Battle.net

You’re here because you’re an avid StarCraft II spectator and lover of tournaments, right? (I must be right.) You might’ve even come here from a link on Twitter or Facebook, so you’re probably tuned into the innovations of some of the biggest tech companies in the world, anxiously awaiting “the next big thing.” But, have you ever wondered what it’d be like to take these fast-paced companies off their home turf and into the intense warfare offered by StarCraft II competition? You can stop wondering, because that’s exactly what’s happening as we speak in the After Hours Gaming League!

The After Hours Gaming League (AHGL) is a grassroots tournament format, actualized by shoutcaster extraordinaire (and arguably the most huggable figure in StarCraft) Sean ‘Day[9]’ Plott. The purpose of this league is described eloquently on its official website:

“The After Hours Gaming League involves more than just trying to win -- this new and modern twist on the traditional corporate sports league encourages teamwork, fun, and friendly competition while supporting charity. It also showcases the gaming communities within these companies, attracting the attention of potential employees and providing a more realistic depiction of gamers as smart and successful professionals that you won’t find in Hollywood.”

Sit back and watch as Day[9] presents you with casted matches between players -- employed by Amazon, Dropbox, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Twitter, Yelp, and Zynga -- annihilating each other for a charitable cause. It’s a beautiful concept. What’s more, the last two companies standing will meet live onstage for the finals on the Facebook campus in Palo Alto, CA on Friday, August 19, 2011. Day[9]TV will donate the $5,000 grand prize to the winner’s charity of choice.

Want to witness big corporate rivalries played out in friendly competition on the StarCraft II battlefield instead of the boardroom (like Microsoft v. Google in week one)? We’re already entering the AHGL tournament’s fourth week, so head over to http://afterhoursgaming.tv, watch videos of the matches played thus far, and enjoy! As the competition stiffens, you’ll even be able to find out if Facebook can prove it doesn’t need 140 characters to proclaim dominance over Twitter -- just a simple “gl” and “gg” will suffice -- or if Twitter can deliver a #SC2BeatDown to Facebook… cordially, of course.

Stay tuned for much more to come from AHGL, as it seems Day[9] is just getting started.