2021-2022 GEARS ESPORTS PROGRAM ANNOUNCE
SUMMARY
The 2021-2022 Season will be operated by UMG Gaming
The Official Gears Esports Tournament Platform will be moved to Smash.gg
The Pro League will now consist of 10 teams. There will be 6 “Carry Over” teams from the 2020-2021 season, and 4 teams determined through Qualification play
Pro League Matches will be played on Tuesdays and Wednesdays
The 2021-2022 Season will consist of 4 Splits that each end in a Major
Pro League prizing will be determined by Pro League results. Pro League results will be used to seed events
The first Pro League Qualifier tournament will be Sunday, September 19th
Due to the ongoing pandemic, Official Gears Esports competitions will continue to be played online
The 2021-2022 Gears Esports Season will feature a starting prize pool over $500,000
EGL will host competitions in both Europe and South America
PLATFORM CHANGE
Starting in the 2021-2022 Season, the official Gears Esports Tournament Platform will be moving to Smash.gg. Stay tuned for more information regarding the new registration process, and how this new platform will be used next season. In the meantime, we encourage you to create your account on Smash.gg.
PRO LEAGUE QUALIFICATION
The Gears Pro League will consist of 10 teams in the 2021-2022 Season. There will be 6 Pro League teams that qualify to keep their Pro League spot based on their performance in Split 3, Phase 2 and the Summer Major. The remaining 4 Pro League Teams will be determined through Pro League Qualification Tournaments, and a Pro League Last Chance Qualifier
PRO LEAGUE QUALIFICATION (CARRY OVER TEAMS)
In order to qualify for a Pro League Carry Over spot, teams must finish Top 6 in points between Split 3, Phase 2 of Pro League, and points earned from the Summer Major. Teams will be given one point for each Pro League Win during Split 3, Phase 2 and the following points will be distributed for placement in the Summer Major:
1st Place: 4 points
2nd Place: 2 points
3rd Place: 1 points
In the event of a tie, the team with the highest Pro League ranking will be granted the Pro League spot.
PRO LEAGUE QUALIFICATION TOURNAMENTS AND LCQ
Pro League Qualification will consist of 3 Qualifier Tournaments and a 4-team double elimination playoff tournament (Last Chance Qualifier). Like last season’s Weekly Challenger Tournaments, the Pro League Qualification Tournaments will take place each Sunday starting September 19th, with the Qualifier Playoff Tournament taking place on October 10th. The top 3 ranked teams based on Challenger points after the 3 Pro League Qualification Tournaments will qualify directly for Pro League. Teams ranked 4,5,6, and 7 based on Challenger Points will qualify for the Pro League :Last Chance Qualifier. The remaining Pro League spot will be granted to the Winner of the Double Elimination Last Chance Qualifier.
In the event of a tie in points, there will be tiebreaker matches played on Saturday, October 9th at 1:00PM ET.
SEASON STRUCTURE & SCHEDULE
STRUCTURE
The 2021-2022 Season will consist of 4 Splits that each end with a corresponding Major. The first Split will begin with Pro League Qualification on Sunday, September 19th and continue through to our first Major event in early December. Each week will continue to feature a Weekly Challenger Tournament. Weekly Challenger Tournaments will no longer finish on Monday and instead be completed entirely on Sundays. Each Split will be capped off by a Major, and followed by Pro League Qualification/Relegation the following weekend.
Timeline and important dates for the upcoming Season are listed below. Please note that these dates are subject to change.
SCHEDULE
Split 1:
Pro League Qualifier#1: September 19
Pro League Qualifier#1 Broadcast: September 20
Pro League Qualifier#2: September 26
Pro League Qualifier#2 Broadcast: September 27
Pro League Qualifier#3: October 3
Pro League Qualifier#3 Broadcast: October 4
Pro League Qualifier Tiebreakers: October 9
Pro League Last Chance Qualifier: October 10
Split 1 Challenger Tournaments: October 17, 24, 31 & November 7, 14
Pro League Week 1: October 19, 20
Pro League Week 2: October 26, 27
Pro League Week 3: November 2, 3
Pro League Week 4: November 9, 10
Pro League Week 5: November 16, 17
Split 1 Major: December 3-5
Split 2 Pro League Qualifier: December 11-12
Split 2:
Split 2 Roster Lock (Non Relegated Pro League Teams): January 4
Split 2 Challenger Tournaments: January 9, 16, 23, 30 & February 6
Pro League Week 1: January 11, 12
Pro League Week 2: January 18, 19
Pro League Week 3: January 25, 26
Pro League Week 4: February 1, 2
Pro League Week 5: February 8, 9
Split 2 Major: February 18-20
Split 3 Pro League Qualifier: February 26-27
Split 3:
Split 3 Roster Lock (Non Relegated Pro League Teams): March 8
Split 3 Challenger Tournaments: March 13, 20, 27 & April 3, 10
Pro League Week 1: March 15, 16
Pro League Week 2: March 22, 23
Pro League Week 3: March 29, 30
Pro League Week 4: April 5, 6
Pro League Week 5: April 12, 13
Split 3 Major: April 22-24
Split 4 Pro League Qualifier: April 30-May 1
Split 4:
Split 4 Roster Lock (Non Relegated Pro League Teams): May 10
Split 4 Challenger Tournaments: May 15, 22, 29 & June 5, 12
Pro League Week 1: May 17, 18
Pro League Week 2: May 24, 25
Pro League Week 3: May 31, June 1
Pro League Week 4: June 7, 8
Pro League Week 5: June 14, 15
Split 4 Major: June 24-26
PRO LEAGUE PRIZING
The 2021-2022 Season will feature a starting Prize Pool of over $500,000. As there are no longer Mid-Split Playoff events, we will be adding prizing back to Pro League that will be distributed based on their performance during the Split.
Pro League Prizing Breakdown:
1st Place – $5,000
2nd Place – $3,500
3rd Place – $2,500
4th Place – $2,000
5th Place – $1,500
6th Place – $1,250
7th Place – $800
8th Place – $500
9th Place – $250
10th Place – $200