Blizzcon 2011 to host GSL finals in October

The final of one of the biggest StarCraft 2 tournaments in the world will be held outside of Korea for the first time this year. The GSL final will take place in front of a live audience at Blizzcon 2011 in Anaheim. Anyone with a Battle.net account will be able to log in to Blizzcon.com for free and watch the best StarCraft 2 players in the world do battle live this October.

The GSL is one of the reasons we've become addicted to watching StarCraft 2 competitions over the past year. It's one of the most surprising and exciting pro gaming tournaments in the world. The fact that this year's final is taking place at Blizzcon in front of a local audience of tens of thousands, and a global audience of much more, is a sign of the tournament's growing appeal beyond the borders of Korea.

Mr.Chae of GOMTV wrote to TeamLiquid to explain the decision to hold the finals in the US, saying that "while watching other tournaments recently, I've noticed many people discussing how it would be if GSL held its final outside Korea."

"Lot of people have made requests about it through Twitter and the time I went to MLG Columbus, I gained faith that holding GSL final outside Korea would be meaningful."

"Korean gamers are competing with Korean gamers and despite frequent foreign tournaments, they are willing to fly over to compete. They are also very impressed and enjoying the support from foreign fans, he added. "For these reasons I have decided to hold GSL final outside Korea and have prepared for it."

"The decision was not easy to make. It is first time and therefore a great challenge for us to send staff and produce and transmit from oversea. But it is a worthy challenge for GSL and something that must be done at some point."

If you're new to e-sports and fancy getting watching some pro StarCraft 2, have a look over our pick of the ten best StarCraft 2 games . You can follow all the latest in the current run of the GSL on GomTV .