Though it originally took notes from sports like soccer and hockey, and from Champion-oriented MOBAs like League of Legends and DoTA, ACE has taken shape quite differently from either source of inspiration: as a new sport in its own right.  Unlike any other e-sport on the market, ACE allows the player to precisely control their character and the ball through direct mouse movement – no AI, no auto-targeting, and no constant clicking. In addition, ACE’s gameplay mechanics emphasize teamwork over individual strength; the game’s progression system allows experienced players to customize their character’s play-style; and the variation between characters ensures that no two matches are the same.

Arena: Cyber Evolution is available as a free download right now on Steam Early Access, paid DLC packs are available for 10% off.

Learn more about Spearhead Games and ACE at http://www.spearheadgames.ca/

Ærena will be streaming live this Thursday, Friday, Saturday starting at 11am on Twitch.tv

You can grab your free copy of ÆRENA: Clash of Champions on Steam at http://store.steampowered.com/app/247830/

We’ve got the full press release below.

Read: ÆRENA Full Press Release

Cliffhanger Productions Games’ speed-chess-meets-MOBA, cross-platform game ÆRENA will take to the ESL Twitch stage in Hall 9.1 for a global premiere. Showcasing the brand new ÆRENA2.0 version with the first ever live match between previous season’s Æthermaster and one of the designers of the game, ÆRENA moves up the ladder of competitive gaming to livestream the event on Twitch. Breaking the boundaries of platforms to present core games on mobile and tablet as well as PC, the deeply tactical, turn-based hero combat of ÆRENA pitches players in heated one-on-one battles where you fight with your fingers, but win with your brain.

Jan Wagner, Managing Director of Cliffhanger Productions comments: “Opening up the mobile world to serious eSports and doing away with the artificial borders imposed by platforms, we are proud to become part of the ESL line-up with ÆRENA. To us, it doesn’t matter if you are a mobile gamer or a PC gamer, as long as you are a real gamer. We challenge players who love strategy and tactics to join us on or off stage for a true test of their tactical skills! We call out to any player willing to enter a match against us live on stage- we will meet you at Gamescom!”

Sean Charles, VP of Marketing and Publisher Relations: With eSports’ growth and mobile growth it makes perfect sense to support AERENA’s awesome cross-platform gameplay, which lets you play in organized competitive matches where and how you like.”

Ærena will be streamed live from the ESL Gamescom Twitch stage in Hall 9.1 at 11 am on Thursday, Friday and Saturday and is available on Steam, Google Play and the iOS App Store for free.

Check out MLG.tv to get in on the action and be sure to read the full announcement article on Techcrunch.com

“Over 32 million fans watched SK Telecom T1 earn the Summoner’s Cup in front of a sold-out Staples Center,”.

“At peak, more than 8.5 million fans were watching at the same time. To put those numbers in context, the Season 2 World Championship was watched by 8.2 million fans, with 1.1 million watching at the same time. In short, we’re beyond humbled by your passion for and commitment to League of Legends.”

This smashes the previous e-sports viewership record and possibly sets the stage for another record breaking turn out for Season 4.