Major League Gaming Pro Circuit Debuts in Columbus June 5-7

World’s top pros, thousands of aspiring amateurs will meet face-to-face to crown the winners in competitive Halo 3, Gears of War, and World of Warcraft

Thousands of fans will cheer on their favorites at the biggest video game competition in the country

NEW YORK, June 1 /PRNewswire/ — Major League Gaming (MLG), the professional video game league, will make its Buckeye State debut June 5-7 at the Columbus Convention Center, for its second Pro Circuit competition of the 2009 season. A major hot-bed of great gaming skill and fandom, thousands of pro gamers, aspiring competitors and spectators will come together for three days of intense competition and entertainment. Over $60,000 in cash prizes will be awarded during the event.

Admission to the event is just $20 for all three days. OU and OSU students can get in for just $15 with their student IDs.

Spectators can see world-class competitive gaming up close, interact with fan favorites during “Play-a-Pro” matches, put their own skills to the test in exhibition matches, participate in merchandise giveaways throughout the weekend, as well as be in the audience for MLGPro.com’s live broadcasts of Friday Night Kick-Off on ESPN360.com, ESPN Saturday Night, and MLG Championship Sunday.

As the fastest growing sport in the country, Major League Gaming has created a new generation of competitive gaming stars and sports media careers. Many of the league’s best and brightest hail from Ohio!

• Chris “Puckett” Puckett (age 23, from Pinkerington) — is the John Madden of MLG. His charismatic personality, deep competitive gaming knowledge and distinctive voice have turned him into the face of Major League Gaming. Over the course of a three-day competition, Puckett leads approximately 15 hours of live sports programming.
• Tom “Ogre 2″ Ryan (age 23, from Pinkerington) — is one-half of the renowned Ogre Twins, two of the original stars of Major League Gaming. They blazed the trail for competitive gaming and as part of legendary team Final Boss were some of the first players in the league to be awarded major brand sponsorships. The twins have won more Halo national championships than any other players.
• Adam “Clap” Apicella (age 27, from Shadyside) — is the VP of league operations and production for MLG. One of the company’s earliest employees, he graduated Cum Laude from OU, worked in congressional politics, and now manages the operations of MLG’s live sports competitions around the country. He’s also part of the team that helps set MLG’s rules and guidelines for competition.
• Joe “Dyslexia” Renaud (age 28, from Newark) — is the senior content director and editor in chief for MLG’s online properties. A graduate of OSU, he came to MLG five years ago and has been part of the team that has turned mlgpro.com into the hub of all competitive gaming news and information. He and his editorial team provide live coverage of every three-day event as well as between-competition news, analysis, and interviews.
• Rich “Shibby” Webb (age 23, from Delaware) — is a production coordinator and the co-host of MLG’s original reality/home make-over show, ‘The Dr Pepper Ultimate Gaming House’. After meeting Chris Puckett during their freshman year at OU, he started working part-time for MLG in 2006 as a tournament director and joined the company full-time in 2008.

For more information on MLG’s Columbus Pro Circuit competition, go to www.mlgpro.com.

    WHO:        Major League Gaming (MLG)

    WHAT:       MLG's Columbus Pro Circuit Competition

    WHEN:       June 5-7, 2009

    WHERE:      Columbus Convention Center
                400 North High Street
                Columbus, OH 43215

About Major League Gaming

Major League Gaming is the largest professional video game league in the world. MLG is the dominant media property exclusively targeting the approximately 40 million consumers in North America who have a passion for playing video games as a competitive social activity, while giving sponsoring brands access to this highly influential demographic. We represent the best professional gamers and give millions of aspiring players around the world an opportunity to compete, improve their skills, and socialize through our thriving online community and live Pro Circuit competitions. www.mlgpro.com

To obtain press credentials please contact:

Amy Janzen, (917) 209-6819, ajanzen@mlgpro.com

SOURCE Major League Gaming