GotFrag eSports

Electronic Sports League (ESL) has announced their expansion into the United States of America. ESL is the league behind Extreme Masters, WC3L, and the ESL Pro and Major Series which are the main stays of European eSports competition. Also, their Aequitas anti-cheat has ensured that their ladders and leagues stay cheat free.

ESL America will open with Counter-Strike 1.6, World of Warcraft and Bomberman Online. Also teams have the chance to qualify for the Intel Extreme Masters Season III.

Jens Hilgers, the founder of Turtle Entertainment (the company behind ESL), had the following to say on ESL America's first news post:

"eSports has a long history in the United States, backed by a huge audience of gamers. We believe that now is the perfect time for us to make our move into the US market. We will launch the full set of features and tournaments step by step over the next few months. Furthermore we will connect ESL America to our international tournament structure. Live events and video coverage are an essential part of our strategy and will not to be missed."

Below are the details about how to qualify for the Extreme Masters competition:

Qualify for the Intel Extreme Masters III in CS 1.6

Furthermore all American players can play in four Counter-Strike 1.6 Qualification Cups for the third season of the Intel Extreme Masters. The four best teams of each cup will receive a spot for the Intel Extreme Masters III Main Round of America. These teams will have the chance to win the unbelievable prize money of 750,000USD! The first Qualification Cup will start at 27th July. Don't miss this unique chance!

Qualify for the Intel Extreme Masters III in WoW

The qualification will start with our own online tournament server and a four weeks-long ladder-period. There will be no cap for participating teams at this point.

To take part in this ladder-competition you will have to apply for a slot via e-mail. We will require teams to have a 3on3-rating of at least 2,000 on Blizzard's live-servers and an account on our website. Teams with notable success in other online- or offline-tournaments may apply even without said rating.

After the first, second and third week of ladder-play we will invite the eight best ranked teams to a single-elimination tournament The two teams to win these small tournaments will automatically qualify for the main round.

The ladder will come to an end after four weeks and the top 26 will be invited to participate in the main round together with the six cup-winners.

Sources: HERE, HERE, and the ESL America Page

User Comments

750,000$....

EPS Nordic will also be launched in 2009

Long overdue; this should make things interesting.

Image on ESL contains Canadian flag, but no mention of whether Canada is involved. Clarification?

This comment was edited at 07/17/2008 2:56 PM

wow abotu time leoel

Just checked with ESL and the US league is open to Canadians

http://thejesuitreport.com/ my blog yadig

divito: http://www.esl-america.net/us/cs/5on5/lad..
Almost all leagues are open to Canadians as well.

Thanks.

Not even a Major News item? wtf?

QUOTE:
eSports has a long history in the United States, backed by a huge audience of gamers. We believe that now is the perfect time for us to make our move into the US market.

You could of done this 3 years ago. Just as many gamers back then and now even more.

It's great to see ESL in the US.

lawl

signed up

Is gotfrag going to be covering?

goodbye cal & cevo

nah CEVO stays lol

Will ESL be competing directly with CAL and CEVO?

#14 of course

then I guess CEVO is the next CAL :)

pls add esl coverage asap

greetz

This comment was edited at 07/17/2008 4:28 PM

Awesome!

http://steamcommunity.com/id/thefunk350

Hope they can run great tournaments, guess will take time to get Pro Series and all that stuff running, but most of the esports sponsors and NA based so this can be the greatess EPS ever will take time but ESL are really great doing things.

Season XII EPS gremany prizes
http://www.esl.eu/de/pro-series/info/prei..

Imagine season XII in NA if things go well

#17 same with WoW Extreme Masters tournament oh well :)

This comment was edited at 07/17/2008 4:23 PM

Hi!

#17,

What are you talking about? Most CEVO "news" goes into community news box which is less trafficked than OUR Latest eSports News box. CEVO "coverage" goes into the scroller, our news box, and below...and once there is ESL coverage, it too will go in that area. So stop looking for bias where none exists.

This comment was edited at 07/17/2008 4:22 PM

http://www.myeg.net - GET SOME! - http://www.djWHEAT.tv - Live on Three!

ESL > CGS ????

/> TOMAHAWK />

I love how there is no source yet HAHA

�_�

#22 we chose to launch with a smaller number of games, the obvious choices were the ones we will use for the extreme masters season and the 3rd one is the freely available and fun bomberman online

in europe cs 1.6 is just more popular on professional e-sport, but i think a ladder of cs:s will soon start in america, cose there are mutch cs:s players.... americans just go for the grafics and stuff not for the gameplay

BOMBERMAN ONLINE!!!!!!!!!

Part-time GotFrag Writer - Fulltime Dr Pepper Enthusiast

#23

Not complaining, just thought it was cute . I play 1.6

ESL = endless supplies loads. cevo is dead.

w a f f l e s.

i LOL'd at #24.... ive never seen more sourceplayers than 1.6 ever idk wat ur smoking

nice !!!!

why no quake 3?

eSports make me h0rney!!

I would love to see CPMA #30

bomberman online?? COUNT ME IN NUKKAS

"And dont act like our internet doesnt have to be checked and processed through customs" - zenru

dude, im so in bomberman online

prob. more lan when ESL is here:O

This is awsome...ESL owns. Hope to see top u.s. teams joining.

#19, won't be too long :)

ESL Community Manager EU :: http://therogue.org.uk

german invading both scandinavia and the us at the same time, I thought they learned that a two front battle is never a good thing ;)

lol #37 :>

Nice news!

btw #37
as you might now, scandinavia was always easy to take! :O

This comment was edited at 07/18/2008 5:59 AM

Oh.. my!

BANKAI!

#39 Even Soviet Union couldn't take Finland ;) (if you're counting on Finland being in Scandinavia)
(-:

if they really wanted something big they would add source too, then they would wipe the floor with everyother league...looking forward to playing some 1.6 in this tho

RASTAFARIANPIRATE Ψ Theres pirates among these seas

I guess the ESL can replace CEVO and become the biggest League in USA. But its important to take Source in addition to 1.6, cause it needs an alternative to CGS.

Just look @ esl.eu. ESL will expand to ANY game with a community large enough for competitive gaming.

#43 if they have cash prizes of $750,000 for a tournament like they do in 1.6 if they were to pick up source, it wouldnt be just an alternative to cgs...but goodbye to the cgs. Anyway you slice it though i really hope they go ahead and pick up source.

excelent, ESL rocks

Look for me on staff :)

I have Johnny R.'s AWP and Aimetti's Attitude

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