WoW: 2009 Arena Tournament Announced

Outside of gold farmers and those obsessive guys at Nihilum, not very many people get the opportunity to play a game like World of Warcraft professionally. For a select few, however, there's the annual Arena Tournament---a six-week-long series of global player-versus-player events that culminate in a cash purse totaling over 200,000 USD. Blizzard announced that sign-ups for the 2009 Arena Tournament will be kicking off next Tuesday, February 17, and for the one-time entry fee of 20 USD, players with existing World of Warcraft accounts can create up to three level 80 characters on the special Arena qualification servers.(via 1UP)

The details are as below:

We're pleased to announce that the 2009 World of Warcraft Arena Tournament is nearly here. Starting next week (February 17, 2009), players will be able to sign up to compete in this year's exciting competition. The tournament will feature an online qualifier played on our special tournament realms. Top teams will proceed to their respective regional finals and compete for a chance to reach the global world championship--with cash prizes totaling over 200,000 USD.

These realms have been outfitted with level 80 character templates and the latest epic gear from Wrath of the Lich King. As an added bonus, we have included exclusive rewards that players can earn by participating in the tournament, including an Armored Murloc in-game pet. Top teams will also contend for a chance to achieve the "Vanquisher" title for their live characters.

If you would like to demonstrate your arena prowess, or simply want a chance to earn the exclusive loot, please check back next week for more details and register!