An important step for competitive CS:GO.
ESL Pro League returns on 12th April 2019, and for Season 9 it’s replacing online play with studio matches for both the EU and AM regions.
Beginning in 2019, the regular season will be playing in three separate regions: Europe, Americas and Asia-Pacific. Each region will be divided into four groups of four teams, with seeding based on the ESL World Ranking. While APAC games will remain online, EU matches will be hosted offline at the ESL studio in the UK, and the AM region in the US.
The regular season will consist of two group rounds which should reduce the time commitment required by teams and spectators, while also increasing the importance of each match.
Here’s a snapshot of the brand new format:
This marks an important step for players and spectators of CS:GO. Not only is it a step up in production value, but it’ll be a better competitive environment for the pros and a much easier format to follow for fans.
It’s largely reminiscent of League of Legends’ LCS format with regular season play backed by all the production value you’d expect from the big tournaments. We’re seriously excited to see how the ESL Pro League develops.
