EPT
In 2015, StarCraft II WCS will consist of three primary leagues, each running three seasons: a new, unified WCS Premier League and two global individual leagues in Korea. WCS Europe, WCS America and other eligible countries and regions will merge into a single WCS Premier League with dedicated slots for players from different regions. In Korea, the GSL returns along with a new individual league from SPOTV Games and both will be open to players from around the world who want to take on the challenge of competing in the “Capital of eSports”.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/pRAeQUT.jpg)
- Regional Qualifier matches will be played Online
- Regional Challenger matches will be played Online
- Premier League RO32 Group Stage will be played onsite at the ESL Studios. Four groups will be played in the ESL Burbank studio in the US, and four groups will be played in the ESL Cologne studio in Germany.
- The 16 Players advancing from the RO32 will be compete onsite at a live venue location for the Season Finals event.
Blizzard had previously announced significant changes to the WCS system through region locking and prize money redistribution. Details of region locking available in spoiler below:
+ Show Spoiler +
WCS Premier League Residency Requirements
In order to compete in the WCS Premier League, all participants must be a resident of a country within the home regions for regional qualifiers into WCS Challenger. All participants in WCS will be required to verify their Battle.net account and proof of residency:
Eligible countries and regions:
Europe, Africa, Middle East
North America (USA, Canada)
China
Latin America
Oceania, Southeast Asia
Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau
*For eligibility inquiries regarding countries not listed above, you can contact esportsteam@blizzard.com
Battle.net account verification:
The country of residence in each player’s Battle.net account must show an eligible country within the region they wish to compete before the season begins.
The player’s BattleTag must match those of their public persona and be pre-approved by tournament administrators.
Participants are required to play all tournaments and ladder games from the country listed on the account during the tournament season. Blizzard will check IP connections at its discretion.
Participants that need to travel outside of their country of residence during the tournament will be required to provide details to Blizzard for review.
Proof of residency verification:
Eligibility for Citizens: If the player is a citizen of an eligible country for the WCS Premier League, the player must provide a copy of a valid photo ID with a current address within the country.
Examples of acceptable identification
Government-issued drivers license
Military photo identification card
Passport
Health card with photo (Canada, Australia, New Zealand)
Voter registration card with photo (Mexico)
Health card (Denmark)
Young Scot Card (Scotland)
Family book (Spain)
Bank card with owner’s signature and picture on reverse (Norway/Sweden)
Examples of non-acceptable identification
Expired identification
School-issued photo identification card
Gym membership card
Library card
Public transportation cards
Private ID cards
Eligibility for non-Citizens: If the player is a foreign resident of an eligible country for the WCS Premier League, the player must submit a copy of their passport along with a valid resident visa for the eligible country for an evaluation of their residency status. The visa must be acquired before the start of the qualifiers and is only considered valid if it allows the player to stay in the region, work in the region, and earn prize money in the region.
Examples of acceptable identification
Professional athlete visa
Work visa
Student visa
Examples of non-acceptable identification
Expired visa
Working holiday visa
General tourist/visitor visa
In order to compete in the WCS Premier League, all participants must be a resident of a country within the home regions for regional qualifiers into WCS Challenger. All participants in WCS will be required to verify their Battle.net account and proof of residency:
Eligible countries and regions:
Europe, Africa, Middle East
North America (USA, Canada)
China
Latin America
Oceania, Southeast Asia
Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau
*For eligibility inquiries regarding countries not listed above, you can contact esportsteam@blizzard.com
Battle.net account verification:
The country of residence in each player’s Battle.net account must show an eligible country within the region they wish to compete before the season begins.
The player’s BattleTag must match those of their public persona and be pre-approved by tournament administrators.
Participants are required to play all tournaments and ladder games from the country listed on the account during the tournament season. Blizzard will check IP connections at its discretion.
Participants that need to travel outside of their country of residence during the tournament will be required to provide details to Blizzard for review.
Proof of residency verification:
Eligibility for Citizens: If the player is a citizen of an eligible country for the WCS Premier League, the player must provide a copy of a valid photo ID with a current address within the country.
Examples of acceptable identification
Government-issued drivers license
Military photo identification card
Passport
Health card with photo (Canada, Australia, New Zealand)
Voter registration card with photo (Mexico)
Health card (Denmark)
Young Scot Card (Scotland)
Family book (Spain)
Bank card with owner’s signature and picture on reverse (Norway/Sweden)
Examples of non-acceptable identification
Expired identification
School-issued photo identification card
Gym membership card
Library card
Public transportation cards
Private ID cards
Eligibility for non-Citizens: If the player is a foreign resident of an eligible country for the WCS Premier League, the player must submit a copy of their passport along with a valid resident visa for the eligible country for an evaluation of their residency status. The visa must be acquired before the start of the qualifiers and is only considered valid if it allows the player to stay in the region, work in the region, and earn prize money in the region.
Examples of acceptable identification
Professional athlete visa
Work visa
Student visa
Examples of non-acceptable identification
Expired visa
Working holiday visa
General tourist/visitor visa
Source: http://wcs.battle.net/sc2/en/articles/2015-starcraft-ii-world-championship-series
TL;DR
WCS 2015 Summary
In summary, the 2015 StarCraft II World Championship Series will feature:
- A unified WCS Premier league with residency requirements
- Two global premier leagues in Korea: GSL by GOM eXP and SPOTV Games Individual League
- Updated WCS Global Events requirements for partner tournaments
- As before, the world’s best StarCraft II pros will compete in these leagues and global events to earn cash prizes and WCS points to bolster their individual rankings. We’ll continue to broadcast all of these top-level StarCraft II eSports competitions, and the entire system will climax at an exciting year-end championship tournament featuring the top-ranked players.
In summary, the 2015 StarCraft II World Championship Series will feature:
- A unified WCS Premier league with residency requirements
- Two global premier leagues in Korea: GSL by GOM eXP and SPOTV Games Individual League
- Updated WCS Global Events requirements for partner tournaments
- As before, the world’s best StarCraft II pros will compete in these leagues and global events to earn cash prizes and WCS points to bolster their individual rankings. We’ll continue to broadcast all of these top-level StarCraft II eSports competitions, and the entire system will climax at an exciting year-end championship tournament featuring the top-ranked players.
