The ESL Major Series enters the second week of the season. In their second match of the groupstage, Europe's best teams will face off on mp_backlot.

Week 2 Fixtures
Roskilde Ravens vs UF Gaming (lmatchink)
k1ck eSports Club.pt vs Heroes Area (matchlink)
Team Dignitas vs ESC-Novamania (matchlink)
tempus moriendi vs ESC Gaming. Linemax (lmatchink)
4 Kings vs BioXar.FortKnox - CoD4 (matchlink)
TEK9 Networks vs nGize (link)
H2k-Gaming vs Ultima Ratio (matchlink)
LowLandLions vs PHANTOMS GAMING (matchlink)
[Team Impact vs A.S. Quadrifoglio eSports (matchlink)
fnatic vs DEFEATERS (matchlink)
Team SPEED-LINK vs Dignition (matchlink)
Epsilon eSports vs teamxeq (lmatchink)
PHANTOMS GAMING vs UF Gaming (matchlink)
Roskilde Ravens vs LowLandLions (matchlink)
SK-Gaming vs [Team Impact (matchlink)

While players and teams from all over Europe are currently battling each other in the second season of the ESL Major Series we proud to be able to announce the next season! See inside to find out about ESL Major Series Season III.

The third season of the ESL Major Series will host 9 games building on the success of the previous two seasons. Season III takes place in the second half of 2008 and features a prize money total of €15.000!


[img|left]http://www.thegab.de/esl/ems_season3/cod4_small.gif[/img]Call of Duty 4 (5on5): €3.000
[img|left]http://www.thegab.de/esl/ems_season3/css_small.gif[/img]Counter-Strike: Source (5on5): €3.000
[img|left]http://www.thegab.de/esl/ems_season3/csf.jpg[/img]Counter-Strike Female (5on5): €1.500
[img|left]http://www.thegab.de/esl/ems_season3/dota_small.gif[/img]DotA (5on5): : €1.500
[img|left]http://www.thegab.de/esl/ems_season3/dow_small.gif[/img]Dawn of War (5on5): €1.000
[img|left]http://www.thegab.de/esl/ems_season3/fifa08_small.gif[/img]FIFA 08 (5on5): €2.000
[img|left]http://www.thegab.de/esl/ems_season3/pes2008_small.gif[/img]PES 2008 (1on1): €750
[img|left]http://www.thegab.de/esl/ems_season3/tf2_small.gif[/img]Team Fortress 2 (6on6): €1.500
[img|left]http://www.thegab.de/esl/ems_season3/ut3_small.gif[/img]Unreal Tournament 3 (1on1): €750

Twenty-five teams, four groups, 5 weeks, it is time to begin the groupstage of the Call of Duty 4 ESL Major Series! Find the groups and fixtures for the first match week inside.

Important: All match links have changed in the process of correcting the fixtures.

Groups

Group A
fnatic
Team SPEED-LINK
Epsilon eSports
DEFEATERS
teamxeq
Dignition

Group B
Team Dignitas
H2k-Gaming
k1ck eSports Club.pt
ESC-Novamania
Heroes Area
Ultima Ratio

Group C
TEK9 Networks
tempus moriendi
nGize
ESC Gaming. Linemax
BioXar.FortKnox - CoD4
4 Kings

Group D
Roskilde Ravens
SK-Gaming
Team Impact
LowLandLions
A.S. Quadrifoglio eSports
PHANTOMS GAMING
UF Gaming *


* Group D has a seventh team because of a mistake made in creating the fixtures of Qualifying Round 2. teamxeq were incorrectly placed against another QR2 team, dfiance. As teamxeq won they qualified for the EMS. dfiance then played UF Gaming as a normal match, they lost so UF Gaming qualified. This left 4 Kings with no team to play in QR2. Rather than force a team who had qualified to play and risk losing their place in the EMS, it was decided instead that other teams should not be punished for the mistake of the league and 4 Kings were put through.[/hide]

Prizes
Remember, the prize distribution for this season's top 3 teams is a grand total of €1.500 cash!



Week 1 Fixtures
This weeks' map is mp_crash. The default match time is Sunday 13th 20cet, if teams need to reschedule they should ask to reschedule via protest!

This Spring is the inaugural season of the ESL's Call of Duty 4 League. More than 200 teams signed up to play, the top twenty-four of those teams have been placed in the Premier Division. Representing the best teams in Europe outside of the ESL Major Series they will fight for honour, pride and 3 direct slots for the next season of the ESL Major Series.

This week is Qualifying Round 2, twenty four teams from across Europe and the world will play each other, half of them will be eliminated, half of them will make it through to the groupstage of the ESL Major Series.

Prizes
Remember, the prize distribution for this season's top 3 teams is a grand total of €1.500 cash!



Qualifying Round 2
Teams that won in Qualifying Round 1 have been randomly placed against teams that qualified for Qualifying Round 2, the winners will go through to the ESL Major Series Groupstage.

Matches are played one map, first to 13 rounds, map is chosen by veto, matches should be played by midnight Sunday.

Veto system: Teams eliminate maps from the map pool in order based on their position on the match page - Left, right, right, left, right.

Pool: mp_backlot, mp_citystreets, mp_crash, mp_crossfire, mp_strike, mp_vacant

Teams with any questions or problems should make a support ticket or write a match protest.

We want to let you know that the signups for the ESL CoD4 League will be closed at 24/03/08 00:00 CET. So get 5 mates and sign up for the league.
At the moment we have about 230 inscribed teams.
The league is positioned below the ESL Major Series it will give clans of all abilities the chance to compete in an organised league and it will also be an opportunity to qualify for the next season of the EMS.

Be sure to have read:
Link to newspost on ESL.eu
Link to prior newspost on crossfire

The national qualifiers are complete and it is time to enter the next stage of qualification. This week is Qualifying Round 1, twenty four teams from across Europe and the world will play each other, half of them will be eliminated, half of them will make it through to fight next week.
Prizes
Remember, the prize distribution for this season's top 3 teams is a grand total of €1.500 cash! Qualifying Round 1
Teams that qualified for Qualifying Round 1 have been randomly placed against each other, the winners will go through to play the Qualifying Round 2 teams next week.
Matches are played one map, first to 13 rounds, map is chosen by veto, matches should be played by midnight Sunday. Veto system: Teams eliminate maps from the map pool in order based on their position on the match page - Left, right, right, left, right.
Mappool: mp_backlot, mp_citystreets, mp_crash, mp_crossfire, mp_strike, mp_vacant

Teams with any questions or problems should make a support ticket or write a match protest.

We are happy to announce the beginning of a new league in the ESL Call of Duty 4 section. Starting this Spring, the Call of Duty 4 league will be open for all teams to join.
Positioned below the ESL Major Series it will give clans of all abilities the chance to compete in an organised league and it will also be an opportunity to qualify for the next season of the EMS.

To participate in the league requires the following:
- Every player needs to be registered on the ESL (see our getting started guide)
- Every player needs their CoD4 PB GUID registered
- Every player needs to join their team on ESL

That's all!



Key Facts
Unlimited number of teams - All teams can signup
Multiple divisions based on skill
Groups of 6 teams - Every team plays at least 5 matches
Double elimination playoffs for each division

The sign ups for the national qualifiers are open until February 18th 23:59 CET. Structure and schedule of the qualifiers will vary based on the number of signups.

National qualifiers hosted in the European section:
Call of Duty 4 ESL Major Series Season II Danish Qualifier - Sign-up
Call of Duty 4 ESL Major Series Season II Finnish Qualifier - Sign-up
Call of Duty 4 ESL Major Series Season II Hungarian Qualifier - Sign-up
Call of Duty 4 ESL Major Series Season II Swedish Qualifier - Sign-up
Call of Duty 4 ESL Major Series Season II UK Qualifier - Sign-up