Call of Duty Championship coming in March with $1 million on the line

Activision and Microsoft are teaming up again for the second annual Call of Duty Championship.

The two companies announced plans for the major event, which will take place March 28-March 30 in Los Angeles. The tournament touts a $1 million prize pool, and the 32 best teams around the world shall fight for a chance to take home as much of that money as possible.

This event also marks the first time that professional teams compete in Call of Duty: Ghosts on the Xbox One. E-sports associations like Major League Gaming and Gfinity have players competing in Ghosts on Xbox 360.

“Last year’s championship came down to the final minute of the final match with everyone holding their breath to see who would win,” Activision Publishing chief executive Eric Hirshberg said. “The skill, passion, and energy brought by these teams and the crowd looking-on showed just what makes our community the best in the world. Call of Duty is more than a video game. It’s a pastime shared by millions. It’s exciting to play and fun to watch, and we can’t wait to see what this year’s event has in store.”

For the tournament, MLG and other international e-sports organizations are holding qualifying events to determine the 32 teams that will compete in the finals. MLG.tv is broadcasting the regional finals in February through March from Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The qualifying events begin Jan. 18 and are open to the public. The events are using the Xbox 360 version of Ghosts and take place online. Check MLG’s site for detailed rules and registration.

Activision started the Call of Duty Championship last year to promote Black Ops II. The year prior, the company held a Call of Duty XP convention to market developer Infinity Ward’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. With the rise of e-sports, Activision and Microsoft likely decided that it could more easily drum up excitement for one of its biggest franchises with a major competition.