Even with the challenge posed by Battlefield 3‘s looming release, Call of Duty is something of an international pastime. Activision is capitalizing on that in a big way in 2011, first with the coming launch of the Call of Duty Elite social network and, as we learn today, in September with the first-ever community celebration, Call of Duty XP 2011.
The event is set to happen over Labor Day weekend in Los Angeles, with “more than 6,000 fans” (according to the press release) packed into a “secure 12-acre compound.” The gathering is all about Call of Duty, specifically Modern Warfare 3, which hits stores on November 8. Attendees will get an early jump on the game’s multiplayer, spending the weekend playing both the competitive and co-op Spec Ops modes. The full version of Call of Duty Elite will also make its debut there, as Modern Warfare 3 will be the first game in the series to make use of all of the service’s features.
The centerpiece for the event will be a $1 million Call of Duty hosted by a partnership between Activision and Xbox 360, the lead sponsor. Players will be able to participate in qualification rounds before the weekend arrive to secure their place in the tournament, though hopeful competitors will also have the opportunity to qualify on-site. Those of us who can’t make it will of course be inundated by coverage of the event on TV and streaming over the web. That won’t be hideously painful or anything, watching thousands of other people play one of the year’s most-anticipated games for two straight days.
Ticket will sell for $150 starting on July 19. 100% of those sales will go to The Call of Duty Endowment, a charity which helps veterans re-acclimate to life away from the battlefield after returning home from a tour. A ticket purchase includes a two-day pass to the event. In addition to the gaming time, Call of Duty XP will also feature “a paintball firefight on a life-sized Call of Duty map,” a real-life re-creation of Modern Warfare 2‘s “The Pit” training area, discussion panels and an on-site armory for fans to gawk at.
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