Fortune favors the bold, it is said.
In moving forward with striking changes, the face of collegiate eSports has taken on an entirely new and global guise. Today, the Collegiate Starleague is proud to announce that Azubu, the professional games media company, has entered the field with us as a partner and sponsor.
Today, the Collegiate Starleague and Azubu present:
Statement from Kevin Kwon, Global Esports Manager of Azubu:
"Here at Azubu, we are pleased to host the biggest collegiate league ever in the history of e-sports with the CSL. This is our first step into the collegiate league and we are very excited about the event. Our aim is to create a global collegiate association, called the GeCA (Global e-Sports Collegiate Association). We will not only focus on the professional leagues, but will also care for the amateurs as well, so that Azubu can become the soil for young potential gamers to grow. Some organizations believe that gaming can only bring harm to the users, but Azubu will show the good side of gaming and what games can do to help people; to that end, Azubu and the CSL have even more exciting events in store which will be announced in the near future."
CSL Collective Statement:
"We are very happy to be embarking on the next leg of our journey together with Azubu. We believe that this partnership will take us where we want to go, and allow us to support our community the way it deserves to be supported. We're looking forward to many amazing years and can't wait to begin the league and see which schools will rise to the top. "
No longer will the gladiators only be from colleges and universities in North America, but from around the world in Europe and Asia as well. Each region will follow the CSL format, but the stakes will be higher and the competition fiercer. Only the hungriest will survive and be able to call themselves global champions.
- Global league with regional tournaments for North America, Europe, and Asia (KR server) in StarCraft 2 AND League of Legends
- CSL format: group stage followed by top teams advancing to playoffs. NA season 5 playoff teams will be seeded to different divisions to prevent groups of death.
- Teams play two matches per week during the regular season
- Regular season matches will follow the Bo5 CSL format (three 1v1s, one 2v2, and one ace match) and the playoffs will follow the Bo7 CSL format (five 1v1s, one 2v2, and one ace match)
- Stay tuned for more information on League of Legends’ format
1st place: $40,000
2nd place: $20,000
3rd place: $10,000
4th place: $5,000
5-8th place: $1,000
9-16th place: $500
Oct 2: Registration opens - all regions and all games
Oct 2-25: Food for Thought: Tell us why your team should win an Azubu-sponsored pizza party!
Oct 28: FFT winners announced
Nov 1: Azubu Collegiate Champions, Rounds 1 and 2 begin
Nov-Dec: Teams will compete in TWO Bo5 matches per week on Saturdays or Sundays
Dec-Jan: Playoffs begin and teams compete in ONE Bo7 match per week on Sundays Only
Feb 23: Azubu Collegiate Champions GRAND FINALS held in Seoul, South Korea
The Grand Finals of Azubu Collegiate Champions
February 23rd, 2013
KINTEX in Seoul, South Korea
The finalists from StarCraft II and League of Legends will compete at the Grand Finals. Semi-finals between the top seeds (NA, NA, EU, and Asia) will be held online.
StarCraft II will be competing in a Bo5.
League of Legends will be competing in a Bo3.
For Full Information:
+ Show Spoiler +
http://www.cstarleague.com/news/49
The stakes are higher, and our rules reflect these changes. See our full updated rules HERE.
Some of the changes include, but are not limited to:
- Lineups are due earlier than in the previous season, giving teams more time to prepare for opponents. Saturday matches will be due Monday and Sunday matches due Tuesday.
Note: playoffs will default to Sunday matches every week, so prepare your schedules ahead of time for the change if applicable - Every set (except ace) is to be played simultaneously, and without observers. This is in order to both speed up play time to accommodate the change to 2 games a week as well prevent ghosting. Note: both teams may agree to allow observers/casters, but in doing so they will lose their right to contest a result based on ghosting or stream cheating.
- Teams are allowed 3 subs for the entire season (max 1 per match, both 2v2 players count as 1). Extra subs must be explicitly allowed by opponent and appropriately documented for proof.
- Disconnected players have 5 minutes to reconnect and 3 disconnections will automatically forfeit the set
- For 2v2 disconnected games, random players must re-pick the race rolled if opponent has seen their race
Registration opens October 2nd, 2012 for both games and all regions. Thanks to Azubu, there is no registration fee or split recreational-competitive division!
Instructions:
- Starting October 2nd, team coordinators will create and register their team at www.cstarleague.com.
- Each student will register an account on www.cstarleague.com AND www.AZUBU.com. We will verify student IDs and AZUBU IDs to ensure that all players comply.
- Students should request to join teams listed on www.cstarleague.com.
- To complete registration, each team must have a minimum of FIVE valid players, a Facebook group, and AZUBU accounts for each player. Note that the season will require 5 players, but the playoffs will require 7 players.
All students currently enrolled in a North American, European, or Asian/SEA undergraduate or graduate program are eligible for the Azubu Collegiate Champions. Teams must have a minimum of five verified players before entering the league. Players are cleared for participation by supplying an official school email address.
Players can be considered for eligibility for other university teams under special circumstances on a case-by-case basis. Exceptions are only made for players from unusually small schools (total student population <5000) that have a strong affiliation with the larger university, such as a community college with a direct feeder program to a nearby 4-year university.
AND HERE'S SOME FOOD FOR THOUGHT...
Want to have an Azubu-sponsored pizza party for your team on campus? Give us some food for thought and make a brief video with your team saying why you should be chosen! We'll be giving away $150 to 10 teams ($1,500 in total!) to have a blast at the end of the contest. The contest will run from October 2nd through October 25th! You must be a registered team to be eligible to compete. Contest winners will be announced October 28th, and the fun commences the week after. (Winning teams must send us pictures of their event so that we can post it on the Azubu and CSL facebook). Stay tuned for official contest rules and instructions coming next week!
So how will all of this affect you?
Only in the most positive way. As a player, it means you won't have to pay registration fees thanks to Azubu. As a viewer, you will be treated to more action each week, with a consistent schedule of matches in all the regions. Coverage on the website will reflect on the in and outs of the league, giving you a closer look at this extraordinary and groundbreaking season. Any way you look at it, the changes the CSL are undergoing for 2012-2013 will benefit all involved, from competitor to fan.
The season will be shorter, running from November to February, but each matchup in a region will be more meaningful. Think of the weight an individual game of football has in a shorter season as compared to an individual game of baseball over a longer one. There will be more matches per week, but each one will be a fight for survival with the best and brightest.
Want updates?
New teams can sign up and be informed of registration’s opening date by emailing admin@cstarleague.com titled “ACC MAILING LIST”. Teams who have played in the CSL before will automatically be sent a reminder email for registration!
So from here on out...
Take the time now to find your future team. Like Azubu and www.facebook.com/collegiatestarleague, follow us @CStarleague, and email admin@cstarleague.com: “ACC Mailing List” to keep up-to-date if you’re a brand new school. We'll send out a courtesy reminder for registration - but with something this big, we have a feeling that on October 2nd, you’ll remember.
The Collegiate Starleague and Azubu have issued the call. Come October 2nd, registration opens for Azubu Collegiate Champions, the greatest global intercollegiate gaming league. Join North America, Asia, and Europe in a battle of collegiate champions. StarCraft II. League of Legends. Choose your battles.
(Oh, and did we mention DotA 2? A beta season coming soon (TM) from the Collegiate Starleague)
Click here if you are interested in participating!
Click here if you are interested in participating!
About AZUBU:
Azubu is an international games-media company whose aim is to create a global gaming network at both the professional and amateur level. Azubu is the title sponsor of OGN LoL, as well as the personal sponsor of Starcraft 2 player viOLet.
Check AZUBU out at: Here
Follow @AzubuMedia on Twitter: Here
Like AZUBU on Facebook: Here
About the Collegiate Starleague:
The Collegiate Starleague is the premiere collegiate gaming league, with over 318 universities participating in its fifth season. The Azubu Collegiate Champions is sponsored by Azubu! In addition to the league, we run contests, tournaments, and work with universities to host and promote LAN events across North America. Check out www.cstarleague.com for more info!
Check us out on Liquipedia: Here
Follow @Cstarleague on Twitter: Here
Like CSL on Facebook: Here
Artwork by Cray Designs
Article by JadedShock, PBenson, and hazelynut
Made possible by the Collegiate Starleague, Azubu, and viewers like you