With the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 Activision is aiming to take eSports to an expanded audience through the launch of the Call of Duty World League, the publisher announced today.

Call of Duty World League is a worldwide eSports league run by Activision and promises to provide a deeper level of engagement with the elite circuit of professional gamers, while also encouraging casual fans to try out competition play.

“Call of Duty has always been about community, camaraderie and competition, which drives incredible engagement with the game all year long. eSports allows us to deliver these moments to our fans whether they are playing the game themselves or cheering on those who are,” said Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing, Inc. “Three years ago, we held the first Call of Duty Championship to showcase the dedication and skill of Call of Duty players around the world. Since then, eSports has become a global phenomenon with more than 120 million people watching online competitive gaming each year and Call of Duty continues to lead as the top console eSports franchise in the world.”

The Call of Duty World League will feature a Pro and Challenge Division, each feeding into the grand finale, the Call of Duty Championship.

Pro Call of Duty teams in North America, Europe and Australia & New Zealand will earn their place in the final by competing throughout the year in regional competition during The Pro Division regular season. The Call of Duty World League Pro Division begins in January 2016.

The Challenge Division will provide the chance for amateur players to compete with each other, with the winning teams in the division earning a spot in the Call of Duty Championship by competing in a series of official LAN events.

Next year’s Call of Duty Championship will take place in the autumn, moving from its regular spring date.

There’s more than respect up for grabs, with $3 million+ on the line across all events throughout the season.

Look out for details relating to broadcast, personnel and partnerships at a later date.

Source: Activision