ESL announce Pro League changes

21-4-2016 17:28

ESL have announced important changes to the format of their marquee Pro League, including a slot expansion and relegation changes.

With Season 3 of the ESL Pro League winding down and with its $512,000 finals in London fast approaching, ESL have looked into adjusting the format of the league overall in order to accommodate the growing list of competitive teams in CS:GO.

In a new announcement released today, the German-based organisation mention that the next season of the Pro League will have 14 slots instead of 12 slots in order to make space for a growing slate of high profile teams; the increased amount of regular season slots will also mean more participants in the Season 4 finals, about which information is still forthcoming.

ESL have changed the relegation system for Pro League Season 4

Due to the slot expansion, ESL will implement a new relegation system effective immediately:

Teams ranked 1 to 11 will keep their Pro League slot for the next season
The team ranked 12 will go to relegation and play against team ranked 2 in the Premier Division
The team ranked 1 in the Premier Division will be automatically promoted to the Pro League
The last free slot will go to one wildcard team per division

The changes to relegation will undoubtedly have a strong effect on the current season of the Pro League, as both teams in danger of relegation and teams doing well in ESEA Premier fight to retain a spot in the million dollar league.

stich writes for HLTV.org and can be found on Twitter

1st n00bs

2016-04-21 17:29

12 replies

fak

4 replies

ez for ENCE

3 replies

Ence is actually 1st of Premier, do they have to win the Premier-lan thing to qualify?

2016-04-21 17:42

2 replies

Yes, of course. The team that wins the Premier LAN is the first place team of Premier... Placing first in the regular season isn't the end of the league. The regular season is a qualifier to the LAN playoffs which determine which teams advance.

2016-04-21 17:52

They got direct semi-final position into that LAN. Nothing else benefit from being 1-2 in league phase. I would still say that ENCE might have good chance to get that wildcard if they don't manage to win LAN (which is unlikely). Mainly beacause Finland has one strong fan base for CS:GO, but not currently addressed as audience in these big leagues.. also allu has fans in many other countries as well.

2016-04-21 19:50

How much did VP pay ESL for these rules all of a sudden?

5 replies

None i think its probably tsm. And the surge of brazilian popularity. They cant let ts choke during playoffs.

2016-04-21 17:34

In your scenario and old rules Tempo would have been in Pro league no matter they went 16-0 and was 1st place. This is all about saving VP from auto-relegation and give them a chance to play themselves back in. Pending now they dont fuck that up against the 2nd place premier team in EU

2016-04-21 17:40

1 reply

you right but you know its all about money and viewers and with VP they have about half million more visitors and viewers!

2016-04-21 18:36

EXACTLY!!!!

2016-04-21 18:33

Probably less than Renegades and Faze paid them to change the rules last year.

2016-04-22 00:17

Big difference it will make. 4 teams will actually compete and rest will throw for skins for valve and self.

Looks good

2016-04-21 17:28

6 replies

Virtus Pro got saved by ESL. This company changes the rules whenever something unexpected happens

Carmac can't stand his home team not being in the Pro League.

2016-04-21 17:32

its money and VP= half million viewers its a lot of money with this group of ppl without esl can close !

2016-04-21 18:38

Yep, look what happened with Denial before, that season they decided to have it be a BO3 of the last Pro team vs the top Premier team, but now it's the second instead, which started the season after Denial died. Pretty pathetic.

2016-04-21 19:33

10/10 bet that TSM is going to get that wildcard spot too lol

2016-04-22 02:04

they done it cause vp on last sport and they 99%relegated

2016-04-21 17:30

15rd

oooooo

nice gj

yolo

ayy

RIP Virtus.Premier

kool

first

nice

ez for ence

fisrt

rip witmer

Virtus.Pro saved

VP SAVED

VP saved

1st

dat luck @virtus :>

RIGGED, THEY DONT WANT VP RELEGATED

they dont want envy to be relegated

2016-04-21 21:08

vp comeback

nice china nice tyloo nice cbz·

really nice news tbh

Everything to save VP's spot haha

GODSENT wildcard or gtfo

2016-04-21 18:19

how much did VP pay for this

Pasha's muscles

Hehehe, VP saved. Ty Mr ESL

Just so VP don't get relegated instantly to Premier :D

how to keep vp in pro League

Expected.

Gambit ez

yea Save noob polaks more

how much vp

LMAO! All to save Virtus.Pro from straight relegation they change the rules. Too funny, also helps Envyus, Faze, SK, F3, Mouz

2016-04-21 17:33

expand LAN spots for EU, ty

noo I wanted to see VP in Premier

carmac couldnt bear to see VP relegated

2016-04-21 17:31

How much did VP pay them ? Not to be auto relegated ?

so does this mean VP stays?

VP stays if they win vs nr 2 in premier division

2016-04-21 23:14

ik it's ez

2016-04-21 23:30

carmac with the clutch, saving VP

VP LOL

Ocean just needs to get his troops ready for the relegation match. In the end, win or lose, the odeag always wins.

Anyone suprised? Carmac is biggest vp fanboy Fucking shit esl

GO EPSiLON

VP from already relegated to get a chance to play off to stay on the Pro League. Much corrupt just like FIFA lol

2016-04-21 17:35

They are saving VP's ass or VP will play next season in premier? I think VP must play a season in Premier cuz they earned it, back stronger later. Saving them like this makes no sense.

2016-04-21 17:36

How about changing the tournament format you monkey brains lmao

2016-04-21 17:38

- The last free slot will go to one wildcard team per division Putting the INVITE back in INVITE :D

Carmac saving the Polacks! Thank you mr.Carmac you the real M"VP"

2016-04-21 17:44

dirty russian money thats all, VP is not my team anymore only HR and oskar <3. Virtus Pro buy NIKO and Oskar don't pump money into these polish oldmans

2016-04-21 17:45

Just to keep VP in ayy

2016-04-21 17:47

lolol saved VP

2016-04-21 17:48

Last slot wildcard team inb4 > virtus.premier wildcarded 4Head

2016-04-21 17:58

ESL Pro league need open asian season

2016-04-21 18:11

LMAO :DDD We have wondered for weeks how ESL is gonna keep Virtus alive and here they come :DDD Thank Mr. Carmac 14 teams will mean even more matches and most of them being completely irrelevant since only 4 make it to the finals. ESL should send the top 2 directly to the finals, while top 3-6 battle it out...

2016-04-21 18:21

"the increased amount of regular season slots will also mean more participants in the Season 4 finals, about which information is still forthcoming."

2016-04-21 18:29

Didn't see that, ty

2016-04-21 18:30

VP still out theyre the last in epl

2016-04-21 18:17

Lol did VP pay ESL for this?? :DDD

VP and TSM have ESL in their pockets.

2016-04-21 18:20

noo I wanted to see virtus premier

So basically possible that vp lose relegation match and they still can get a wildcard xD Nice rules Srarmack

2016-04-21 18:22

ez 4 ence

2016-04-21 18:24

called it. not like it was hard to predict tho...

I wanted to see VP in Premier but wathever

2016-04-21 18:34

NA versus EU lan slot distribution should be the real change imo

2016-04-21 18:37

It's ridiculous! VP...accept ur relegation and pay it... another team pay for u? Play more and dont go have relegation, ur fail!

2016-04-21 18:39

I really wanted to see VP in the lower league, damn you ESL...

2016-04-21 18:57

how much did virtus pro pay to change the rules? :D

2016-04-21 19:51

1st!

2016-04-21 19:52

So in other words, this renders all tonigths matches useless rigth booring, why watch this boring shit all this competition just to end in a fucking boring way were everyone gets to stay, what the fuck is this fucking boring shit, please kill yourselves idiots. how fucking pathetic is this boring shit. just changing the rules on the fly. thanks for making this league exciting ESL.

2016-04-21 20:42

Does anyone know when the premier league lan is? I'm interested because of ence and I also have to write lots of crap because of high spam score :)

2016-04-21 21:44

just like last season, esea makes bullshit last second relegation rule changes this is as dumb as the fact that they have only two Pro League seasons so premier can only move up twice despite they have to play 3 seasons this year

2016-04-21 21:58

even if VP would drop down to premier, they would just skip one season and then get wild card invite anyway. im not so sure ESL cares that much about VP to change rules just for them. I might be wrong tho

2016-04-21 23:09