A centralized competitive league in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Dota 2 aimed at Eastern Europe, the Balkans, and Russia will soon debut.
The league is a joint operation between third-party matchmaking service FaceIt and Russian esports giant ESForce Holdings’ tournament division Epic Esports Events, and will be known as the Epic Pro League.
The league will consist of both open and closed divisions. Anyone with a FaceIt account can play in the open divisions, and the top performers can subsequently qualify for the top division. Akin to FaceIt’s already existing Pro League, the top division of the Epic Pro League will see its top performers join the FaceIt Pro League, shortening the path to an eventual professional playing career.
The Epic Pro League will initially only feature CS:GO, but will add a separate Dota 2 league at a later date. The Dota 2 league will be without cost, while the CS:GO league will come at a monthly cost of 349 Rubles, roughly $5.
FaceIt’s expansion in its matchmaking services in 2018 has been rapid. The company is also offering dedicated support staff for each region, as well as providing prizes for its top performers. Similarly, the inaugural season of the Epic Pro League will see the winners of the pro division share a $2,000 cash prize, and will also receive hardware and merchandise.
The Epic Pro League will also offer team-based tournaments, which will award the winning teams with direct spots in several other Russian esports tournaments, such as the Adrenaline Sports League and the Dota 2 Champions League.
