Esports platform FACEIT has announced improvements that are coming to ESEA League Season 55 based on community feedback gathered through ‘surveys and conversations’.
The season will bring changes to the Counter-Strike 2 tournament, including improved team allocations, a caster initiative, quality of life improvements and more.
Changes Coming to ESEA League Season 55
In Season 55, Advanced Champions will earn a travel support package for the ESL Pro League Qualifier, which is the DreamHack Knockout event. Furthermore, the Advanced season will be shortened, with a four-week Regular Season and a two-week Playoffs. This is to allow teams time to secure visas. It added that teams will compete in three matches per week, which can be ‘flexibly rescheduled’.
Changes will also be made to individual divisions within the season. New restrictions will be introduced to ‘prevent higher level players’ from queuing with teams in lower divisions, introducing a Maximum Elo limit for Open 1-8, Open 9, and Open 10.
For higher-level players, a Fast Track Qualifier will also be introduced this season, allowing more experienced teams to jump to higher divisions.
FACEIT has also promised to create a new intermediate division within South Africa for Season 56 if it can reach 20 registered teams this season.
Caster Initiative and Quality of Life Improvements
FACEIT has announced that it will be launching a caster initiative to search for ‘the next great voice in Counter-Strike’. Amateur casters can sign up to have their streams potentially promoted in official channels throughout the season.
The casters’ streams and clips will be judged by a panel of veteran producers, and the best candidates will be nominated for a community vote. The winner will earn a paid professional gig to cast a live match during the ESL Pro League.
The player experience for signing up to ESEA League Season 55 has also seen key revisions.
The UI has been improved across the board, bringing all promotion, relegation and prize information into the League Standings page for a streamlined experience. Furthermore, the season match list will show maps played and final scores’ ‘at a glance’, making it easier for teams to scout opponents.
FACEIT also shared that it is bringing other quality-of-life changes, making it easier to invite players to League rosters, and automatically sorting teams into an Open division based on a team’s average Elo.
