Offentliggörandet kom i samband med att CPL presenterade ett nytt samarbete med World Series of Video Games (läs mer). Samarbetet går ut på att WSVG kommer att ta över sommarevenemanget. WSVG kommer att arrangera turneringen och ha exklusiva rättigheter för att sända hela evenemanget. CPL Summer kommer att bli det andra evenemanget i WSWG:s världsomspännande turné som börjar den 15 juni i Kentucky.

Anledningen till sänkningen av prissumman är enligt CPL att turneringen ska passa in i WSVG:s turneringsformat.

Än så länge har 3 000 personer anmält sig för sommarevenemanget. I och med det nya samarbetet har man utökat evenemanget och gjort plats för inte mindre än 15 000 personer.

Med sänkningen av prispengarna ligger man nu återigen under ESWC i prispengar. ESWC erbjuder i årets turnering $160 000 i CS-turneringen. Trots sänkningen ligger man ändå en bra bit över CPL Winter som bara hade $60 000 i CS-turneringen.

Sänkningarna av prissummorna sätter säkerligen ny fart på diskussionerna och skänker ytterligare kredibilitet till informationen om att Intel har lämnat CPL som huvudsponsor. CPL:s vd Angel Munoz och WSVG:s frontfigur Scott Valencia har båda sagt att en fortsatt höjning av prispengarna i samma takt som nu är ohållbar.

Hela pressmeddelandet finner ni nedan och på CPL:s webbplats.

Games Media Properties, which recently launched the first-ever World Series of Video Games (WSVG), today announces a partnership with the Cyberathlete Professional League (CPL), the world's first electronic games sports league. The 2006 CPL Summer Championship will serve as a major event on the World Series of Video Games circuit, and Games Media Properties has acquired exclusive rights to operate and broadcast the CPL Summer Championship. The announcement was made by Games Media Properties CEO Matthew Ringel and CPL Founder and President, Angel Munoz.
The 2006 CPL Summer Championship, now the second event in the World Series of Video Games circuit, will be held July 5 through July 9, 2006 at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center, located in Grapevine, Texas. The event, which currently has over 3,000 gamers registered from 58 countries, will be expanded to occupy 150,000 square feet of convention space, and is now expected to attract over 15,000 attendees from across the globe. Prizing for the two tournaments previously announced by the CPL will be adjusted to fit into the $1,000,000 World Series of Video Games format. The Counter-Strike 1.6 tournament cash prize is now $150,000 and the Quake 4 tournament cash prize is $75,000. Additional cash prize tournaments will expand the field of competition.

The partnership between the newly founded World Series of Video Games and the highly respected CPL will raise the profile of video game competitions while bringing a new level of professionalism and organization to the sport. Matthew Ringel, President and CEO of Games Media Properties, said, “The World Series of Video Games is establishing a competitive circuit among the world’s most well-known and respected tournaments. The CPL Summer Championship has long been the premier competitive event in the world, and we are very happy to include it as a central part of this season.”

Angel Munoz, Founder and President of the CPL, said, “The CPL has led the world of e-sports for nine years, and we are always looking for ways to bring competitive gaming to the next level. We see a combination of our brand and the World Series of Video Games as a real win for the community. This partnership is truly unprecedented and we hope it will usher a new era of cooperation between all e-sport organizations worldwide.”