Counter-Strike – ESL https://esl.com/pl Feel the passion for esports Wed, 08 Jun 2022 12:19:49 +0000 pl-PL hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.5 https://esl.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/ESL-Favicon-green-512-150x150.png Counter-Strike – ESL https://esl.com/pl 32 32 NRG take the spoils at Intel® Extreme Masters Shanghai 2018 https://esl.com/pl/article/nrg-take-the-spoils-at-intel-extreme-masters-shanghai-2018/ https://esl.com/pl/article/nrg-take-the-spoils-at-intel-extreme-masters-shanghai-2018/#respond Mon, 10 Dec 2018 13:23:32 +0000 https://esl.com/blog/2018/12/nrg-take-the-spoils-at-intel-extreme-masters-shanghai-2018/ Full tournament results, recap and highlights of IEM Shanghai 2018!

]]> The Intel Extreme Masters Shanghai 2018 captivated the audience in attendance at the ChinaJoy gaming exhibition (the largest in China and Asia) courtesy of NRG’s flawless gameplay en route to the title and the heroics of local outfit TyLoo.

TyLoo’s Chinese/Indonesian comp had a nail-biter of a semi-final against the experienced Virtus.pro, but managed to come out on top after a dramatic double overtime finish. Champions NRG were dominant throughout the event, only losing one match in the whole tournament and will now turn their attention to ESL One New York 2018, where they will face some of the best CS:GO teams on Earth.

Results

Group Stage:

Playoffs:

Highlights:

Next up:

NRG will try to take their Shanghai momentum into ESL One New York powered by Intel in September. They will also try their hardest to represent the NA region in our December ESL Pro League Season 8 Finals in Odense.

]]> https://esl.com/pl/article/nrg-take-the-spoils-at-intel-extreme-masters-shanghai-2018/feed/ 0 The end product may well be the best Major ever – Carmac talks 2019 IEM Katowice Major https://esl.com/pl/article/the-end-product-may-well-be-the-best-major-ever-carmac-talks-2019-iem-katowice-major/ https://esl.com/pl/article/the-end-product-may-well-be-the-best-major-ever-carmac-talks-2019-iem-katowice-major/#respond Fri, 21 Sep 2018 09:02:17 +0000 https://esl.com/blog/2018/09/the-end-product-may-well-be-the-best-major-ever-carmac-talks-2019-iem-katowice-major/ What can we expect next year in Katowice?

]]> What kind of Major will this Intel® Extreme Masters be?

We are very happy to announce today that a CS:GO Major Championship will return to Katowice after three years. What does it mean for the world’s oldest stadium event?

A lot has changed since the 2015 Major in Katowice. Intel Extreme Masters has re-adopted Counter-Strike and crowned a champion in Katowice three times since (two victories for Fnatic and one for astralis). The event has become one of the most important ones in the global esports calendar.

For years we at ESL have been working tirelessly on making Katowice a beacon for esports, and an elite competition around the globe. We believe that Katowice 2018 was one of our greatest Counter-Strike events ever held and will continue to increase the quality of production, event and competition for our fans, players and partners.

What changes?

Majors have always been about introducing meaningful improvements to CS:GO events in general. The EMS One Katowice event has showed that you can be successful in a stadium environment. The Major in Cluj has made integrating game elements to the show a standard.  Majors by different tournament organizers were about healthy competition where good standards started being employed in future Majors. With time, Majors have gotten better and better within the boundaries of the format, to a point where introducing meaningful, game changing improvements became harder.   

So we decided to move the boundaries. The one area that has not been explored and where a big difference to the overall quality of the Major can be made is the number of matches that is played behind closed doors. Our Major will have a stage and a live audience for both the Legends and Champions Stage.

Legends matches are among one of the most meaningful games all year.  We wanted them to be played in a setting more fitting of the gravity of those games. We are saving the biggest caliber of matches for CS:GO’s largest stage in Spodek, but the Legends stage will have the same integrated scoreboard features as the one in Spodek and we will put 1,000 seats in front of it.

If the demand is above a thousand, we are ready to extend the number. Eight days of CS:GO in front of a live audience. The best environment to compete.

Excited!

I believe the last go round in March 2018, the Intel® Extreme Masters in Katowice was equal to a Major. Thousands of fans, a dedicated CS:GO stage with advanced game integration and years of heritage dating back to when today’s top players were in their early teens.

When this kind of heritage meets the boom™ that a Major brings, the end product may well be the best Major ever.  It’s in our hands to make it so.

So we are pulling up our sleeves and getting to work. See you next Winter!

Be sure to follow IEM on Twitter and Facebook as we post all updates about the event.

]]> https://esl.com/pl/article/the-end-product-may-well-be-the-best-major-ever-carmac-talks-2019-iem-katowice-major/feed/ 0 The new way into MDL via the ESL National Championships https://esl.com/pl/article/the-new-way-into-mdl-via-the-esl-national-championships/ https://esl.com/pl/article/the-new-way-into-mdl-via-the-esl-national-championships/#respond Thu, 09 Aug 2018 09:45:43 +0000 https://esl.com/blog/2018/08/the-new-way-into-mdl-via-the-esl-national-championships/ Starting with the Relegation for MDL Season 30.

]]> Introducing a new way for all European ESL National Championship CS:GO Teams to qualify for the MDL – the Climber Cup.

In the current system, the five strongest European nations get the chance to play their way into the MDL. But beginning with the Relegation for MDL Season 30, there will a online tournament, the Climber Cup, taking place before the Relegation kicks off. In that tournament, each European country with an ESL operated National Championship will be represented by one team. The best teams from that competition will then move on to the MDL Relegation to fight for a spot in the next season.

The list of countries currently eligible for the pre-Relegation tournament are:

  • Poland
  • DACH region (Germany, Austria & Switzerland)
  • France
  • UK
  • Spain
  • Netherlands
  • Belgium
  • Italy
  • Turkey
  • South-East-Europe
  • Czech Republic and Slovakia

The team that will be eligible from each National Championship will be the best ranked team that has use for the slot (meaning that teams that already hold a slot for EPL, MDL or MDL Relegation will be skipped and the next best team from the same region will inherit it). The eligible team will then join the next possible Climber Cup event for their chance to advance to the MDL.

This means the top four teams from the ESEA Advanced division will still qualify for the MDL relegation tournament identically to the previous season. Make sure your team doesn’t miss out on the ESEA League by registering before September 3rd. More information about the ESEA League is available here.

You think you got what it takes to make in into the MDL? Then be sure to check out whether there’s a National Championship on ESL Play for your home country!

]]> https://esl.com/pl/article/the-new-way-into-mdl-via-the-esl-national-championships/feed/ 0 Esport Hall of Fame inductee Ksharp: It`s a great honor https://esl.com/pl/article/esport-hall-of-fame-inductee-ksharp-its-a-great-honor/ https://esl.com/pl/article/esport-hall-of-fame-inductee-ksharp-its-a-great-honor/#respond Fri, 03 Aug 2018 12:58:35 +0000 https://esl.com/blog/2018/08/esport-hall-of-fame-inductee-ksharp-its-a-great-honor/ We interviewed the upcoming Hall of Famer.

]]> The first American CS player in the ESL Hall of Fame presented by paysafecard loves Rocket League, Skadoodle and was surprise to learn of his own induction.

What was your reaction when you found out that you would be inducted into the ESL Hall of Fame presented by paysafecard?
I was very surprised.  I knew Heaton had been inducted and there are so many legends from those days that are deserving to be in the hall of fame. It was nothing I would have ever dreamed about even when I was competing back in the day, so for it to be happening now is kind of surreal.

You are the first American CS player to be inducted – how do you feel about that?
It’s something I’m very proud of.  I think I always tried to do my best to represent America in and out of the game and hopefully the fans feel I did an okay job. There are so many fantastic American players that I have no doubt will be in the Hall of Fame some day and I’m just happy to be among them.

What does being inducted into the ESL Hall of Fame presented by paysafecard mean to you?
I feel it’s a great honor and to know that I left a mark on Counter-Strike and esports.  Counter-strike is such a legendary game with so many great competitors across all the versions and years.  I have no doubt that there will be teammates and rivals who will be joining me in the years to come and I’m very much looking forward to seeing it all happen.

What have you been doing since you retired?
I’ve done quite a lot since I stopped actively competing but most recently I’ve had the chance to work on the business side of esports.  It’s been a lot of fun getting to stay involved in some capacity with Counter-Strike and gaming since it’s literally been in my life for almost 2 decades now. I’m an avid Hearthstone Arena player and dabble in Rocket League. I follow the pro scene in CS as much as I can and love rooting for my favorite players, f0rest and Skadoodle.
I’m extremely grateful for the opportunities that Counter-Strike has given me throughout the years and I couldn’t be happier that it is still going strong as the best esport ever!

If you could give one piece of advice to aspiring professional gamers of today: What would that be?
Find a game you really enjoy because it takes an incredible amount of time to become a pro at pretty much any game these days.  If you’re not having fun, it’s going to be almost impossible to become successful.

About the ESL Hall of Fame presented by paysafecard

The ESL Hall of Fame presented by paysafecard will honor competitors, contributors and great moments from the history of esport. Located in Cologne, Germany, it will induct several persons every year to honor their achievements during the rise of competitive gaming.

http://esportshall.com/

]]> https://esl.com/pl/article/esport-hall-of-fame-inductee-ksharp-its-a-great-honor/feed/ 0 Who could have seen this coming – ESL One Cologne delivered the unexpected https://esl.com/pl/article/who-could-have-seen-this-coming-esl-one-cologne-delivered-the-unexpected/ https://esl.com/pl/article/who-could-have-seen-this-coming-esl-one-cologne-delivered-the-unexpected/#respond Fri, 03 Aug 2018 12:58:31 +0000 https://esl.com/blog/2018/08/who-could-have-seen-this-coming-esl-one-cologne-delivered-the-unexpected/ The Grand Final nobody could have predicted!

]]> ESL One Cologne 2018 powered by Intel had it all! With all eyes on the Intel Grand Slam and its main title chasers Astralis and FaZe Clan, it would be two unexpected teams that would write the headlines and steal the show. Both Natus Vincere and the hometown heroes from BIG were having none of the hype for the favorites, eliminating them in the semi finals respectively before Na’Vi eventually crowned their performance with with a 3-1 Grand Finals victory over BIG.

Results

Group A

Group B

Playoffs

Tournament Highlights

Thank you!
Once again, the atmosphere in the LANXESS arena blew everything out of proportion thanks to the teams, players, crew, and fans who created this one-of-a-kind festival of Counter-Strike! But that wasn’t all, as there are more tournaments coming up: ESL One New York powered by Intel, and ESL Pro League Season 8 Finals in Odense. Let’s see you again soon!

 

]]> https://esl.com/pl/article/who-could-have-seen-this-coming-esl-one-cologne-delivered-the-unexpected/feed/ 0 A name considered as Counter-Strike royalty https://esl.com/pl/article/a-name-considered-as-counter-strike-royalty/ https://esl.com/pl/article/a-name-considered-as-counter-strike-royalty/#respond Tue, 31 Jul 2018 11:55:55 +0000 https://esl.com/blog/2018/07/a-name-considered-as-counter-strike-royalty/ This summer's inductee to the Esports Hall of Fame, started his esports career on the first day of Counter-Strike.

]]> This summer’s inductee to the Esports Hall of Fame, started his esports career on the first day of Counter-Strike.

Counter-Strike turned 19 years old in 2018.

In 1999, on day 1 of the first Beta, a young American, Kyle Miller, downloaded the game for the first time and joined a server. He chose the moniker «Ksharp».

“«Ksharp» as a name is considered Counter Strike royalty. Kyle`s abilities far exceeded the way players at the time thought about the game. He broke the rules for the sniper; his mastery of the quick scope, at the time an unknown concept, changed the way the weapon was thought of and used”, said Jason «Moses» O`Toole, one of the most recognized CS commentators.

His impact in the early days of the American scene could only be described as «total», according to Jason «Alchemist» Baker.

-If anyone would ask about CS configs, the answer was always «Just use Ksharps».

The story of Kyle «Ksharp» Miller began in Illinois, USA. As a child, he followed his family to Pennsylvania and Virginia before moving abroad, where he was exposed to the international culture of Greece, Bahrain and Costa Rica before settling back in Tennessee – where Miller as a high school student discovered Counter-Strike on the day of the game`s release.

“I started playing the first day of Beta 1 all thanks to someone coming into the team fortress server I was in and spamming the download link for a new mod that had just come out.  After playing a few rounds and killing mostly teammates I was hooked. Once I joined a clan and started playing other teams in Beta 2 I really got hooked on the competitive side of it”, said Miller of his first run at CS.

Competitive Counter-Strike grew out of the basement of the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Dallas, Texas. The city was home of the CPL, The Cyberathlete Professional League, the most important tournament organizer of the first era of esports.

To get to his debut in the «big time», Kyle «Ksharp» Miller, needed help from his mother, who drove him six hours to Dallas to compete. With the support of his parents, Miller`s star was on the rise as the best player in the North American scene. He was part of X3, a legendary team that was unmatched in the US.

At Winter CPL in 2001, X3 would finally face the consensus best team in the world: NiP from Sweden. Their clash in the final of that tournament was widely watched and became an instant classic in a young sport that needed big moments and common points of reference.

“We were coming from the loser`s bracket and had to win twice on Nuke. It was the definition of an uphill battle”, said Miller.

The match was the definitive breakthrough for American Counter-Strike. While Miller and Ksharp lost the tightly contested and very close encounter, it showed that CS was now bi-continental – well on its way to become a global phenomenon.

“We won the first map in overtime and almost won the second, losing only by a round. I was very proud of our team for fighting back even though we did not manage to win it all. I think it let the rest of the world know we were a legit competitor and it was the beginning of a rivalry that would go down in history.”

The result gave Miller and the Americans the confidence they needed. And six months later, it was «Ksharp» who could raise the trophy at Counter-Strike`s most coveted competition. He won Summer CPL 2003 with Team 3D.  

Team 3D piled on another achievement a year later as the Americans won the World Cyber Games held in South-Korea. WCG used a new iteration of Counter-Strike, called Condition Zero, and «Ksharp» became it`s first (and only) champion. In the latter stages of the tournament, Miller got to exact revenge on some of his Swedish rivals from the NiP vs X3 match a few years earlier.

“I think the one thing that everyone will always remember about the tournament is David «moto» Geffon being stuck behind a box on Inferno and winning a 1 on 4 in the pistol round. It was the craziest round I have ever seen in CS, let alone in a huge stakes match vs one of the best teams in the world. That really helped boost our morale and was a real blow to theirs. After finishing 2nd to the Swedes at WCG 2003, it was finally time for our revenge!”  

The WCG and Team 3D would mesh well. The next year, in 2005, «Ksharp» would secure his third major championship, in the third iteration of Counter-Strike.

To get there, Miller and his team mates had to get through their red hot American rivals from Complexity – a team that had been assembled in part to rid the US of Miller and 3D`s grip of dominance over the North American scene.

“When I first started following Counter-Strike my preferred weapon was the AWP, and my favorite player was «Ksharp». He epitomized everything great about the scene and greatly motivated me to build a squad to compete against him. In my eyes, he was already a legend by 2004”, said Jason Lake, founder and owner of Complexity.

However, it was Miller and Team 3D who prevailed in the qualifier, which curiously used CS 1.6 despite the main tournament forcing Source.

“I was proud of our team for making the most out of a wild situation and adapting to show a mastery over two different versions of the game.” 

Despite winding down his professional career by 2006, Kyle «Ksharp» Miller, was drafted onto Team 3D in the Championship Gaming Series (CGS) where he continued to ply his AWP over two seasons of live televised competition.

The CGS discontinued operations towards the end of 2008 and left American CS in a state of disarray. At the same time, Kyle «Ksharp» Miller, decided it was time to retire from top level competition.

Multiple world championships across several iterations of the game, and some 8 years at the highest levels of competition has put Kyle «Ksharp» Miller in the Esports Hall of Fame 19 years after he first tried Counter-Strike.

Yet, Miller never let his world-wide status as CS royalty outshine his human qualities.    

“He is one of the humblest players to ever grace the game. When you speak to him of his past you almost don`t believe he was effortlessly dominating an entire region. But he is quiet, unassuming, and almost hopes he can`t be picked out of a crowd. He is the guy who would go out of his way to help you, the guy who would casually talk at the bar, without ever telling you his legacy as a Counter Strike world champion”, said commentator Jason «Moses» O`Toole.

Kyle «Ksharp» Miller`s induction to the Esports Hall of Fame presented by paysafecard will happen on Sunday July 8th at ESL One Cologne.

About the Esports Hall of Fame presented by paysafecard

The Esports Hall of Fame presented by paysafecard will honor competitors, contributors and great moments from the history of esport. Located in Cologne, Germany, it will induct several persons every year to honor their achievements during the rise of competitive gaming. 

]]> https://esl.com/pl/article/a-name-considered-as-counter-strike-royalty/feed/ 0 ESL One Belo Horizonte powered by Intel welcomes 11,500 fans on each main event day in the sold out Mineirinho Arena in Brazil https://esl.com/pl/article/esl-one-belo-horizonte-powered-by-intel-welcomes-11500-fans-on-each-main-event-day-in-the-sold-out-mineirinho-arena-in-brazil/ https://esl.com/pl/article/esl-one-belo-horizonte-powered-by-intel-welcomes-11500-fans-on-each-main-event-day-in-the-sold-out-mineirinho-arena-in-brazil/#respond Mon, 23 Jul 2018 12:24:28 +0000 https://esl.com/blog/2018/07/esl-one-belo-horizonte-powered-by-intel-welcomes-11500-fans-on-each-main-event-day-in-the-sold-out-mineirinho-arena-in-brazil/ ESL One Belo Horizonte powered by Intel celebrated its debut of the ESL One series at the sold out Mineirinho Arena in Brazil on June 15-17, 2018. Eight top CS:GO teams from around the world battled over the coveted trophy, and a lion’s share of the $US200,000 prize pool in front of a fully packed stadium.

After some competitive matchups, the five day long competition concluded on Sunday with Faze Clan and mousesports provided the passionate Brazilian crowd with a thrilling match. At the end, it was the European Powerhouse FaZe Clan who was able to beat mousesports 3:2 and secured another win counting towards the Intel® Grand Slam series.

The sold out Mineirinho Arena, which was partly granted by the Secretary of State for Sports of Minas Gerais in order to show the state’s support and foster the growth of the local esports scene, welcomed 11,500 fans on each of the three main event days. ESL One Belo Horizonte clocked more than 43 million sessions with the peak concurrent viewership reaching over 583,000 viewers. This marks an impressive 166% increase in the total number of sessions and a 53% growth in peak concurrent viewership compared to the CS:GO Pro League Season Four Finals that took place in Sao Paulo in 2016. Overall, more than 7,5 million hours of content were consumed by the online audience.

“The Brazilian crowd surely lived up to the expectations as the Mineirinho Arena started shaking when the local heros SK Gaming entered the big stage,” said Ulrich Schulze, Senior Vice President of Product at ESL. “South America and especially Brazil has and will be an important part of the esports industry, and we are very proud to actively support the growth of the local community.”

“The Brazilian fans were great, which is sure to be marked in the history of esports. I believe the result of everything we accomplished wit ESL One Belo Horizonte is very positive! We are very proud to be able to provide this unique experience to our community and we hope to repeat all that success very soon”, said Leo De Biase, CEO of ESL Brazil.

Up next in the ESL One event series for CS:GO is ESL One Cologne 2018, which is set to take place in the Cathedral of competitive Counter-Strike, at the LANXESS Arena in Cologne, Germany on July 6-8. Followed by ESL One New York 2018, ESL’s North American flagship event and the biggest esports tournament on the East Coast, which will be held at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on September 29-30.

For more information, visit the official ESL One website and be sure to follow ESL CS on Twitter and Facebook for all the latest updates. 

]]> https://esl.com/pl/article/esl-one-belo-horizonte-powered-by-intel-welcomes-11500-fans-on-each-main-event-day-in-the-sold-out-mineirinho-arena-in-brazil/feed/ 0 “It will be a historical moment and a successful journey for both the winning team and ESL” – we chat to Guardian about the Intel Grand Slam! https://esl.com/pl/article/it-will-be-a-historical-moment-and-a-successful-journey-for-both-the-winning-team-and-esl-we-chat-to-guardian-about-the-intel-grand-slam/ https://esl.com/pl/article/it-will-be-a-historical-moment-and-a-successful-journey-for-both-the-winning-team-and-esl-we-chat-to-guardian-about-the-intel-grand-slam/#respond Fri, 13 Jul 2018 11:48:43 +0000 https://esl.com/blog/2018/07/it-will-be-a-historical-moment-and-a-successful-journey-for-both-the-winning-team-and-esl-we-chat-to-guardian-about-the-intel-grand-slam/ We chat to Guardian about Intel Grand Slam, ESL One Cologne, and more.

]]> ESL One Cologne 2018 powered by Intel begins this week with 16 top teams from around the world competing for a US$300,000 prize pool, the coveted trophy, and, of course, a win counting towards the Intel Grand Slam.

For the first time in the history of IGS, a team is just one win away from completing the US$1,000,000 obstacle course – if FaZe Clan win ESL One Cologne this coming weekend, they will also take the first ever Intel Grand Slam. We chatted to Guardian about this and more.

ESL: Hi there and thanks for taking the time to chat with us. Let’s start with the fast approaching ESL One Cologne – what is the mood like in the team ahead of the event?
Guardian: Hello. The mood in the team is always the same: we want to do our best and win the event. Of course, we feel that we are very close to winning the Intel Grand Slam but at the same time, it means a lot to win ESL One Cologne itself. The event is one of the best events you can attend as a player, and as a spectator as well. There is so much happening in Cologne every year, and I am sure this year won’t be different. Looking forward to it a lot!

ESL: What kind of a feeling would it be to complete the Intel Grand Slam at ESL One Cologne, of all places?
Guardian: That would be a feeling that no one in the team would be able to describe. IF we complete it, it will be a crazy journey finished, since we played the last 4-5 IGS events with stand-ins. I think we will be very proud of ourselves and proud of our team, that we have managed to do something like that. But we are humble and with feet on the ground, so lets do it step by step and then we will think about feelings, haha.

ESL: This year, the tournament is extra spicy as you are just one win away from claiming the first ever US$1,000,000 Intel Grand Slam, with Astralis being the favorites to stop you. Have you been discussing the Intel Grand Slam before your recent events? How much of a goal is it?
Guardian: I don’t feel like we paid that much attention to IGS, since we are a team that wants titles and it doesn’t matter if its IGS or any other event. We want to win as much as we can, and that is what matters the most. Of course IGS is as prestigious as Majors but, as I said, for us what matters is winning.

ESL: How much extra pressure is there for every event you play in with the presence of the $1,000,000 reward and Astralis right at your tails?
Guardian: We do not feel the pressure yet and it is hard to say when it will come. Maybe it will come right in the group stage or in the finals, or maybe it will not come at all.  I wish to play the Cologne finals against Astralis, the game would be full of emotions and I am sure both teams would do their best.

ESL: Is it fair to say that if you don’t close it out in Cologne, momentum will be on the side of Astralis to complete the Intel Grand Slam?  They have more chances left.
Guardian: I wouldn’t say that Astralis will have the momentum, since we will still have one more chance left. And I am sure that at DreamHack Masters Stockholm we will have a full lineup, and we will be very well prepared. After that, if we wont close it out these 2 events, I am sure they will have huge advantage.

ESL: What do you think it says about the first team that manages to complete the Intel Grand Slam?
Guardian: Have no idea honestly, haha. Probably that the team is the best in the world, winning 4 events out of 10 possible chances is something amazing. It will be a historical moment and a successful journey for both the winning team and ESL as an organisation.

ESL: What are some of the contrasts and similarities between you and Astralis?  What makes this rivalry so interesting?
Guardian: There are few differences between these two teams. If we talk about Astralis, their team is based on tactics and teamplay. Our team is based on individual skill and explosive style of game.

ESL: Thanks for your time and good luck in Cologne! The last words are yours.
Guardian: Thank you. To all who believe in us, regardless of not having a stable lineup, we will do our best to close out the IGS and do our best to achieve it.

See you in Cologne!

ESL One Cologne will take place on July 6-8 in the legendary LANXESS arena – be sure to join us at the cathedral of Counter-Strike (very few tickets are left, so better hurry)!

For all the latest updates, remember to follow ESL CS on Twitter and Facebook.

]]> https://esl.com/pl/article/it-will-be-a-historical-moment-and-a-successful-journey-for-both-the-winning-team-and-esl-we-chat-to-guardian-about-the-intel-grand-slam/feed/ 0 ESL Pro League Season 7 by the numbers https://esl.com/pl/article/esl-pro-league-season-7-by-the-numbers/ https://esl.com/pl/article/esl-pro-league-season-7-by-the-numbers/#respond Wed, 20 Jun 2018 14:27:28 +0000 https://esl.com/blog/2018/06/esl-pro-league-season-7-by-the-numbers/ We look back at Season 7.

]]> Great games, amazing fans and an incredible atmosphere – the ESL Pro League Season 7 Finals in Dallas. After a week full of gripping esports, the six day long competition concluded with the Danes from Astralis claiming the coveted trophy in a 3-1 win over the North American Team Liquid, despite their home-court advantage. On top of taking home $250,000, Astralis are also catching up to SK Gaming and FaZe by secured their second Intel® Grand Slam trophy and thereby getting closed to bagging the $1 million bonus prize purse.

On top of the impressive performances, the ESL Pro League also expanded its range by bolstering its lineup with the best teams from South America and the Asia-Pacific region.

“We are very happy to have brought another Pro League Season Final to Dallas, which is well known as the home of competitive Counter-Strike,” said Ulrich Schulze, Senior Vice President of Product at ESL. “The geographical expansion did not only gave new teams a chance to participate in the competition but also fostered the growth of our our viewership in the Asia-Pacific region. We are looking forward to what the next Pro League season brings.”

Asia’s increased interest in CS:GO Pro League is reflected in its viewership numbers. Overall, Season 7 recorded a growth of 10,2% in concurrent online viewers compared to previous season, peaking at 691,000, thanks in large part due to growth in China and South East Asia. The move to Facebook saw a significant increase in unique viewer count. Given the nature of the platform, a lot of new fans checked out the live streams when browsing through their timeline. Overall we saw some movement in viewership from the English and Portuguese language streams to the wide variety of local language streams for Pro League.

This resulted in 42,4% more views than Season 6 and over 118 million video views in total. Overall video consumption came in at 18 million hours of content, coming from 44 live streams in 22 languages across seven digital platforms including Facebook, Twitch, YouTube, Mixer, Znipe, Caffeine and Huomao.

And even more CS:GO looms on the horizon. The CS:GO Pro League will return on October 2, 2018 for Season 8 as the best teams will compete for a period of five weeks for their share of another US $1 million prize pool. All matches will be streamed exclusively via Facebook in English and Portuguese every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. To stay up to date on all information about the upcoming season, visit the official CS:GO Pro League website and follow ESL CS on Twitter and Facebook.

]]> https://esl.com/pl/article/esl-pro-league-season-7-by-the-numbers/feed/ 0 The ESL Pro League Season 7 champions have been crowned https://esl.com/pl/article/the-esl-pro-league-season-7-champions-have-been-crowned/ https://esl.com/pl/article/the-esl-pro-league-season-7-champions-have-been-crowned/#respond Tue, 12 Jun 2018 13:26:35 +0000 https://esl.com/blog/2018/06/the-esl-pro-league-season-7-champions-have-been-crowned/ See how the tournament unfolded.

]]> After seven weeks of online, and six days of LAN play, the season 7 champions of ESL Pro League have been crowned. A total of 16 teams from regions across the world competed, but in the end it was Astralis who bested all of their opponents, lifted the coveted trophy in the Verizon Theatre, and claimed a lion’s share of the US$1,000,000, as well as a win counting towards the Intel Grand Slam.

Groups

Group A


Click to enlarge

Group B


Click to enlarge

Playoffs

Quarterfinals

Team Liquid vs. mousesports 2-0

FaZe Clan vs. SK Gaming 2-0

Semifinals

Natus Vincere vs. Team Liquid 0-2

Astralis vs. Faze Clan 2-0

Grand final

Team Liquid vs. Astralis 3-1

Tournament highlights

Thank you

Thank you to all of the teams, players, broadcast crew, event crew, and fans for another amazing season of ESL Pro League! We will be back in a couple of months with season 8.

In the meantime, be sure to check out our upcoming CS:GO events: ESL One Belo Horizonte powered by Intel, ESL One Cologne powered by Intel, and ESL One New York powered by Intel – be sure to join us if you can!

Until then, follow ESL CS on Twitter and Facebook for all the latest updates.

]]> https://esl.com/pl/article/the-esl-pro-league-season-7-champions-have-been-crowned/feed/ 0