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Leagues meet to discuss future of North American TF2
posted in News
Recurse
April 27, 2019

There was an idea...to bring together a group of remarkable people to see if they could become something more. Following ESEA's announcement of its termination of support for TF2, questions arose regarding the future of North American TF2 with the region's most prestigious league leaving the scene. In pursuit of a direction going forward, Cat Agent organized a meeting between representatives from UGC, RGL, TFCL, ESL, ETF2L, and the New Beginnings team, additionally featuring veterans from the competitive scene.

What does the future of North America hold after ESEA?

The meeting began April 26, 9:30 EST. After some brief introductions, each league summarized their plans for the future and their qualifications to possibly bear at least part of ESEA's burden. These included possible LAN events, the addition or expansion of prize pools, and various other new endeavors. These statements were then compiled into a spreadsheet due to be released publicly in the near future.

From there, the subject moved to how the leagues can better cooperate to solidify the North American player base after ESEA's departure. One solution included sharing and consolidating player data between leagues, with the goal of eliminating sandbagging and unilaterally banning players. Another, which was resoundingly rejected, was to unify all leagues behind a front-runner as to avoid fracturing the player pool. The leagues instead opted to each pursue their own unique vision for the competitive scene, leaving the community to decide their ultimate fate.

The next major point of debate arose in the creation of a global committee of leagues to formally legislate and recommend proposed rules for competitive TF2, namely in ruleset, whitelist, and map pool. Scrutiny quickly arose over the particulars of such a system, specifically in the weight of player and community input. Ultimately, the topic was informally shelved.

Instead, the discussion quickly shifted to the question of expanding the map pool. The representatives agreed over the viability of many new maps being developed exclusively for the 6v6 meta and appeared open to introducing popular and well-tested new maps into league play.

Finally, the meeting concluded with a brainstorm on possible changes to the ESEA ruleset. Ideas including using win difference as opposed to win limit, removing the two half system, changing the server time limit, and changing the win limit were proposed, with the representatives placing particular emphasis on promoting fair and engaging competition.

Eventually, the meeting concluded at precisely 1:00 AM EST, with the group being open to future meetings.

A few participants were willing to give their overall impressions of their first league round-table conference.

sigafoo (RGL):

I think the meeting went well, albeit long. Leagues were able to discuss their plans for the future, expected timelines and prizepools. There was also much discussion around minor changes to league structures that I found interesting. I look forward to announcing our paid and free traditional sixes league in the near future and to working with established community members to help hone our rulesets, whitelist and league structure.

Cat Agent (UGC):

I think that coming out of this meeting, a lot of us, including UGC, will work on our own paths on what we need to do to help the Team Fortress 2 community strive with what we have and how we can help the community at large. I'm looking forward on the outcome of this meeting and everyone involved as I hope all parties involved will walk away with something to help everyone out in the long run.

mitch (ESL):

The meeting went better than I expected it would; we got a lot out of it. There are several leagues in the works at the moment, all looking very promising. I hope that they will continue to communicate in the hope we can maintain and improve the North American scene. We will provide our own statement regarding ESL in the coming months.

stephanie (TFCL):

I really think the meeting was great. It went much better than I thought it might, and though it went off track on multiple occasions, we ended up having some good discussion, and I feel like we're going to have several good leagues battling it out to become "the best." Whichever one gets there in the end is ultimately up to the community at large.

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#1
-73 Frags +

sigafoo and steph are there but b4nny isnt

sigafoo and steph are there but b4nny isnt
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#2
Spaceship Servers
55 Frags +

https://i.imgur.com/699A0mo.png

he was, actually

[img]https://i.imgur.com/699A0mo.png[/img]

he was, actually
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#3
-47 Frags +
stephhttps://i.imgur.com/699A0mo.png

he was, actually

when is the next season of ultiduo

[quote=steph][img]https://i.imgur.com/699A0mo.png[/img]

he was, actually[/quote]
when is the next season of ultiduo
4
#4
31 Frags +

recurse spent 3 hours baiting pugs for this?

recurse spent 3 hours baiting pugs for this?
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#5
-13 Frags +

use the rewind lan config

use the esea map pool with granary rc8 instead

use the actual global whitelist

that is all

use the rewind lan config

use the esea map pool with granary rc8 instead

use the actual global whitelist

that is all
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#6
85 Frags +

If you're inviting b4nny, I hope that other top players from multiple different teams are both being invited and actually showing up

If you're inviting b4nny, I hope that other top players from multiple different teams are both being invited and actually showing up
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#7
43 Frags +
PeteIf you're inviting b4nny, I hope that other top players from multiple different teams are both being invited and actually showing up

Oh, dear..

[quote=Pete]If you're inviting b4nny, I hope that other top players from multiple different teams are both being invited and actually showing up[/quote]
Oh, dear..
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#8
15 Frags +

delete pyro

delete pyro
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#9
50 Frags +

I just hope at least one of the leagues that emerges from this is the "normal" one- no experimental whitelist, no 20 new maps at a time, no overly hands-on admins, just a regular-ass league

if that league exists I guarantee you it wins (barring massive discrepancies in prize pool or whatever)

I just hope at least one of the leagues that emerges from this is the "normal" one- no experimental whitelist, no 20 new maps at a time, no overly hands-on admins, just a regular-ass league

if that league exists I guarantee you it wins (barring massive discrepancies in prize pool or whatever)
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#10
Rebirth Esports
27 Frags +
PeteIf you're inviting b4nny, I hope that other top players from multiple different teams are both being invited and actually showing up

I agree. Nothing against B4nny but just if you include one pro player you need to include several others as well in discussions as many of the pro players have different opinions on certain topics.

[quote=Pete]If you're inviting b4nny, I hope that other top players from multiple different teams are both being invited and actually showing up[/quote]
I agree. Nothing against B4nny but just if you include one pro player you need to include several others as well in discussions as many of the pro players have different opinions on certain topics.
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#11
103 Frags +

why are b4nny and luc, possibly the two most stubborn people in the entire esea 'community', always the only two guys invited to these things

why are b4nny and luc, possibly the two most stubborn people in the entire esea 'community', always the only two guys invited to these things
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#12
-46 Frags +

edit: Why do I even try... GL peeps. I am officially disappearing for good

edit: Why do I even try... GL peeps. I am officially disappearing for good
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#13
52 Frags +

you could make an argument that froyo is leading to a more boring scene and people being less interested, but all of that has literally NOTHING to do with the death of ESEA tf2, I guarantee you that has much more to do with ESL buying ESEA over years ago and finally realizing that this little vestigial organ was hanging onto their NA division for some reason

you could make an argument that froyo is leading to a more boring scene and people being less interested, but all of that has literally NOTHING to do with the death of ESEA tf2, I guarantee you that has much more to do with ESL buying ESEA over years ago and finally realizing that this little vestigial organ was hanging onto their NA division for some reason
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#14
14 Frags +

Whoever made the graphic for this article that pops up on the home page, it looks very nice

Whoever made the graphic for this article that pops up on the home page, it looks very nice
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#15
-23 Frags +

Please dont grudge ban players, and set strict rules for the league with static ban times. Admins of certain leagues shouldnt have bias towards disliking or liking people.

Please dont grudge ban players, and set strict rules for the league with static ban times. Admins of certain leagues shouldnt have bias towards disliking or liking people.
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#16
26 Frags +
Oculismcuck noises

ur only saying this cuz ur cheeks are getting clapped by whatever the new league is

[quote=Oculism]cuck noises[/quote]

ur only saying this cuz ur cheeks are getting clapped by whatever the new league is
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#17
Faint Gaming
15 Frags +

As an org owner that is mainly in the TF2 scene im glad that leagues are willing to at least talk with eachother and make sure the game doesnt die and open to sharing information ect as that will help in the long run, im looking forward to the future of the game itself and hopefully will continue to help support it as much as i can.

So thank you everyone from the leagues to the players to the fans and community as a whole in all honesty :)

As an org owner that is mainly in the TF2 scene im glad that leagues are willing to at least talk with eachother and make sure the game doesnt die and open to sharing information ect as that will help in the long run, im looking forward to the future of the game itself and hopefully will continue to help support it as much as i can.

So thank you everyone from the leagues to the players to the fans and community as a whole in all honesty :)
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#18
-14 Frags +
fyggOculismcuck noises
ur only saying this cuz ur cheeks are getting clapped by whatever the new league is

yeah but its just generally accepted to not have admin bias that negatively effects people

also people should only be punished in leagues for stuff they do in the league. that should be universally accepted. If an entirely new league is established, it should be a clean slate for everybody playing. I'm not the only one whos done shit in the past

[quote=fygg][quote=Oculism]cuck noises[/quote]

ur only saying this cuz ur cheeks are getting clapped by whatever the new league is[/quote]
yeah but its just generally accepted to not have admin bias that negatively effects people

also people should only be punished in leagues for stuff they do in the league. that should be universally accepted. If an entirely new league is established, it should be a clean slate for everybody playing. I'm not the only one whos done shit in the past
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#19
25 Frags +

Fingers crossed for the NA community not to slightly fracture because people have different ideas on which league will be "better". Remember when part of ESEA bled off to CEVO (albeit for different reasons)? Smaller sized divs (because less players) suck, no matter where you're playing.

mustardoverlordI just hope at least one of the leagues that emerges from this is the "normal" one- no experimental whitelist, no 20 new maps at a time, no overly hands-on admins, just a regular-ass league

if that league exists I guarantee you it wins (barring massive discrepancies in prize pool or whatever)

+1, whatever league mimics ESEA the most would probably get the most traffic, I would imagine. The more change all at once you throw at someone, the more turned off they'll be to the idea.

Fingers crossed for the NA community not to slightly fracture because people have different ideas on which league will be "better". Remember when part of ESEA bled off to CEVO (albeit for different reasons)? Smaller sized divs (because less players) suck, no matter where you're playing.

[quote=mustardoverlord]I just hope at least one of the leagues that emerges from this is the "normal" one- no experimental whitelist, no 20 new maps at a time, no overly hands-on admins, just a regular-ass league

if that league exists I guarantee you it wins (barring massive discrepancies in prize pool or whatever)[/quote]

+1, whatever league mimics ESEA the most would probably get the most traffic, I would imagine. The more change all at once you throw at someone, the more turned off they'll be to the idea.
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#20
33 Frags +

I see Banny I see Steph.... Wheres Cre-8

I see Banny I see Steph.... Wheres Cre-8
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#21
18 Frags +
RecurseAnother, which was resoundingly rejected, was to unify all leagues behind a front-runner as to avoid fracturing the player pool.

I don't know a whole lot about anything, but to me this is the most important part of the article. Everyone says how much they love and care about this community and its success, but it seems like everyone is on their own team here. What is the reason for the divide? Profit? Ruleset? Map Pool? I feel like players would continue playing if there were just one league. It would create a more linear path where they could start at the lowest level and grind to the top. I feel like a lot of players have the experience of:
-Playing TF2
-Wanting to get better
-Participating in a free league
-Graduating to ESEA after gaining enough experience.
I feel like that gateway from UGC to ESEA is where the community loses a lot of potential players. And I believe that in the ideal scenario for TF2 to succeed there would be one league where players can pug/mix, organize scrims, and play their matches all one one platform. Sure other games like CS:GO have afforded having ESEA, Valve MM, and Faceit/Cevo whatever other clients, but the competitive playerbase is insane compared to TF2s.

[quote=Recurse]Another, which was resoundingly rejected, was to unify all leagues behind a front-runner as to avoid fracturing the player pool.[/quote]
I don't know a whole lot about anything, but to me this is the most important part of the article. Everyone says how much they love and care about this community and its success, but it seems like everyone is on their own team here. What is the reason for the divide? Profit? Ruleset? Map Pool? I feel like players would continue playing if there were just one league. It would create a more linear path where they could start at the lowest level and grind to the top. I feel like a lot of players have the experience of:
-Playing TF2
-Wanting to get better
-Participating in a free league
-Graduating to ESEA after gaining enough experience.
I feel like that gateway from UGC to ESEA is where the community loses a lot of potential players. And I believe that in the [b]ideal[/b] scenario for TF2 to succeed there would be one league where players can pug/mix, organize scrims, and play their matches all one one platform. Sure other games like CS:GO have afforded having ESEA, Valve MM, and Faceit/Cevo whatever other clients, but the competitive playerbase is insane compared to TF2s.
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#22
13 Frags +
OculismfyggOculismcuck noises
ur only saying this cuz ur cheeks are getting clapped by whatever the new league is
yeah but its just generally accepted to not have admin bias that negatively effects people

also people should only be punished in leagues for stuff they do in the league. that should be universally accepted. If an entirely new league is established, it should be a clean slate for everybody playing. I'm not the only one whos done shit in the past

ur right about admin bias being bad, but banning people for doing things out of the league (like hacking, harassing, etc.) is more or less a good thing to do as it helps keep players in a safe/welcoming environment.

Show Content
u can stop acting like u care about pushing this point across btw scratch, ur not gunna get banned if theres a new league most likely
[quote=Oculism][quote=fygg][quote=Oculism]cuck noises[/quote]

ur only saying this cuz ur cheeks are getting clapped by whatever the new league is[/quote]
yeah but its just generally accepted to not have admin bias that negatively effects people

also people should only be punished in leagues for stuff they do in the league. that should be universally accepted. If an entirely new league is established, it should be a clean slate for everybody playing. I'm not the only one whos done shit in the past[/quote]
ur right about admin bias being bad, but banning people for doing things out of the league (like hacking, harassing, etc.) is more or less a good thing to do as it helps keep players in a safe/welcoming environment.

[spoiler]u can stop acting like u care about pushing this point across btw scratch, ur not gunna get banned if theres a new league most likely[/spoiler]
23
#23
-53 Frags +
dishsoapOculismfyggOculismcuck noises
ur only saying this cuz ur cheeks are getting clapped by whatever the new league is
yeah but its just generally accepted to not have admin bias that negatively effects people

also people should only be punished in leagues for stuff they do in the league. that should be universally accepted. If an entirely new league is established, it should be a clean slate for everybody playing. I'm not the only one whos done shit in the past
ur right about admin bias being bad, but banning people for doing things out of the league (like hacking, harassing, etc.) is more or less a good thing to do as it helps keep players in a safe/welcoming environment.
Show Content
u can stop acting like u care about pushing this point across btw scratch, ur not gunna get banned if theres a new league most likely

Would you ban someone from playing a league if you caught him hacking in an MGE/Pub server for fun?

[quote=dishsoap][quote=Oculism][quote=fygg][quote=Oculism]cuck noises[/quote]

ur only saying this cuz ur cheeks are getting clapped by whatever the new league is[/quote]
yeah but its just generally accepted to not have admin bias that negatively effects people

also people should only be punished in leagues for stuff they do in the league. that should be universally accepted. If an entirely new league is established, it should be a clean slate for everybody playing. I'm not the only one whos done shit in the past[/quote]
ur right about admin bias being bad, but banning people for doing things out of the league (like hacking, harassing, etc.) is more or less a good thing to do as it helps keep players in a safe/welcoming environment.

[spoiler]u can stop acting like u care about pushing this point across btw scratch, ur not gunna get banned if theres a new league most likely[/spoiler][/quote]
Would you ban someone from playing a league if you caught him hacking in an MGE/Pub server for fun?
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#24
106 Frags +
OculismWould you ban someone from playing a league if you caught him hacking in an MGE/Pub server for fun?

Without hesitation.

[quote=Oculism]
Would you ban someone from playing a league if you caught him hacking in an MGE/Pub server for fun?[/quote]

Without hesitation.
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#25
96 Frags +

no but rly dont let sigafoo control a league because he already showed that he will ban people from playing together because they win

no but rly dont let sigafoo control a league because he already showed that he will ban people from playing together because they win
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#26
24 Frags +
OculismWould you ban someone from playing a league if you caught him hacking in an MGE/Pub server for fun?

yes and its been done before? lol

[quote=Oculism]
Would you ban someone from playing a league if you caught him hacking in an MGE/Pub server for fun?[/quote]
yes and its been done before? lol
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#27
21 Frags +
OculismWould you ban someone from playing a league if you caught him hacking in an MGE/Pub server for fun?

Is there a difference to you between cheating in a pub for fun and harassing a transgender person in your spare time for fun?

[quote=Oculism]
Would you ban someone from playing a league if you caught him hacking in an MGE/Pub server for fun? [/quote]

Is there a difference to you between cheating in a pub for fun and harassing a transgender person in your spare time for fun?
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#28
Spaceship Servers
45 Frags +

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/424322448260071435/571842843661041665/unknown.png

[img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/424322448260071435/571842843661041665/unknown.png[/img]
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#29
53 Frags +
trippano but rly dont let sigafoo control a league because he already showed that he will ban people from playing together because they win
[quote=trippa]no but rly dont let sigafoo control a league because he already showed that he will ban people from playing together because they win[/quote]
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#30
-6 Frags +
trippano but rly dont let sigafoo control a league because he already showed that he will ban people from playing together because they win

Please explain, new to the sigafoo hate train

[quote=trippa]no but rly dont let sigafoo control a league because he already showed that he will ban people from playing together because they win[/quote]
Please explain, new to the sigafoo hate train
1 2 3 4
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