pine_beetleHonestly etf2l and ugc just are not the way to go because they're a single game specific leagues that will never be able to realistically host a lan or any big tournament without a massive amount of donations. TF2 is a niche competitive game and needs grow alongside other games. For this reason Cevo is by far the best option for TF2 to have any kind of sustainable growth. They were competitive in the past, and this is a great opportunity for them to go big.
I'm not trying to shit on you specifically, but if we're serious about moving away from ESEA this time, please, please, please ease up a bit on the GROWTH GROWTH GROWTH WE GOTTA BE ESPORTS mindset when choosing a new league. That mindset has been a key part of what has chained this community to the shitheads at ESEA for years. I'm not saying that CEVO isn't this option, necessarily—I'm merely commenting on the collective mindset.
I think that such discourse is harmful for re-stabilization for a few reasons. The biggest one is that the act of abandoning ESEA is in itself a shift away from this community's voracious appetite for legitimacy as an e-sport. Before "monetary potential" and "big tournament viewer potential" I feel that the needs of the NATF2 community should be considered comprehensively. You know what those big e-sports with massive tournaments have that we don't? Dev support. We know this all too well, at this point; so perhaps instead of moving forward based on how well we can supplant the proverbial ESPORTS FEEDING TUBE that ESEA was, maybe we should move forward on the premises of having a well-run, fair, comprehensive, and reputable service. Who knows? Maybe Valve will throw 6v6 a fucking bone for once if they don't have to promote a group of people slimy enough to literally use their anti-cheat client to farm bitcoins.