Confirmed for July in Busan, Group Stage and Pre-Promotion at Esports Stadium
Offline Event Held for the First Time in 4 Years, Grand Final at BEXCO from July 28 to 30
In July, global esports fans are expected to turn their attention to Busan with great enthusiasm.
The Busan Metropolitan City will once again host the ‘World Cyber Games (hereafter WCG),’ known as the Olympics of esports that captivated the world, in Busan this July.
The scene of the World Cyber Games (WCG) Grand Final held at BEXCO in Busan in 2011. [Image source=Busan City]
‘WCG 2023’ will kick off with the group stage, the grand final qualifiers, from July 14 to 23 at the Busan Esports Stadium, followed by the grand final tournament featuring multinational players along with official events at BEXCO from July 28 to 30.
Additionally, various programs for influencers and audiences to enjoy together will be prepared during the official event period, offering participants an unforgettable experience.
On the 29th at 2:30 PM, an official announcement of WCG 2023 Busan’s hosting will be made at the 7th floor International Protocol Room of City Hall, and a ‘2023 World Cyber Games (WCG) Successful Hosting Agreement’ will be signed with Big Picture Interactive and Busan IT Industry Promotion Agency to ensure smooth progress of the event.
Co-hosted by Busan Metropolitan City and Big Picture Interactive (CEO Song Gwang-jun), and co-organized by Big Picture Interactive and Busan IT Industry Promotion Agency (Director Jeong Moon-seop), the involved organizations will mutually cooperate in administrative support, promotion, and more to ensure the successful hosting of this event.
Since its inception in 2000, WCG has held the record as the world’s largest esports tournament with the most gamers, the highest number of participating countries, and the largest scale of multi-genre esports competitions under the slogan “Beyond the Game.” When it was held at BEXCO in Busan in 2011, it attracted about 600 players from 60 countries and drew an audience of approximately 90,000, marking a great success.
Notably, this year’s event is the first offline tournament held in four years since the one in Xi’an, China, and it is also the first ambitious event since Big Picture Interactive acquired the WCG brand, making it a noteworthy occasion.
Song Gwang-jun, CEO of Big Picture Interactive, expressed, “Hosting WCG 2023 signals the revival of WCG, and I am very pleased that we can hold WCG again in Busan, the holy ground of esports.” He added, “We will do our best to ensure that WCG continues to be a festival for gamers worldwide.”
Following this, Jeong Moon-seop, Director of Busan IT Industry Promotion Agency, said, “We are delighted that WCG, which left historic moments and joyful memories, is being held once again in Busan.” He also stated, “We will generously support the creation of fun programs at the Busan Esports Stadium, where promotional events will take place, to facilitate communication with gamers.”
Mayor Park Hyung-jun welcomed the decision to host WCG in Busan, stating, “If the passion of Big Picture Interactive, the excellent infrastructure and personnel of Busan IT Industry Promotion Agency, and Busan City’s years of experience and capabilities in successfully hosting global esports tournaments come together, I firmly believe we can rewrite the legend of 100,000 spectators at Gwangalli in 2004 this year.” He expressed his determination for the successful hosting of the event.
Detailed schedules and information about the ‘WCG 2023’ event will be announced through the official WCG website and official social media channels.
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