The cup

This evening we will hold a 1-day cup, featuring the map cp_obscure. This post will bring you up to speed and tell you all the details about the cup. Please read this entire post if you plan on playing in this cup.

Prize

The winner of this cup will receive a Left 4 Dead 2 server for 3 months.

Details

• Cup tree: [Link]
• Participating teams: [Link]
• Signup link: [Link] (Will open at 19:30 if you are leader or deputy of a 6v6 team with atleast 6 players in it)
• 32 teams max
• Gamemode: 6on6, class limit 1 for demo & medic, the rest have class limits 2
• Rules: General ETF2L rules apply unless otherwise stated in this post.
• Mercs: Every team is allowed to use 1 merc at all times without the opponent’s approval. They can also use a second with the opponent’s approval.
• Winmode: 1 map; win difference of 5 or 30 minutes
• Map: cp_obscure_b3 [link] (Please download the map in advance!)

Schedule

• 19:30 CET – Sign Ups open
• 19:55 CET – Sign Ups close
• 20:00 CET – Round 1
• ~23:00 CET – Final

Servers

As announced previously, you do not need to have a server to play on for this cup. Servers will be provided by ETF2L. For the greater part, these servers are sponsored by n1ping. Once the fixtures are created, we will post the details of the server you will be playing on for the first round on the matchpage.

Guidelines

To make the cup process go smoothly, here are a few guidelines:

• Servers will be distributed after the fixtures have been created. Please keep an eye on your match page, the server information will be posted there.
• Please note: it can take a few minutes for the server information to be posted on the first round, as this is a manual process.
• If you are waiting for a server, and no post is being made, or your progress is being obstructed in any way, please contact an admin.
• Please have someone from your team in our IRC channel at all times during the competition.
• Please leave the servers as soon as you have finished the match and have taken screenshots.
• Please submit the results of your match ASAP after you have played the match. This is vital for the cup process.
• All servers have fast download enabled, but please have your entire team download the map beforehand. It can be downloaded from here: [Link]

Spectators

For those not playing (or those already defeated), we have set up a range of SourceTV servers and relays. Initially there will be 4 servers with 200+ slots and 4 servers with 50 slots. The rest will have 10 slots. We will try to assign the more interesting matches to the servers with more SourceTV slots. The sourceTV information will be posted on every matchpage, along with the server details. Don’t join the gameserver, join the STV server!

SourceTV servers will be re-distributed to the active servers during the process of the cup so there will always be enough slots.

Obscure-1-Day-Cup: Wednesday, 2nd December!

As promised, due to requests by various players and clans, ETF2L will be holding a 1-day cup! The winner receives a Left 4 Dead 2 server for 3 months! free. Since the release of the beta various bugs and flaws have been spotted,  so due to the nature of the bugs found cp_obscure_b3 will be released on Tuesday 1st December, allowing you ample time to download the map if you’re entering!

Details

• Slots: 32
• Gamemode: 6on6, class limit 1 for demo & medic, the rest have class limits 2
• Winmode: 1 map win difference of 5 or 30mins
• Map: cp_obscure_b3 [Download here]
• Servers: n1ping servers

Prizes

• 1st – Free Left 4 Dead 2 server for 3 months

Schedule

• 19:30 CET – Sign Ups open
• 19:55 CET – Sign Ups close
• 20:00 CET – Round 1
• ~23:00 CET – Final

Sign Ups

• Sign Ups open: Wednesday, 2nd December, 19:30 CET
• [Sign Up]

Please note – One player from each clan must be present in the #etf2l channel, so we can give you the designated server and the competition runs smoothly.

Season 6: Team Dignitas wins the Season title!

After a victory against the  illegal last Sunday, Team Dignitas have secured their fifth ETF2L Season Winner trophy. Not only have they won another pixel-trophy, they will also receive six boxes containing a SteelSeries Xai Laser Mouse ad valorem 480 Euros.

The Runner Up and recipient of 6x SteelSeries 9HD Mousemats will be decided between illegal and Power Gaming in the remaining matches.

Season 6: general match deadline

We would like to remind you of the fact that by next Sunday, all normal Season 6 matches have to be played and the results submitted. All matches without submitted results will receive a 0:0 result on both maps. In the week from December 7th to 13th all place deciding matches will be played, between teams who are tied in points for promotion/demotion positions.

• General match deadline: Sunday, 6th December, 23:59 CET

Season 6: wildcards and locked rosters

Teams are unable to use a wildcard in this final week, because we are on a tight schedule and cannot permit any delay. The general match deadline (see above) is in effect for all matches that have been wildcarded before this news post. As you might have noticed, the rosters for all teams participating in Season 6 have been locked. This will remain until the end of the season.

Season 6: added more possible relegations spots

At the start of Season 6, a note was added to Rule 2.7 which allows us to change the relegation spots for Divisions with 2 or more drops. Adding more possible relegation spots gets us more flexibility in seeding Divisions in Season 7. All new added spots have been reviewed and discussed inside the staff.

Please notice blue spots mean you may have to play a pre-playoff match for your Division spot in the start of Season 7 (depends on Sign Ups).

Added spots

• Division 1 – +1 blue spot (7th) – reason: two drops including a top team
• Division 2a – +1 red spot (8th) – reason: three drops including a top team
• Division 3a – +1 blue spot (7th) – reason: two drops
• Division 3b – +1 blue spot (7th) – reason: two drops
• Division 4a – +2 red spots (6th+7th) – reason: four drops
• Division 4b – +1 red spot (7th) – reason: three drops
• Division 4c – +1 blue spot (7th) – reason: two drops
• Division 4e – +1 blue spot (7th) – reason: two drops
• Division 4f – +1 blue spot (7th) – reason: two drops
• Division 5a – +2 red spots (6th+7th) – reason: four drops
• Division 5b – +1 blue spot (7th) – reason: two drops
• Division 5f – +1 red spot (7th) – reason: three drops
• Division 5j – +1 red spot (7th) – reason: three drops

Nations Cup: finished & archived

Approximately ten days ago we had another big event within our league: the final of our second Nations Cup. With four live broadcasts and a filled SourceTV, we hosted a night of spectacular Team Fortress 2 action with over 2000 spectators. In a tight match, Finland proved to be the strongest nation from Europe once again by beating Sweden in three maps. We congratulate the players of team Finland with their victory and the prizes they will receive. The English national team decided to grant Norway the third place. The Nations Cup is now archived and can be found in our [Hall of Fame].

• Winner: Finland – winning 6x SteelSeries Kinzu Optical Mouse
• Runner-Up: Sweden – winning 6x SteelSeries 4HD Mousemat
• 3rd Place: Norway

Ban: boomeh

Former Team YoYoTech player boomeh was caught cheating and has received a two-year league ban for his actions. He is not allowed to participate in any ETF2L activities until the 22nd of November, 2011.

Our position on cheating

ETF2L does not tolerate cheating in TF2 in any form. If we receive evidence (demos, server or anti-cheat software logs, etc) of someone cheating anywhere in TF2 – be it on public servers or in PCWs or pick-up games or league officials – that person will be subject to our penalties. In return for taking part in our league, we expect all of our participants to keep the accounts they use in ETF2L totally cheat free.

VAC bans

Because we cannot prove that someone has cheated in TF2, there will be no player suspensions for VAC banned accounts. However, if your account is VAC banned and you wish to participate in our competitions, you will be subject to the following obligations:

• You must notify an admin about your new account
• Your player profile will be tagged with a VAC ban status flag
• You will be suspended from ETF2L if you fail to provide a POV demo on request

Suspension times lowered

2 year bans will be phased out. We’re currently investigating options into banning players from participating in all ETF2L competitions for the duration of 2 or 3 seasons. So the ban period will be shorter and it will no longer be possible that they end mid-season. After suspensions have been served, players who fail to provide POV demos upon request will be automatically suspended again.

Separating community and game sanctions

We’d like to make it clear that any community/forums based offenses will only result in community bans. Players will no longer be banned from playing in league games, for example, for forums based offenses.

Still a work in progress

Please note that we’re still working out some of the finer details of our bans policy. It has proved to be a very difficult area for our admin team to reach consensus on. That said, we will of course continue to make our best efforts to police our league in a common sense and thorough way. If you have any suggestions or advice, don’t hesitate to contribute in a positive manner.

Team YoYoTech vs I Don’t Know?

Team YoYoTech look to bounce back strong from the loss of Boomeh as they meet another team who have fought through roster problems this season, I Don’t Know?

YoYoTech have dealt with playing without Boomeh before, and assuming both Haunter and Coinz are available they will have a good chance of dominating the soldier matchups and winning both maps tonight. That said, I Don’t Know? (with Reptile moonlighting) turned in a very strong week 4 performance on Granary against Illegal, so depending on what lineup they can muster, it’s possible they could give YoYoTech some problems tonight.

Match Overview
TCM Gaming vs Epsilon eSports
Week 7 (Division 1)
Wednesday, November 25th 20:15 CET

cp_granary

4 - 2

ctf_turbine

10 - 6

OVERALL
TCM Gaming [6:0] Epsilon eSports

LOL Team vs illegal

LOL Team have escaped the relegation zone for the first time this season thanks to default win points. They’ll be lucky to solidify that position tonight as they match up against Illegal in what could turn out to be a one-sided affair.

Illegal will have to be careful not to fall into the trap of overconfidence, though, as they need the points tonight to continue their campaign for second place. So look for a desperate LOL Team to try and capitalise on any mistakes.

SourceTV: relay.toaster.fi:27020

Match Overview
LOL Team vs Team Dignitas
Week 8 (Division 1)
Wednesday, November 25th 20:15 CET
SourceTV: relay.toaster.fi:27020

cp_freight

0 - 5

cp_badlands

2 - 5

OVERALL
LOL Team [0:6] Team Dignitas

Team Celsus vs r@ts

The cream of Division 2A go head to head in deciding who will win first place and direct promotion to Division 1.

Both teams have near identical records ( r@ts with 1 more map win and Team Celsus just two points behind with a single draw). Celsus would settle for a tie on their map, Gravel Pit, as long as they can get the win on Granary. Both teams have showed flashes of excellence this season, so expect this match to be a good one.

SourceTV: bcast05.blank-TV.de:50300

Match Overview
bE vs Marco FTW
Week 6 (Division 2a)
Wednesday, November 25th 20:15 CET
SourceTV: bcast05.blank-TV.de:50300

cp_granary

3 - 2

cp_gravelpit

0 - 2

OVERALL
bE [3:3] Marco FTW

SteelSeries, the leading manufacturer of gaming peripherals and accessories, today introduced the SteelSeries Siberia Headphone. Modeled from the award-winning Siberia Headset, the new SteelSeries Siberia Headphone presents gamers with an audio option of superior SteelSeries sound quality and comfort at an entry level price point.

“We’re introducing the new headphone right before the holidays with the notion that high-quality, professional gaming gear can be offered at an affordable price for both novice gamers and pro-players,” said Bruce Hawver, CEO of SteelSeries. “The Siberia Headphone rounds out our audio line-up as the opening level SteelSeries audio option for gamers who are looking to experience professional quality headphone technology.”

The Siberia Headphone is designed for gamers, but can also be used with iPods, MP3 players, handheld gaming devices, or practically any other kind of portable digital device. The comfortable foam earcups that surround the ear and the unique Siberia head-band suspension provides continuous comfort during long gaming, music, and movie sessions.

Key product specifications of the SteelSeries Siberia v2 Full-size Headphone include:

• 40mm speakers
• Impedance: 40 Ohm
• Frequency: 18-28,000 Hz
• SPL@1kHz: 104dB
• Cable: 1m + 1.8m extension
• Jack: 3.5mm

The Siberia Headphone will be offered in either glossy white or black for $49.99  this holiday season at retail partners worldwide, including Amazon, Newegg and more. The recently launched Siberia v2 Headset equipped with an “invisible” retractable microphone is available in two versions, with and without a USB soundcard that are priced at $109.99 USD and $89.99 USD.