Intel and HP Inc. Want to join in on the success of Activision Blizzard’s hit video game Overwatch.
The two technology giants said Thursday that they have signed a multiyear deal with Blizzard Entertainment, a subsidiary of Activision Blizzard (ATVI), to sponsor upcoming video game tournaments featuring the futuristic first-person shooter.
Besides having their company names associated with the popular game, the companies will provide their technologies to contestants in the live gaming events, also known as e-sports.
Although Intel (INTC) and HP (HPQ) said they would sponsor multiple Overwatch tournaments, the deal appears to be heavily focused on Activision Blizzard’s own Overwatch League, which will debut in January 2018. Activision Blizzard talked about its official Overwatch e-sports league in July and said it would contain 12 teams in cities like Los Angeles and Seoul.
Get Data Sheet, Coins2Day’s technology newsletter.
“We’re thrilled to be joining forces with HP and Intel to ensure that the teams competing professionally in Overwatch are equipped with top-end technology,” Blizzard Entertainment’s Major League Gaming chief Pete Vlastelica said in a statement. “Multiyear collaborations such as this illustrate the momentum behind the Overwatch League as well as a long-term commitment by us and our partners in what we see as the future of esports.”
Overwatch’s success has greatly benefited Activision Blizzard, which said in August that the game was responsible for $1 billion in sales in the second quarter.
