the world to experience in real time.

"From Day 1, the team at Sledgehammer Games set out to bring a new way to play Call of Duty multiplayer to fans. We couldn't be more thrilled of how the competitive community has embraced and mastered the new player movements and game modes of Advanced Warfare," said Michael Condrey, Co-founder and Studio Head, Sledgehammer Games. "This is posed to be one of the most exciting Call of Duty competitive seasons with the Call of Duty Championship being one of the best eSports tournaments of the year."

Glen Schofield, Co-Founder and Studio Head, Sledgehammer Games added: "We developed Advanced Warfare with the competitive community in mind, and we can't wait for the top talent from around the world to compete in the Call of Duty Championships."

The best Call of Duty teams from five continents, covering Asia, Australia, North America, South America and Europe, will contend for their place in Call of Duty history at the Call of Duty Championship tournament in a range of qualifying events hosted by eSports organizations. Qualifying for the Call of Duty Championship will be handled through online tournaments played on Xbox One, and broadcasted on MLG.tv, with select live regional finals taking place February through early March in Australia, Brazil, the U. K. and the U.S. The regional finals will be played on Xbox One and will also be broadcasted live on MLG.tv and additional broadcast partners.

The Call of Duty Championship, presented by Xbox tournament is open to all qualified players, whether professional gamers or not, provided they meet the requirements of the official rules and regulations.