We're back in business, and we've also made sure the schedule is a little less hectic this time around. While it might seem almost impossible, we hope that this can elevate the standard of the maps we receive even further than last year.

Also, some important info: starting now, each year will feature one 1v1 map contest and one team map contest. While we don't have exact dates set for the next two contests, it's safe to assume it will be similar to the schedule we've been on this year.

Now get to mapmaking. Can't wait to see what the community comes up with this year!

Submission Phase

May 18th - July 3rd

Rules/Restrictions

• Maps can be submitted to one category only - 2v2, 3v3, or 4v4. Maps cannot be submitted to multiple categories.
• Rich Vespene Geysers, Inhibitor Zone Generators, Acceleration Zone Generators, and Reduced Mineral Fields can be utilized for this team map contest, but using these map features is not a requirement.
• Renegade Missile Turrets are temporarily on hold and will not be utilized for this contest.
• No custom textures or Force Fields.
• Rocks and collapsible structures use default HP values and cannot be modified.
• Individual mineral nodes and vespene geysers at bases must have default resource amounts and this value cannot be modified.
• No custom data on maps.
• When using air pathing blockers, avoid setting up zones that trap air units within them.

Suggestion on number of bases per map

Average number of bases for 2v2, 3v3, or 4v4 categories can vary. These are suggestions and not strict guidelines.

• 2v2 maps usually provide:
  • 5 bases per player, or
  • around 10 base locations total for one team.
• 3v3 maps usually provide:
  • 4 bases per player, or
  • around 12 base locations total for one team.
• 4v4 maps usually provide:
  • 3.5 bases per player, or
  • around 14 base locations total for one team.

Suggested map types for submissions

Please note that these are merely guidelines for creating a successful team map, and do not define the different categories. The finalists will be split into three categories — 2v2, 3v3, 4v4 — which does not take map type into consideration.

Fortress

• Description: All teammates can defend the same choke.
• Examples:
  • 2v2 Emerald City
  • 2v2 Arctic Gates
  • 2v2 Snowy Mesa
  • 2v2 Divergence
  • 2v2 Rhoskallian
  • 2v2 Heavy Artillery
  • 3v3 Whitewater Line
  • 3v3 Misty Swamp
  • 3v3 Bastion of the Conclave
  • 3v3 Jungle Depths
  • 4v4 Old Estate
  • 4v4 Last Impact

Semi-Fortress

• Description: There are multiple chokes and the team typically splits up to defend the chokes.
• Examples:
  • 2v2 Overgrown Facility
  • 2v2 Dusty Gorge
  • 3v3 Fields of Shazir
  • 3v3 Ujari
  • 3v3 Bone Temple
  • 3v3 Augustine Fall
  • 4v4 Rooftop Terrance
  • 4v4 Troizinia
  • 4v4 Sunset Valley
  • 4v4 Mementos
  • 4v4 Concord

Rush

• Description: Teammates can defend the same choke or multiple chokes but the rush distance from the player’s main starting ramp to opponent’s main starting ramp is short.
• Average Rush Distance: (main ramp to main ramp): 20-35 seconds. (Note: Not a hard restriction. Could be more or less.)
• Examples:
  • 2v2 Flooded City (Rush Fortress) 28 seconds rush time
  • 2v2 Magma Mines (Rush Fortress) 36 seconds rush time
  • 3v3 Rosebud (Rush Fortress) 35 seconds rush time
  • 3v3 Doraelus Hills (Rush Fortress) 25 seconds rush time
  • 3v3 Avalon Labs (Rush Fortress) 38 second rush time
  • 4v4 Multiprocessor (Rush Fortress) 32 seconds rush time
  • 4v4 Shipwrecked (Rush Fortress) 30 seconds rush time
  • 4v4 Last Remnant (Rush Fortress) 20 second rush time
  • 4v4 Asper Mountain (Rush Semi-Fortress) 22 seconds rush time
  • 4v4 Megaton (Rush Semi-Fortress) 35 seconds rush time

Open

• Description: Players start separated and do not share starting locations.
• Examples:
  • 2v2 Efflorescence
  • 2v2 Traitor’s Exile
  • 2v2 Shrines of Lizul
  • 3v3 Abandoned Camp
  • 3v3 Slaying Field
  • 4v4 Abandoned Parish
  • 4v4 Alaeni Enclave

TLnet Judging Phase

July 4th - July 12th

Once the maps have been submitted, they will be reviewed for quality and the remaining maps will be passed to representatives from the Team Liquid Strategy team and selected professional players/community figures for judging. If you are a team map connoisseur and would be interested in becoming a judge, PM us.

The judges will pick fifteen (15) finalist maps from the three categories to move on to the final voting stage:

• Five (5) 2v2 maps
• Five (5) 3v3 maps
• Five (5) 4v4 maps

As for the process of judging: the judges are presented only with the information about the map, and a unique identifier for that map. This means that the identifier is unique for every map, even if the mapmaker is the same. This makes it close to impossible to figure out whose map the judges are looking at.

Public Voting Phase

July 13 - July 20th

This is where you, the community, will have your say on what map(s) you liked the best. You will be able to vote for your favorites from the 15 maps who made the finals. The maps will be divided into the three categories mentioned above: 2v2, 3v3, 4v4.

Note that the public vote exists to determine the final placement of the maps. I.e. how much money each mapper will win. The public vote does not directly determine which maps makes it into the next season of ladder play. This should not discourage you. It's your chance to make your voice heard.

The final results will be announced the day after voting closes, the 21st of July.

Prize Distribution

Provided by Blizzard
Each of the top 15 will receive a prize of $50, and the winner of each category (2v2, 3v3, 4v4) will receieve an additional $450!

How To Submit

Note: Mappers will be limited to three(3) maps per category.

Please PM your map file(s) to TL Map Contest with the below format before July 4 2020 08:59 CEST. Please title your PMs with the name of the map and keep all submissions to one map per PM. We'll once again be asking mappers to submit more detailed information about their maps to ensure neither the judges nor the community misses any key features. Once your map has been received you will receive a PM back confirming that we have received it. If you have not received a reply within 24 hours, please contact us directly. We may also PM you back requesting missing information. Your entry has not officially been confirmed until any issues with the submission have been resolved.

If you want to submit a revisioned map for the contest before the end of submissions, please send us a reply in the original PM chain on TLnet. This to ensure there are no mixups in the submission process.

The map file has to contain:A short gameplay description. There is a field for it with a limit of 300 chars. Suggestion for what to include in this field can be seen in TLMC #12's finalists announcement.
The PM has to contain:
NEW FOR THIS CONTEST, PLEASE READ CAREFULLY!
There have been some confusion regarding how to submit maps. With the amount of maps coming in, we want to minimize the risks of something going wrong. We have therefore created a copy-pastable form you need to use when submitting.
Also note that any links must be DIRECT links to the map or image. We will not allow links to folders.

You can remove all text within parenteses below
Entries not in this format may be excluded from consideration. Please do not send questions to the 'TL Map Contest' account; contact TLMC organizer Julmust instead.

Submit your map

FAQ

Q: Do I need to send my map file, or will an image or a link to my map on Battle.net be enough?
We want the map file for this contest, so a link to Battle.net is not sufficient. There will be a huge number of maps to choose from, so we will need to open many of them up in order to check for details that we can't find otherwise. To send your maps, upload them to a file hosting service such as Mediafire or Dropbox and include the link in your entry.

Q: How do I attach a map file or image to a PM?
The TeamLiquid PM system does not support attachments. Instead, use an external image/file hoster such as Mediafire, Dropbox or Google drive for map files or Imgur for image files. Please sent those links along with your submission.

Q: Will the winning map automatically be added to the ladder map pool?
No. A list of the top maps will be submitted to Blizzard for consideration for use in ladder.

Q: Will any of the maps outside of the top 16 be included in the ladder map pool?
While there is a very small chance for this to happen, it is extremely rare.

Q: How crazy can my maps be?
Maps need to be ladder appropriate. This means that features requiring specialist knowledge (rising lava, geysers used to block ramps, etc.) will not be accepted. If your map passes that test and complies with the guidelines above then your map is acceptable! Of course, if you are concerned that your map may not be suitable for ladder then please PM us and we will tell you whether or not it is appropriate.

Q: I’m interested in the contest, but I’m horrible at map making. What can I do to support the mappers?
Post in their map threads and give them support, encouragement, and replays on their maps! Giving your favorite mapper support will be much appreciated by the mapper. Replays are especially valuable as it helps the mapper align their design goals with the map with the reality of how people play their map.

If you have any unanswered questions please do not hesitate to ask them below or PM us and we will be happy to answer them. Best of luck in the competition.