World Cyber Games: Team USA named for World Cyber Games grand final in Singapore; 16 champions crowned at US Final, 40,000 attempted to qualify.

NEW YORK, NY, September 12, 2005 - Sixteen gamers remain from a pool of 40,000 after the last rounds of the World Cyber Games US Final was completed at the Hammerstein Ballroom over the weekend. They will now represent the United States at the World Cyber Games Grand Final in Singapore from November 16-20th. In Singapore, 800 of the world's best video gamers from 70 countries will clash for $430,000 in prizes, medals and national honor in eight game events.

More than 40,000 gamers attempted to qualify at 120 game centers and through online tournaments since May. After regional playoffs in July and August, 184 of the countries elite reached the US Final and only 16 remain.

"The spectator excitement combined with a high level of competition this past weekend here in New York signals that the era of e-Sports is beginning to mature here in the US, as it already has elsewhere in the world," said Hank Jeong, CEO of International Cyber Marketing, the global organizer of the World Cyber Games. "We have always been the biggest tournament in the world, and it is here that pro-gamers get their start. We are now seeing the kinds of corporate sponsorships necessary to back these players so they can train and compete at the highest level worldwide."

There was no shortage of thrilling e-Sports drama during the US Final, which saw defending CounterStrike gold medal winners, Team 3D, outlast a tough field to secure a slot at the big show this November, and two time defending World Cyber Games Halo champion Matt "Zyos" Leto defeated in the semifinals by twin brothers Dan and Tom Ryan, known as "The Ogre Twins," who breezed through the final to stamp their ticket to Singapore.

The full members of Team USA going to Singapore are:

HALO 2 (Xbox):

Dan Ryan, 19, (Pickerington, OH)
Tom Ryan, 19, (Pickerington, OH)

STARCRAFT: Broodwar (PC):

Sean Plott, 19, (Leawood, KS)
Sherwin Mahbod, 19, (San Francisco, CA)

DEAD OR ALIVE ULTIMATE (Xbox):

James Clifford, 21, (Jefferson Township, NJ)

COUNTERSTRIKE (PC):

Michael So, 21, (Northridge, CA)
Kyle Miller, 21, (Washington DC)
Ronald Kim, 21, (Dallas, TX)
Salvatore Garozzo, 18, (Eastchester, NY)
Josh Sievers, 21, (Polk City, IA)

WARCRAFT 3 (PC):

Dennis Chan, 22, (Sunset Beach, CA)
Jeff Bliss, 16, (Atherton, CA)
Matthew Anderson, 19, (Lexington, SC)

NEED FOR SPEED (PC):

Kamran Siddiqui, 20, (Orlando, FL)

FIFA SOCCER 2005 (PC):
Matija Biljeskovic, 21, (Rockford, IL)

WARHAMMER 40,000 (PC):
Matthew Proctor, 20, (Dallas, TX)

Jason's Comments: I would've been out in the first round...more than likely.