The largest major esports competition held in Raleigh in more than five years will take place
Aug. 12-18 at the Raleigh Convention Center.

Raleigh, N.C. (May 13, 2019) – Ubisoft® in partnership with the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau (Visit Raleigh) and Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance (GRSA) is proud to announce a major gaming competition will be coming to Raleigh, N.C. this August. The 2019 Six Major Raleigh will take place from August 12th through the 18th at the Raleigh Convention Center.

As the second largest Rainbow Six® esports event of the year, the Six Major Raleigh gathers sixteen of the best Rainbow Six® teams from around the world to compete for a prize pool of $500,000. After the group stage phase from August 12th to 14th concludes, the eight qualifying teams will face off during the Six Major Raleigh's final phase from August 16th to 18th all at the Raleigh Convention Center.

This is the largest major esports competition Raleigh, N.C. has hosted in more than five years and is the direct result of a broader strategic effort underway to put Raleigh, N.C. on the map as a premier global esports destination of choice moving forward.

With more than a dozen developers and publishers in the region, nationally recognized video game design programs at NC State and Wake Tech along with a robust ecosystem in place, the gaming industry in Raleigh, N.C. is as innovative and thriving as it’s ever been.

Additionally, one key recommendation from the Destination 2028 Plan for Wake County unveiled in 2018 called for strategies to grow the area’s reputation around esports including hosting major gaming events.

Therefore, the GRSA has taken its proven track record and expertise in successfully bringing traditional professional, amateur and youth sporting events to Wake County and partnered with Big Block/Subnation, a creative services company, IP accelerator and consulting company specializing in esports with offices in California, New York and North Carolina – to form the Greater Raleigh Esports Local Organizing Committee to strategically target and attract esports events to Wake County.

In addition to promoting Raleigh, N.C.’s many world-class, esports-ready facilities and modern infrastructure, the Greater Raleigh Esports Local Organizing Committee is positioned to offer leagues, publishers, event organizers and communities that host their events in Wake County with operational, promotional and measured economic support.

Below is the official press release from Ubisoft® with details and you can find a promotional video for the event which shows the scope of the fan experience online here.

Please let me know if you're interested in speaking to someone from the Greater Raleigh Esports Local Organizing Committee about the long-term esports initiatives we are driving and/or media partnership opportunities specific to the Six Major Raleigh event this August.

 

RAINBOW SIX ESPORTS DESCENDS ON NORTH CAROLINA FOR THE SIX MAJOR RALEIGH 2019 ON 12th AUGUST

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM — 10th May, 2019 — Today, Ubisoft® announced that the Six Major 2019 will take place in Raleigh, North Carolina from 12th – 18th August, with tickets on sale now for the three day weekend live event*. As the second largest Rainbow Six esports event of the year, the Six Major Raleigh gathers sixteen of the best Rainbow Six® teams from around the world to compete for a prize pool of $500,000. After the group stage phase from August 12th to 14th concludes, the eight qualifying teams will face off during the Six Major Raleigh’s final phase from August 16th to 18th at the Raleigh Convention Center.

Tickets are available today at rainbow6.com/tickets.

"We are excited to be hosting the 2019 Six Major Raleigh and its passionate community of players and fans", says Loren Gold, Executive Vice President of the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau. "Esports and video gaming have been strong fabrics of our local community for decades. We not only play and watch, but some of the World's top game titles have roots here. Raleigh has the right mix of community, infrastructure and willingness to host the World's most prestigious esports events."

The Six Major Raleigh schedule will be as follows:

  • August 12th – 14th: Group Stage (not open to the public, can be watched online)
  • August 16th: Quarter-Finals
  • August 17th: Semi-Finals
  • August 18th: Grand Final

The Six Major Raleigh follows the Rainbow Six Pro League Season IX Final, held in Milan, Italy, from May 18th to 19th. The sixteen qualified teams will be competing for a total prize pool of $500,000 at the Major, bringing the grand total prize pool across all official 2019 tournaments to an unprecedented $3,201,000.

The Six Major Raleigh is a part of the new Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Esports format announced in January 2018. Each year is comprised of two six-month long Pro League Seasons (June-November and December-May), and features two Majors: the traditional Six Invitational in February, and a summertime tournament, the Six Major. Additional details on years 2019 - 2020 Pro League format can be found here.

For more information about Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege, please visit: https://rainbow6.ubisoft.com.

Follow the latest updates on Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege Esports at: https://twitter.com/R6esports.

*Tickets only on sale for Finals taking place between 16th -18th August

About Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege:
Alongside a thriving professional esports scene and a community of over 40 million registered players, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege puts players in the middle of a fast-paced, ever-evolving multiplayer experience grounded in the selection of unique Operators. Using the right mix of tactics and destruction, Rainbow Six teams engage their enemies in sieges, where both sides have exclusive skills and gadgets at their disposal. Defenders prepare by transforming the environments around them into modern strongholds, while attackers use recon drones to gain intel for carefully planning their assault. With access to dozens of Operators inspired by real world counter-intelligence agents from around the globe, players can choose exactly how they want to approach each challenge they encounter. Through the constant addition of new Operators and maps that add to the depth of both strategy and combat, the unpredictability of each round of Rainbow Six Siege sets a new bar for intensity and competition in gaming.

About Ubisoft:
Ubisoft is a leading creator, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and services, with a rich portfolio of world-renowned brands, including Assassin’s Creed, Just Dance, Tom Clancy's video game series, Rayman, Far Cry and Watch Dogs. The teams throughout Ubisoft's worldwide network of studios and business offices are committed to delivering original and memorable gaming experiences across all popular platforms, including consoles, mobile phones, tablets and PCs. For the 2017–2018 fiscal year Ubisoft generated sales of €1,732 million. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoft.com. 

©2019 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Tom Clancy's, Rainbow Six, The Soldier Icon, Ubisoft and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the U.S. and/or other countries.

About the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau (Visit Raleigh):
The Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau (Visit Raleigh), as the official destination marketing organization of Raleigh and Wake County, accelerates sustainable economic growth and development by increasing visitor and convention business. Raleigh, N.C./Wake County welcomes more than 16 million visitors annually whose spending tops $2.5 billion. The hospitality and tourism industry employs more than 68,000 people in Wake County which accounts for roughly 10% of the local workforce (VisitRaleigh.com).

About the Greater Raleigh Esports LOC:
The Greater Raleigh Esports Local Organizing Committee is made up of the City of Raleigh, Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau (Visit Raleigh), the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance and Big Block Media Holdings (Big Block). With esports and gaming being strong fabrics of our local community for decades, the LOC is dedicated to attracting local and global competitive video gaming events to the Greater Raleigh area. In addition to promoting Raleigh’s many world-class, esports-ready facilities and modern infrastructure, the LOC is positioned to offer leagues, publishers, event organizers and communities that host their events in the Greater Raleigh area with operational, promotional and measured economic support.

Media Contact:
Scott Peacock
919.645.2676
speacock@visitRaleigh.com

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