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4 Posts
Original AfreecaTV Post: https://bj.afreecatv.com/afgsl/post/82678868
AfreecaTV have announced the schedule and format for the 2022 Global StarCraft II League Tour. 2022 will introduce huge changes to GSL Code S, with the classic tournament adopting a 20-player format that includes a round-robin group stage. Also, only two Super Tournaments will be held, down from three in 2021.
The overall prize money has stayed almost exactly the same at $430,000 compared to 2021's $430,800. Full details for GSL 2022 have not been announced, but going by currently available information, it seems that the number of Code S broadcast days and matches will remain roughly the same as 2021.
![[image loading]](/staff/Waxangel/GSL/2022/gslplan1.jpg)
![[image loading]](/staff/Waxangel/GSL/2022/gslprize.png)
The distribution of ESL Pro Tour Korea points will be announced at a later date.
Schedule:- Match days: Monday and Thursday at 09:30 GMT (+00:00)
- 2022 GSL Season 1: March 21 - May 5
- 2022 GSL Season 2: June 6 - July 21
- 2022 GSL Season 3: August 22 - October 13
- 2022 GSL Super Tournament Season 1: January 17-27
- 2022 GSL Super Tournament Season 2: November 28 - December 8
![[image loading]](/staff/Waxangel/GSL/2022/gslplan2.jpg)
GSL Code S features the most drastic changes ever in the history of the tournament. Code A has been removed once more, and the GSL will begin in the Code S round-of-20.
Round-of-20: 5 standard GSL-style groups; top 2 players from each group advance (10 players total).
Round-of-10: Players are divided into 2 groups of 5 players each, with each group playing a full round robin (best-of-3 matches). A 5-player round-robin requires 10 matches to complete, so it appears that each group will be played out over 2 days with 5 matches per day.
The 1st place players from each group move directly to the semifinals (RO4). The 2nd and 3rd place players from each group move on to the newly created Round-of-6. The 4th and 5th place players from each group are eliminated.
Round-of-6: This can be thought of as a 'half' GSL-style group that skips the two initial matches. Match 1 is effectively the winners' match, Match 2 is the losers' match, and Match 3 is the elimination/decider match.
- Match 1 - Group A 2nd place vs Group B 2nd place: Winner advances to the RO4, loser gets a second chance in match 3.
- Match 2: Group A 3rd place vs Group B 3rd place: Winner advances to match 3, loser is eliminated.
- Match 3: Match 1 loser vs Match 2 winner: Winner advances to the RO4, loser is eliminated.
Round-of-4: Semifinal matches have been reduced from best-of-7 to best-of-5. It is yet unknown if this means that the entire RO4 is consolidated to one broadcast day.
Grand Finals: Remains the same as a best-of-seven.
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I definitively did not expect such a big format change. The RO10 being a round-robin feels completely different, players will not be able to prepare all the matches as well as they used to. I like it, let's see how big of a change it is.
It is nice that the price pool remains the same.
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I love the round robin ro10 but dislike the switch to bo5 semis. It seems inconsistent since round robin should decrease volatility but the bo5 semis will increase it. I wonder what the reason for that is. Even if they wanted to decrease the semis to a single day broadcast two bo7s is still a lower # of potential games compared to a 4 player GSL group with dual tournament format. GSL group is 10-15 games. Two bo7s is 8-14.
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Ro4 BO5 sucks
Otherwise everything else looks good
Gonna miss the group selection  I dont see how there can be one in this format
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Interesting gap in prize earned from runner-up to champion.
Apparently 200% the prize wasn't enough of a jump before, now it almost triples 
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France13011 Posts
On January 19 2022 07:27 Kelazhur wrote:Interesting gap in prize earned from runner-up to champion. Apparently 200% the prize wasn't enough of a jump before, now it almost triples
They noted that protoss players won too much money in 2021 so they don’t want that anymore? 
soO isn’t there either
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i like that they got rid of code A, and 20 players will play in the groups now instead of 16
not sure about the round robin, especially as each group will be played over 2 days
don't like the bo5 semifinals
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Canada17708 Posts
I am so pumped for another season of GSL! We need to get in good with M$. Let's rename name this thing the Steve Ballmer Cup!
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Czech Republic12132 Posts
So, quaterfinals(eh) are now BO3. wooo, let's celebrate randomness of SC2. And Semis are BO5, at least that's something viable.
RO10 with round robin of BO3s is just, no. That's just bad.
This just screams money saving.
Also - will the player be punished again if they give up to play useless round robin matches? Because this may happen, happened before.
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United States33665 Posts
On January 19 2022 07:15 ShowTheLights wrote:Ro4 BO5 sucks Otherwise everything else looks good Gonna miss the group selection I dont see how there can be one in this format
I think they can still do a draft-style selection for the RO10. Just take turns drafting players between the two groups. They could do it between two "captains," or just have the drafted player pick next like they did before.
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United States33665 Posts
On January 19 2022 08:56 deacon.frost wrote:
This just screams money saving..
I don't think that's the case for Code S, because if you estimate the # of match days based on the schedule/format, it's either exactly the same # of days as before at 12 (that's including Code A), or one less at 11 (if the RO4 is played in one day). There's actually MORE possible games played in this format as well.
They did cut a Super Tournament and spread the prize money elsewhere, which is saving 4 days of of broadcast costs.
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Czech Republic12132 Posts
On January 19 2022 09:01 Waxangel wrote:Show nested quote +On January 19 2022 08:56 deacon.frost wrote:
This just screams money saving.. I don't think that's the case for Code S, because if you estimate the # of match days based on the schedule/format, it's either exactly the same # of days as before at 12 (that's including Code A), or one less at 11 (if the RO4 is played in one day). There's actually MORE possible games played in this format as well. They did cut a Super Tournament and spread the prize money elsewhere, which is saving 4 days of of broadcast costs.
Well, do we have confirmed the RO10 groups have 4 studio days together? Because they may let them play it in one day and then cast remaining games from replays. I am not expecting this, just saying it's an ugly possibility.
Editus> I believe Stay at HomeStory Cup did that with Korean matches, they played earlier and then were casted later from replays, but the tournament may have been different one.
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United States33665 Posts
On January 19 2022 09:09 deacon.frost wrote:Show nested quote +On January 19 2022 09:01 Waxangel wrote:On January 19 2022 08:56 deacon.frost wrote:
This just screams money saving.. I don't think that's the case for Code S, because if you estimate the # of match days based on the schedule/format, it's either exactly the same # of days as before at 12 (that's including Code A), or one less at 11 (if the RO4 is played in one day). There's actually MORE possible games played in this format as well. They did cut a Super Tournament and spread the prize money elsewhere, which is saving 4 days of of broadcast costs. Well, do we have confirmed the RO10 groups have 4 studio days together? Because they may let them play it in one day and then cast remaining games from replays. I am not expecting this, just saying it's an ugly possibility. Editus> I believe Stay at HomeStory Cup did that with Korean matches, they played earlier and then were casted later from replays, but the tournament may have been different one.
Each tournament has 14+ match days allotted according to the schedule, so I'm inclined to believe that it will be similar to the 2021 tourneys when you take out random international tourney breaks/holidays.
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On January 19 2022 07:27 Kelazhur wrote:Interesting gap in prize earned from runner-up to champion. Apparently 200% the prize wasn't enough of a jump before, now it almost triples
Yeah we want to keep sponsoring Rogue, Maru, and Trap for life, right? Screw the other guys, they can fight for ESL cups.
I'd argue the absurdly top heavy prize pool is the worst change. Round robin is interesting, but if each player only plays one person that day it's fine, since they can prep each match.
Bo3 in Quarters and Bo5 in Semis is objectively bad, but whatever.
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On January 19 2022 08:56 deacon.frost wrote:
So, quaterfinals(eh) are now BO3. wooo, let's celebrate randomness of SC2. And Semis are BO5, at least that's something viable.
RO10 with round robin of BO3s is just, no. That's just bad.
This just screams money saving.
Also - will the player be punished again if they give up to play useless round robin matches? Because this may happen, happened before.
Bo3 round robin is objectively far less volatile than single elim bo5. Your second concern is valid and I always assumed it's been the reason we haven't seen round robin more often in SC2 because it is a superior format to single elim in every other way.
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I kinda like the robin rounds as we can see some weird preparation between day one and two of the group, definitely don't like bo5 ro4, makes gsl ro4 kind of not so important (at least feels less important)
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Creative format. Like the dual elimination format for RO20 and RO6. The RO10 round robin is fine except for being stretched over 2 days (very ESL-ish foreign tourney weekender feel). BO5 for SF is a regression to the weekender style. Overall, still a refreshing change - a hybrid model which keeps the best of GSL and foreigner worlds.
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Where did they get the money for this?
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I like the sound of trying something different
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Czech Republic12132 Posts
On January 19 2022 10:16 JJH777 wrote:Show nested quote +On January 19 2022 08:56 deacon.frost wrote:
So, quaterfinals(eh) are now BO3. wooo, let's celebrate randomness of SC2. And Semis are BO5, at least that's something viable.
RO10 with round robin of BO3s is just, no. That's just bad.
This just screams money saving.
Also - will the player be punished again if they give up to play useless round robin matches? Because this may happen, happened before. Bo3 round robin is objectively far less volatile than single elim bo5. Your second concern is valid and I always assumed it's been the reason we haven't seen round robin more often in SC2 because it is a superior format to single elim in every other way.
GSL wasn't single elimination tourney though in the group stages, so the argument is moot and BO5 utilizes 5 out of 7 maps of the current map pool with a time for preparation, it's the least volatile system, especially considering we will see all the same 3 maps over and over again because the rest is imbalanced tragedy(usually)
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EPT
