MPGL CS:GO: What to Expect?

On March 9, 2016, Mineski has announced that they will be adding Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) to the list of major titles that will be played this year in the Mineski Pro Gaming League (MPGL).

While they did not yet reveal the prize pool, the list of teams that are participating in the league are filled with both first-timers as well as hardened veterans.

Every single aspect of the league is fine-tuned to create the best teams that the Philippines can have in the game: Currently, only Mineski can go toe-to-toe against international opposition, as shown in their results in the Electronic Sports Entertainment Association (ESEA) and Asian Gaming Community (AGC) CS:GO leagues.

READ: Let’s Talk About MPGL VIII: It’s a Big Deal

The tournament format

Having a round-robin format means that teams will be able to pick up on different setups and strategies that their opponents are using, thus giving the teams more room to be familiar with each other.

Once the lowest scorer in terms of group stage points and win-loss rating is eliminated, the playoffs will start with a do-or-die, single-map quarterfinal bracket. It will be harsh as teams have to play on the maps that they do not usually play, because the map veto system will ensure that opponents will take out the team’s best maps beforehand.

There is one advantage to this format: Stability and consistency in play is rewarded, as a team that can play at a certain level on all maps should, in paper, be able to beat a team who has specialized only in certain maps: Fnatic is a prime example of this, as they have an average win rate of 71% on all maps, fighting mostly against the top 20 teams in the world.

Then comes the best-of-three semifinal round and teams will be able to use their full array of map veto tricks this time. Usually, the team who has …unless you happen to be Cloud 9 who is able to counter-strat all their opponents back in the summer of 2015 or Luminosity who just finds a way to get something done, regardless of the results of the map veto.

READ: IEM CS:GO Katowice 2016: Fnatic Takes 6th Consecutive LAN Title

Finally, a best-of-five final will test the teams’ momentum, confidence and mental fortitude. The map veto will allow teams to remove their “worst” maps; however, they will play on almost every map that the Valve competitive pool can offer.

In a final like this, the team that makes the least mistakes usually wins the trophy and the team that makes slightly more mistakes gets to lose the championship.

The final series between 5Peaks and Raised by Wolves back in Season 1 should be a good example of the scenario stated above: None of the maps went below 29 rounds, with two of them going into multiple overtimes.

Prize pool predictions

Both seasons of the Mineski CS:GO Shootout had a prize pool of P50,000, which is pretty huge considering that it has not been included into the official list of games at the time.

Given the number and caliber of the teams involved, this years’ MPGL CS:GO season should contain at least P100,000 and if the season proves to be a success in terms of gameplay quality and viewer numbers, the succeeding seasons could see more teams participating and more prize money flowing in.

A mission to accomplish

At a time when major leagues such as the Electronic Sports Entertainment Association (ESEA) and the Asian Gaming Community (AGC) are opening up their doors to Southeast Asia, having a stable tournament system where local teams can hone their skills is of the utmost importance.

Mineski’s MPGL CS:GO Season 8 will offer teams such as Imperium and TnC a place where they can fine-tune their skills, while at the same time allowing sides such as Mineski and Raised by Wolves in order to practice certain strategies to be used when facing teams in Southeast Asia and beyond.

MPGL CS:GO is a win-win proposition for everyone involved in the tournament: The veterans get to scrim, the newcomers get to improve and Mineski gets to have its mark as the leading CS:GO organization in the country today.

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