Season 7 Sign-Ups:

Sign-Ups opened for Season 7 on Tuesday evening and so far we have had 386 teams sign up to participate. This is a great start and I know there are still many more teams looking to sign up for the league. If you haven’t yet signed up, or if perhaps you have forgotten to sign up (hello Black Bob!), you can do so here. Simply visit the link and then click on the “Sign Up” button next to Season 7. Please bear in mind that you will need 6 active players in your roster, all with correctly entered STEAM IDs.

Division Formats & Placements:

We are looking at including 330 teams for Season 7, the same number of teams that featured in Season 6. The Divisions will be set out as follows:

• Division 1 – 10 teams
• Division 2 – 20 teams (2A-B)
• Division 3 – 40 teams (3A-D)
• Division 4 – 60 teams (4A-F)
• Division 5 – 100 teams (5A-J)
• Division 6 – 100 teams (6A-J)

With regards to placement in these divisions, we are running a slightly different system to previous seasons. This season, we are giving all teams who finished Season 6 without dropping or folding, priority entry into Season 7. This means that they will be entered into the Division that they finished in last season, depending on whether they were promoted, relegated or if they just stayed in the same division. Once all of the teams that signed up who played last season have been entered into the league, we will then fill up the spaces with new teams. When assessing new teams, we will be looking at the clan’s history, any ladder matches they have played and any other information that has been provided. You can also send us screenshots of previous matches where you have beaten teams in or above the division that you want to apply for.

I am highly encouraging all teams who are either new and are requesting a place in Season 7 OR who finished last season but would like to request to be considered for a different division to please email your request to me in the following format. Please read this very carefully, incorrect applications and submissions will be ignored!

• Send an email to d2m [at] etf2l.org, stating your ETF2L nickname and your team name
• Create a zip file of match screenshots in JPEG format, and upload it to your favourite file sharing site – i.e. Mediafire. Include the link to the files in your email. Please do not email the zip file itself.
• Include a list of the screenshots/scores in the email so that we know what we’re looking at. Preferably including the date, opposition, map and score.

This is all you need to do to support your team’s potential entry into Season 7. Every email received will be posted into our Admin forum for review by the Admin team. Decisions will be made over the next couple of weeks and we intend to have the divisions finalised by the date that sign-ups end – 24th January 2010. Please try not to harrass any of the Admin team about any updates or to ask where your team is going to be placed. We will be busy reviewing the information received and putting the teams into the divisions that we feel are best suited, based on the information received.

Also, please be aware that not every team will get a place in the league straight away, due to the 330 team limit. You should not panic if this happens to your particular team as there are always a number of teams that fold/drop from the league within the first few weeks. We will be replacing dropped clans with teams from the waiting list up until the end of Week 3.

Season 7 Playoffs

There are a number of playoff matches to be played, that will determine where some teams will be playing their TF2 in Season 7. The play-off matches are as follows:

Division 1
Blight Gaming v Team Empire – [Match Page]

7 brothers who aren’t brothers v we have no name cos we don’t give a fuck (teddybears) – [Match Page]

Division 2
Paroxysm v Exhilium – [Match Page]

Northwave v Nobody’s fault but mine – [Match Page]

Division 3
The MIPC Organization v insAne Team

Division 4
CZech tactiX TF2A v Entropy Team

The winners of each match will go into the division listed, the loser will drop into the division below.

The match pages for these playoff matches will be created later on today and edited into this news post, so please check back later for those. The playoff matches are to be played no later than Sunday 31st January 2010. Matches will be for 2 maps, with a decider map used if required. Map picking will be done via ‘Map Elimination’ on the 9 league maps for Season 7. All other details will be posted onto the match pages.

Best of luck to all teams who are involved in the playoffs!

Season 7 sign ups open on Tuesday the 12th

We’re pleased to announce that ETF2L Season 7 will begin for 330 teams on Monday the 8th of February.

Here’s some of the rule changes we’re thinking about implementing (if you have any well reasoned suggestions, please let us know):

• Teams who participated in and completed Season 6 will have sign up priority over teams who didn’t take part in or failed to complete Season 6.
• The league will again be supported by our generous sponsors SteelSeries. Details on prizes to follow.
• Fixed maps for all divisions:
  • Week 1: Granary and Gorge
    Week 2: Badlands and Well
    Week 3: Gravel Pit and Obscure
    Week 4: Gullywash and Turbine
    Week 5: Obscure and Freight
    Week 6: Gorge and Turbine
    Week 7: Freight and Well
    Week 8: Granary and Gullywash
    Week 9: Badlands and Gravel Pit
• The ETF2L cfg will be updated for the start of the season and will feature fixed weapon spread and tf_teamtalk 1.
• The Force’A’Nature, Sandman, Direct Hit and Buff Banner are limited to 1 per team. All other unlocks are allowed. Teams are free to agree about limiting unlocks further, but such an agreement must be noted on the relevant match page.
• Important note regarding unlocks: We’re expecting Valve to make some tweaks to the new weapons soon, and are in contact with them regarding the issue. If you have any suggestions, please make them in a succinct and reasonable manner and we will pass the best articulated suggestions on to Valve.
• Each team will be granted 2 wild cards per season that can be used any time up to 15 minutes before a game is due to start.
• Default wins will be enforced for teams that fail to use their wild card in time. The league will only run smoothly if teams adhere to the scheduling rules and no exceptions will be made. If your team has to miss a weekend due to a LAN event, play the game as soon as possible or wild card it. If a team member fails to appear for a game and you have no wild cards left, the other team may wild card on your behalf or you must find a substitute/agreed merc. It is your responsibility to make sure your games are played on schedule.
• Any agreement between two teams regarding the use of mercs, wild cards or servers must be recorded on the relevant match page. We cannot help you settle any of these disputes unless the issue has been confirmed by both teams on the match page. It is your responsibility to make sure you and your opponent follow this rule.
• If an agreement can not be reached between both teams about what server your game will be played on, contact an admin as soon as possible to arrange the use of an ETF2L server.
• The rules about the use of mercs will be updated. Any merc you use must be registered with ETF2L. Any mercs used without express written permission from the other team on the relevant match page will result in harsh penalties.
• We are implementing a hijack rule that will prevent teams from replacing/changing the majority of its roster after the season has started.
• It’s our hope that any games featuring any cheaters will be replayed (assuming that a replay would be of a potential points benefit to the other team) to minimise the disruptive and unfair impact cheaters have on our divisions. The detailed mechanics of this rule will be worked out for the start of the season. Obviously, if we find any evidence that a team was harbouring someone they knew to be cheating, no replays will happen and that team will be expelled from the league.

Dates in detail:

• Sign Ups Open: Tuesday the 12th of January
• Sign Ups Close: Sunday the 24th of January
• Divisions Announced: Sunday the 31st of January
• Week 1 starts: Monday the 8th of February

Sign Ups for the 5th Cup open on Sunday the 17th

Our long-awaited 5th Cup will begin on Monday the 25th of January, hosting 128 teams. The competition is sponsored by ETF2L’s newest partner, Valve, who will be supplying signed TF2 merchandise as prizes for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place teams.

• Sign Ups Open: Sunday the 17th of January
• Sign Ups Close: Sunday the 24th of January
• All fixtures for all of the rounds will be randomly generated
• Round 1 starts: Monday the 25th of January

Player of the season poll

We have one last piece of business to settle regarding Season 6: who was the best player of the season? Cast your vote below.

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SteelSeries introduced the new StarCraft® II Limited Edition ZBoard™ Keyset. Designed specifically for the release of Blizzard Entertainment’s highly anticipated StarCraft II, the keyset will give gamers a customized experience; it features artwork from the game and an intuitive layout, and is a tool designed to help players develop their skills.

“As one of the most anticipated games currently in development, StarCraft II is expected to capture serious attention both from those who enjoyed the classic original and from new players,” said Brian Stech, SteelSeries President of the Americas. “This Limited Edition Keyset is a valuable tool for StarCraft II players looking to immerse themselves in the game and improve their performance.”

Featuring a unique single-player campaign that picks up where StarCraft: Brood War left off, StarCraft II will present a cast of new heroes and familiar faces in an edgy sci-fi story filled with adventure and intrigue. The custom designed ZBoard keyset will feature labeled commands, in-game shortcuts, and artwork from the game.

The StarCraft II Limited Edition Keyset for SteelSeries Zboard gives gamers:

– An intuitive layout for fast reactions

– Immersion in the StarCraft universe with official game graphics

– One-touch macros for frequent commands

– Full customization of each key

The StarCraft II Limited Edition Keyset retails for EUR 24.99 and will be available at game launch; the SteelSeries Zboard retails for EUR 49.99 and is available now at all major gaming retailers and etailers.

• [Product Page]

SteelSeries, the leading manufacturer of gaming peripherals and accessories, today during the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, introduced the SteelSeries NP+ Mousepad. The new, large surface was designed for gamers and mouse users who prefer a thick and rough glide surface. The pressure compressed fibers allows for extreme durability making it water and most-stain resistant.

“We work with a number of professional gamers that have a wide assortment of preferences when it comes to the surface they’re playing on or the level of glide and friction they prefer, said Bruce Hawver, SteelSeries CEO. “The SteelSeries NP+ was designed for those that prefer a rough glide and large area surface. The water and stain resistant material makes this surface, our most unique textile mousepad.”

Unlike any other surface that SteelSeries offers, the SteelSeries NP+ is specifically targeted for gamers that prefer a medium to rough glide and higher level of mouse to surface friction. Regardless of their preference, users can effectively operate an optical or laser mouse on the 17.7 x 15.7 surface. Its non-slip rubber base provides a firm grip and prevents the pad from sliding no matter what surface the SteelSeries NP+ is placed on.

SteelSeries NP+ Mousepad will be available at leading online retailers with an MSRP of EUR 24,99 beginning in March 2010.

• [Product Page]
• [Pictures]

Daykiller steps down from his duties

One of ETF2L’s founders, dAyKiLLeR, is stepping down from his role as head admin to pursue real life interests and finish his degree. He has put two years and countless hours into the ETF2L project, so I think I speak on behalf of all of us when I say thanks and good luck to Day, who has been an inspirational leader throughout his tenure.

D2M has been promoted to head admin in Day’s absence.

Ladder update

All of the new soldier and demoman weapons are permitted in ladder play if both teams agree on their use before the match begins. We’re also going to add Gorge and Doublecross to the map pool so you can test those in 6v6 too.

Koth cup reaches its final stage

Keep your eyes peeled for the grand final of our 4v4 King Of The Hill cup, which will be an all German affair as TFPortal summiteers take on Game Control.

Obscure 1 Night Cup Won by SHIFTPLAY

Another fun cup was won by a German team with SHIFTplay winning first place in our Obscure one night cup.

If you’d like to have your say about the map, head on over to the thread to add your thoughts about it. Do you think it should be in the map pool/fixed maps list for 2010?

Support lvl up TV

Our friends over at Level Up TV are in the running for some fantastic prizes from LiveStream. Help them out over the holiday period by visiting the competition website and vote for them. Hopefully we’ll get to see some ETF2L games cast in high quality next year.

Merry Christmas and a Happy new year

And finally, the staff at ETF2L would like to extend our best wishes to you, your family, and your teammates this Christmas and New Year. Thanks for a great 2009, and let’s work together to make 2010 an even better year for TF2.