After announcing their planned return back in May, the Team Fortress Competitive League (TFCL) have announced their first season in their bid for the NA scene as the end draws near for ESEA.
Divisions
TFCL will feature "Premier" paid divisions and "Standard" free divisions which will be structured as:
Premier:
- A: IM equivalent
- B: Open equivalent
Standard:
- C: Open equivalent, free
Higher divisions will only be played if there are enough signups. If the target of team signups is not reached, the upper divisions will be merged. TFCL also intends to add a Rank D in the following Fall Season, which will serve to accommodate newer players.
Whitelist
TFCL joins ETF2L, ozfortress, and UGC in using the global whitelist, which is slightly more restrictive than that introduced in Season 30 of ESEA notably including bans for the Cow Mangler 5000 and Pretty Boy's Pocket Pistol, which are both unbanned under ESEA's current whitelist.
Ruleset
TFCL's ruleset will share many similarities to ESEA in its ruleset.
- 5CP: Winlimit 5, two halves with halftime at 3 rounds to a side or 30 minutes and a 30 minute second half.
- KOTH: Winlimit 4, two halves with halftime at 3 rounds to a side or 30 minutes and a 30 minute second half. There will also be the addition of a golden cap no time limit overtime, eliminating the possibility of a tie. Rankings are based on wins/losses and ties in ranking will be decided by match point difference.
Maps
TFCL will use mostly the same map pool as ESEA, with the addition of koth_clearcut, on a weekly rotation throughout the season. For ranks A-C, teams will play two matches per week over two weeks in the regular season.
Mercs
Teams will be allowed to field up to four unrostered replacements per match. These players must be confirmed with the other before the start of the match, and players are not allowed to merc below their skill level. Ringers will not be charged a fee, however teams may only use any specific player once per season.
Fees & prizes
TFCL will provide a minimum of $1,000 in prize money to any paid division.
Prize pool breakdowns are as follows:
- A: $2,000 with $1,000 for 1st, $600 for 2nd, and $400 for 3rd
- B: $1,000 with $550 for 1st, $250 for 2nd, and $200 for 3rd
- C: $150 with $75 for 1st, $50 for 2nd, and $25 for 3rd
Fees for the league are paid per player, per season, and are currently set to:
- S: $50
- A: $30
- B: $15
- C: Free
We reached out to league owner Sidular, who shared some insight on his vision for the league.
We want people playing in TFCL to feel like they're still playing in ESEA. That's why we're focusing heavily on automating the entire league experience, while also offering similar prize pools to ESEA Open and Intermediate in our equivalent divisions.
More information can be found on the TFCL blog post. Signups for TFCL are available on TFCL's website, with league play beginning on July 30th.