North America - Team Pandemic, of multigaming fame, has picked up the top TF2 squad in CEVO-P S1, The Experiment, who are holding strong at 6-0 and look ready to cruise into the playoffs (if not the Grand Finals) without much resistance.

"Since the release of TF2 this past October, The Experiment have built a reputation as one of the most skilled and exciting teams in the game. Aaron “Perfekt” Qayeum, the team's founder, is credited for taking a rag-tag group of teamless players with Team Fortress Classic backgrounds and molding them into a squad known for their high-octane offense and fragging prowess that consistently competes on a championship level." - TeamPandemic.net

New Pandemic members Samuel "oPlaiD" Lingle and Aaron "perfekt" Qayeum were on hand to comment on the pickup:

First off, congrats on the move to Pandemic. Did they come to you first or were you guys actively searching for an organization?

perfekt: Thanks. It was kinda a mix of both - oPlaid knew Lemley from Pandemic and I guess somehow the topic of bringing ex to their TF2 came up.

oPlaid: We've had a lot of offers from other organizations, but we thought we deserved the best, so we were taking our time. I've known Lemley for a while, and brought it up with him. Pandemic has become the #1 independent gaming franchise in America, so we were excited when he seemed interested. A few weeks later here we are as part of Pandemic!

Do you think a big name like Pandemic will help stabilize the TF2 scene at all (what with so many teams dropping out of CEVO-P halfway through the season)?

oPlaid: Right now, things are slow, but once a decent tournament in the US is announced it'll get a lot more interesting.

perfekt: It's a shame that some of them would choose to call it quits after a loss or two.

What's the immediate benefit for you guys?

oPlaid: Well, right now, not too much! :) They'll help us out online with things like a server and ventrilo, as well as some bonuses like hardware, and we'll get to be part of their distinguished brand.

perfekt: And I believe they are willing to ship us out to big LANs if its worth it.

Pandemic's President, Lemley, was also on hand to share his opinion of the new additions to the organization.

What made you decide to pick up the Experiment?

Pandemic-Lemley: As an organization we weren't too sure about TF2 in its early stages, as there seemed to be a bit of a lull after the initial rush on the CEVO Online Tournament. However, I've known for some time that Team Fortress has a very strong community dating all the way back to the Quake days, and it simply made sense for us to jump on the opportunity to pick up one of the hottest teams in the game today. The online community itself provides us with a unique angle on a very popular game. I truly believe there is a future for this game, one way or another.

Would the pandemic organization ever think about actively trying to start the LAN scene, maybe host/co-chair some events?

Pandemic-Lemley: While it's not something we currently have in the works, it's not entirely out of the question. What I can say is that through our major partner Dell Unleashed, Dell's college initiative, we do indeed have plans involving Team Fortress 2.

Do you have a preference in the competitive formats (6v6 vs 8v8)? Or, to phrase it better, do you think on format as a more viable chance at allowing TF2 to grow as a competitive eSport?

Pandemic-Lemley: 6v6 is far and away the more viable solution for TF2 as an 'eSport.' Larger numbers provide numerous logistics problems. The more players you involve, the higher costs are for both teams and event organizers, and perhaps even more importantly it makes for a lower likely team turnout. Fielding (and affording) a traveling 8 man lineup is no easy feat.

In order for TF2 to succeed as a major competitive game, it's imperative that the community come together over this issue as soon as possible. Nothing good on the competitive front can come from this division.

Kind of piggy-backing on the last one, what do you see in TF2s future?

Pandemic-Lemley: I've barely even played the game personally, but almost any gamer can relate to or understand the classes and objectives within. Because of it's playability and user-friendliness, I expect the title to continue to receive excellent developer support and there to be a significant interest in the game this coming year by LAN and event organizers.

While it won't be the next Counter-Strike, it doesn't have to be. Team Fortress thrives on being something everyone can enjoy and I believe that alone will take us where we need to be with our sponsorship of 'The Experiment.'

The newly crowned Pandemic.TF2:
Adam “Reptile” Dopko
Aaron “Perfekt” Qayeum
Tim “Dummy” Olson
Mike “Dion” Powell
Samuel “oPlaiD” Lingle
Jeff “jmitchell” Mitchell
Paul "newby" Turner


Full Press Release from Pandemic on page 2.