US Finals For World Cyber Games Announced

It will take more than fast fingers and caffeinated energy drinks to fuel the nation's top PC and video game players when they converge for the World Cyber Games US Final at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York September 8th through 10th, sponsored by Samsung. New York plays host to the US Final for the first time in the five year history of the world's largest e-Sports festival.

Players have honed their skills at local and regional qualifiers all summer and anxiously await their chance to win a slice of the $34,000 prize pool as well as the honor of representing America in Singapore for the Grand Final in November, where an additional $420,000 is at stake. Of the more than 40,000 gamers who have battled to qualify for the US Final, only 184 players remain.

Unlike any other gaming tournament, WCG US Finalists are flown to New York and stay at the Official World Cyber Games Players' Village. The winners of each event will form Team USA and go to Singapore to face over 800 players from 70 countries, the world's elite gamers, at the Grand Final. More then $2.5 million in cash and prizes is expected to be distributed on a worldwide basis between an estimated 1 million gamers participating in World Cyber Games events.

The festivities kick off with Opening Ceremonies on Thursday, September 8 at 6:30 PM. For three days, spectators can watch America's top gamers compete live on giant monitors as famous shoutcaster Darryl 'SyN' Kucmerowski provides the blow-by-blow commentary. The festival includes a special guest appearance by WWE Superstar Mick Foley on Friday at 1:30 PM as well as New York Tokyo Anime films, musical performances by rock bands and daily drawings for prizes worth over $40,000 including Samsung Digital Cameras (Digimax V5) and Shuttle Gaming PCs. Admission is free.

Game categories and cash prizes for the US Final include:

PCs
HALF-LIFE: Counter-Strike - 1st Place $ 5,000; 2nd Place $ 2,500; 3rd Place $ 2,000
FIFA Soccer 2005 - 1st Place $ 2,000; 2nd Place $ 1,000; 3rd Place $ 500
Need for Speed: Underground 2 - 1st Place $ 2,000; 2nd Place $ 1,000; 3rd Place $ 500
StarCraft: Brood War - 1st Place $ 2,000; 2nd Place $ 1,000; 3rd Place $ 500
WarCraft III: the Frozen Throne - 1st Place $ 2,000; 2nd Place $ 1,000; 3rd Place $ 500
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - 1st Place $ 2,000; 2nd Place $ 1,000; 3rd Place $ 500

Xbox
Dead or Alive Ultimate - 1st Place $ 2,000; 2nd Place $ 1,000; 3rd Place $ 500
Halo 2 - 1st Place $ 2,000; 2nd Place $ 1,000; 3rd Place $ 500