GSTL & GSL - Back with new format and more fun!

The Format

• GSTL will be broadcasted twice a week on Thursday and Friday
  
• 12 teams will be participating. The league will be divided into two groups
  
• Groups that play on Thursdays will be in the Jupiter league and groups that play on Fridays will be in the Venus league. *In Korea, Thursday is called the day of Jupiter and Friday is called the day of Venus.
  
• The Jupiter League includes: SlayerS, TSL, oGs, MVP, PRIME, F.United
  
• The Venus League includes: IM, StarTale, fOu, Zenex, NS, FXOpen e-Sports
  
• Each team will play every team of its group once, this process will take 10 weeks.
  
• This group stage will be called the “Pennant Race”
  
• Once the Pennant Race is over, the top 3 teams from each group will advance to the Play-offs
  
• Ranking will be decided using the following factors in order: Number of Wins -> Number of Set Losses -> If two teams have same number of wins and set losses, the winner of the two from the pennant race match will receive a higher ranking -> Number of Warnings Received
  
• The Pennant Race will be best Bo7, Play-offs and finals Bo9. “King of the hill”-type format.
  
• The Play-offs will be played out as follows:

The Prizes*

• 1st: 30,000,000KRW (~20,000EUR, 28,000USD)
  
• 2nd: 15,000,000KRW (~10,000EUR, 14,000USD)
  
• Coach award: 5,000,000KRW (~3,200EUR, 4,500USD)
  

*Prize money distribution not confirmed yet, will be updated accordingly.
Approximate EUR and USD amounts according to Google on 2011/06/15


Schedule

Note that TSL.Rain has forfeited, this means that noone from Group A can drop down to the Up and Down matches (since only 4th place does, and Rain is 4th place by default).

Code S

oGsSuperNoVa
oGsTOP
oGsNaDa
oGsEnsnare
oGsInCa
oGsMC
oGsZenio
TSL.Clide
TSL.aLive
TSL.KiLLeR
TSL.TricksteR
TSL.FruitDealer
Polt.Prime
MarineKing.Prime
anypro.Prime
HongUn.Prime
MVP.Keen
MVP.Genius
MVP.Violet
ST.Virus
ST.Bomber
ST.July
IM.MVP
IM.NesTea
IM.LosirA
ZeNEX.Byun
ZeNEX.CoCa
ZeNEX.Kyrix
Liquid'HuK
sC.fOu
SlayerS_Alicia

Forfeit: TSL.Rain

Code A

Players who qualified through Code A preliminaries:

IMHappy
IMYoda
oGsHero
oGsJ
MVP_TAiLS
GuMihofOu
ShinyStar
NSHoSeo_Tassadar
ZeNEXPuzzle
DreamMVP
LeenockfOu
choyafOu
NuclearfOu
FOXSocceR
ST_Curious
FXOSheth (seeded)


Players who already were in Code A or dropped down from Code S:

NSHoSeo_san
IMNuts
NSHoSeo_Vanvanth
CreatorPrime.WE
oGsTheWinD
CheckPrime.WE
SlayerS_YuGiOh
SlayerS_Min
SlayerS_Ryung
ST_Rainbow
oGsHyperdub
SlayerS_MMA
FOXLyn
SlayerS_BoxeR
MVP_Noblesse
Liquid'Jinro

The GSL is divided into two leagues, Code S and Code A. They can be thought of as a major and minor league. The best of the best are competing in Code S for the title of GSL champion. In order to reach Code S, players have to go through Code A and then face the lowest Code S finishers in relegation matches, called the Up & Down matches, to determine who will get promoted and demoted.


Code S

• 32 players are participating
  
• Players are divided into 8 groups of 4 players
  
• The groups will be played out in a ‘Dual Tournament’ format, a system that Starcraft 1 fans will be familiar with
  
• The 4 players of each group are split into two pairs and play each other.
  
• The winners of these matches will then face each other in the ‘Winner’s match’. The victor advances to the playoffs (Round of 16)
  
• The losers of the initial matches face each other in the ‘Loser’s match’. The loser will be out and will have to go through the Up&Down matches after the tournament, to determine if he can stay in Code S.
  
• The loser of the Winner’s match and the winner of the Loser’s match will face each other. The winner advances to the playoffs. The loser is out but stays in Code S.
  
• After the group stage is over, 16 players remain. Players who finished first in their group will be paired against players who finished second in a different group.
  
• The rest of Code S is played out in a regular single elimination tournament mode
  
• Ro16 is Best of 3. Ro8 and Semifinals are Best of 5. Finals are Best of 7.
  
• 1st: 50,000,000KRW (~32,000EUR, 46,000USD)
  
• 2nd: 20,000,000KRW (~13,000EUR, 18,500USD)
  
• Ro4: 5,000,000KRW (~3,200EUR, 4,500USD)
  
• Ro8: 3,000,000KRW (~1,900EUR, 2,800USD)
  
• Ro16: 2,000,000KRW (~1,300EUR, 1,850USD)
  
• Ro32: 1,500,000KRW (~1,000EUR, 1,400USD)
  

Code A

• 32 players are participating
  
• These players consist of: Top16 finishers of the previous Code A Tournament, players who got demoted from Code S, players who qualified through the preliminaries and players who have received direct seeds through the MLG league exchange or other events.
  
• Code A is played out in single elimination tournament mode
  
• The losers in the Ro32 will lose their Code A status
  
• Ro32 – Ro8 are Best of 3. Ro4 is Best of 5, Finals are Best of 7.
  
• 1st: 1,500,000KRW (~1,000EUR, 1,400USD)
  
• 2nd: 1,000,000KRW (~650EUR, 930USD)
  
• Ro4: 800,000KRW (~510EUR, 740USD)
  
• Ro8: 600,000KRW (~380EUR, 550USD)
  
• Ro16: 400,000KRW (~255EUR, 370USD)
  
• Ro32: 200,000KRW (~130EUR, 185USD)
  

Up&Down Matches

• Code A Winner will automatically advance to Code S without going through Up & Down Match
  
• MLG Winner will receive a GSL Code S seed for the following month. (Even if the winner is a Korean player, the seed will be provided). If the winner turns down the Code S seed or is already a Code S player then the runner-up will be given the seed.
  
• Code S 4th Place Players (8) + Code A Top 7 = 15 players
  
• Players will be divided into 3 groups of 5.
  
• One group per day will be broadcasted. Each group’s 1st and 2nd Place will advance to Code S.
  

Schedule

Note: In the first week, from June 27 to July 1, Code A will be broadcasted every day at 04:10 GMT (+00:00). On the first day, June 27, Code A will also be broadcasted at 09:10 GMT (+00:00). Code A Ro32 and Ro16 will be finished in the first week. Every match will be broadcasted live.

2010 September – December
- 2010.10.02 - Fruitdealer dominates the Open Season 1 and takes home 100,000,000 KRW
- 2010.10.12 - Fruitdealer receives a special tribute present by the Blizzard Design Team
- 2010.10.19 - Boxer participates in Open Season 2 and draws an insane amount of viewers
- 2010.11.12 - NesTea defeats MarineKing 4:3 in an epic final series. A Star is born.
- 2010.12.18 - Jinro reaches the Semifinals in Open Season 3, but loses to MC, the eventual winner

2011 January
- 2010.12.15 - The Global Starcraft II League is born, Code A and Code S system is introduced
- 2010.12.18 - Our planned schedule for the complete 2011 GSL Tour is announced
- 2011.01.15 - The first GSTL is announced, draws amazing attention and becomes an instant hit
- 2011.01.29 - MVP wins GSL January, Marineking comes 2nd once again

2011 February
- 2011.02.10 - Team Incredible Miracle (IM) wins the first GSTL in an epic 9 set series vs Startale

2011 March
- 2011.03.19 - MC wins GSL March and is now a two time GSL champion. July comes in 2nd
- 2011.03.24 - SlayerS beat the reigning champion IM in GSTL March. MMA snipes MVP in Ace
- 2011.03.28 - GSL World Championship - The Korean and World Allstars duke it out - VODs are free.

2011 April
- 2011.04.05 - GOM Player for Mac (beta) is released
- 2011.04.06 - GOMTV.net now with a ‘Records’ section. Stats for all GSL players and matches
- 2011.04.11 - The community donates over 30.000$ through GOMTV.net for the Japanese Red Cross

2011 May
- 2011.05.04 - GSL is now also available in China
- 2011.05.13 - GSL and MLG announce their player exchange program
- 2011.05.14 - NesTea wins GSL Code S May convincingly and is now also a two time champion
- 2011.05.19 - SlayerS wins GSTL March in an unforgettable 9 set series against MVP
- 2011.05.28 - FXO decides to participate in the upcoming GSTL
- 2011.05.30 - GOMTV.net mobile page opens. GSL on iPhone, Android and other mobile devices