The world of eSports has has grown exponentially over the past few years. From Starcraft events, to DOTA, Counter Strike, and even League of Legends, we’ve had a ton of options to choose from as both consumers and competitors. Though Activision’s first-person shooters aren’t new to to the competitive gaming scene, the publishing giant took to the web today to unveil the official Call of Duty World League. With Treyarch pushing Call of Duty eSports since 2012’s Black Ops II, utilizing special features like CODcaster and League Play, this announcement doesn’t come as much of a surprise.

According to the official Call of Duty site, the new league will feature professional and amateur gameplay for a chance to win both money and a way to the championship in the fall. The Pro Division in particular will be held in several locations including North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, with each territory featuring their own regional structure. During the first year, there will be a total of 12 teams for North America, 10 for Europe, and 8 for Australia and New Zealand.

Amateurs, on the other hand, will be able to participate in the Challenge Division across the globe to win a spot on the world’s stage. Though Asia and Japan won’t be included as locations for the Pro Division, players in those territories will have a chance to compete in the Challenge Division. The first championship will be held next year, during the fall of 2016.

On why they decided to create the league, Activision noted, “Since the first tournament at Call of Duty® XP in 2011, we have seen the passion of the Call of Duty eSports fan base continue to grow. Call of Duty is the top console FPS in eSports.  We want to bring all the quality that Call of Duty is known for directly to the eSports community.”

Are you excited to check out the new competition? Or, do you plan on entering it? Let us know in the comments below.

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HT: Call of Duty

Image Credit: Activision