VanillaTF2

ESL’s third week will be wrapped up as of tonight, so why on earth am I writing these predictions today? Welcome to top level TF2, where we only play one game per week. And don’t start throwing i42 at me as an excuse, only one of the teams listed here actually attended. Top players are always complaining that there isn’t enough coverage for TF2, but you’re really not making it easy for us. Get your games scheduled and play them on time.

Read more for the predictions – honeymustard

iSeries has ended. None of the competitive teams decided to make an effort and show up, except for Tt, who lost in the finals to some div7 also-thermaltake shitnerds.

It wasn’t the prize money being too low (higher than i39/i40), or the date that was bad (same as i39), teams simply decided not to bother.
TCM, Dignitas, Redcode and Power Gaming, they all decided not to show up. This is how a game dies. The veterans no longer care.

100% of prem teams @ i42

We all booed DrGonzo, for his article on how small TF2 was at i41, claiming how it was intentional, that i42 would show TF2 going strong again. But we’ve failed, i42 was nothing special, not anywhere close to the spectacle that was i39/i40.

So what’s on the horizon for TF2? The best thing that might happen is a proper TF2 tournament at Dreamhack, partly sponsored by Valve maybe? Is this going to happen? Only dunc knows.

Stealing Dignitas' seats

On a positive note, the casting/coverage was at least as good or even better than it has been for earlier iSeries. Cadred had some excellent articles and TF2TV covered all the matches that mattered.

But good coverage is not going to keep the game alive. It’s good tournaments with decent prize money and high level teams attending, showing off great games of TF2 for big crowds. We’ve done this before, what’s keeping us from doing this again?

Arie

Three week 1 games and one week 2 game – not the greatest combination of games played, but what can you expect from the premier division? We’re already on week 2 (though you wouldn’t know it – yes, saying this every week is going to get old), so let’s get some predictions into your eyeballs.

Read more for the predictions – Honeymustard

The long awaited ESL Season VII has finally begun, with 10 of the best European teams taking part, playing under a vanilla (+ medic) unlock ruleset. The festivities begin with Badlands and Gravelpit, two maps that will really test the teams. Badlands, is of course, a favourite amongst everyone, but Gravelpit will be a test for the multitude of new lineups. Interestingly, the only teams that return with the same lineup from ETF2L’s last season are Team Dignitas and Button Bashers. Gravelpit should certainly provide these teams with an advantage.

Read more for the predictions – Honeymustard

It’s that time again. Here are a couple of panel list round up arguements:

Kaidus

If you don’t play you don’t get paid, and the same can be said for how my rankings fall onto paper once again this month. Last time around a lot of jaws dropped at how some of the numbers turned out, but would you really prefer to see the same top five month in month out based on the reputation of players who’d rather opt out of every competition this month? I’d hope not.

Admirable

Ah I find my usual rhetoric of money talks troubling me again this month. ButtonBashers and Epsilon eSports scooped the big dough from under the Frogs noses at MaxLAN, and yet both teams fucked it up in the ESH. Granted ButtonBashers came up against a resurrected TCM-Gaming side eager to prove a point, but Epsilon were a shadow of their former selves losing to upstarts, Blame.

Get all the rest, over at Cadred.

* UPDATED: Added Fragmasters

Meanwhile, in actual news. Here’s the latest stuff nobody cba to write about.

Power Gaming

Swapping medics, as Kyynel is out and DaJackal is in (leaving Refuse).

Regrettably, year 2011 marks the end of the TF2 career of Power Gaming’s trusted Medic, kyynel. He has decided to quit the game after Winter Assembly. Luckily we didn’t have to look too far for a replacement. Joining the team is Jari “dajackal” Litukka, who has previously played in other top Finnish teams such as Refuse and Imperial.

kyynel was part of the team since the very beginning, joining the team back in summer 2008, when our TF2 line-up still called themselves Interrobang. He has been an integral part of the team, both as the important support class player as well as the in-game leader after my own retirement last year. I would like to give my warm thanks to kyynel for the dedication he showed during these years. You will be missed!

Source: Power gaming, by manager Moose

Read more, for Fromandskorpset, idk, Knights, Hack Limit 2, Princess and Fragmasters!

TF2tv’s Comedian sums of what information is up for grabs concerning ASM’s first day, including match info for different timezones, now including the latest results, coverage and matches!

Welcome to the first day of winter assembly everyone! its been a very hectic and fun day so far, and it has hardly just begun! :)
So far we have had two matches between pentaerytritolitetranitraatti, team Immortal and power gaming which you can see the info for below!