Hello everyone -
Over the past week we have received numerous questions about the announcements made concerning WCS 2013. Though we will not be able to get to them all in this one short post, we did want to at least bring some attention to the ones we have been hearing the most, especially as it relates to Season 1 of this year.
Please do continue to ask your questions in whatever method you feel most convenient (Reddit, Twitter, the StarCraft forums, etc.), we are following WCS conversations very closely and will continue to do our best to answer concerns as they arise. Thank you for your patience as we all work through these changes. We are excited about where they are taking us and look forward to an amazing conclusion to WCS 2013 at BlizzCon this November!
Is it possible to see a calendar for the entire year? When do Seasons 1, 2, 3 start in every region?
We are working hard on compiling a complete calendar for the entire year, in the meantime we plan to announce the start dates for Season 1 of the NA and EU leagues tomorrow night. We understand that players and teams need to schedule their time for the rest of the year, and we will do our best to post the dates for Seasons 2 and 3 shortly after.
What are the key differences between the KR, EU, and NA leagues?
Our goal has been to make the leagues as identical as possible in terms of structure, based on the GSL model. As a result of working with different league partners, there will be minor format differences that arise based on the legacy of a particular league.
How does a brand new player who wants to compete in WCS get involved?
In general, we are working to adopt a similar process in each region based off of GSL's three-division "Code" structure. Each regional league will have three divisions (Qualifier, Challenger, and Premier) that will feed into each other. In regards to Season 1 of this year, GSL is operating per usual and will continue moving into future seasons. For North America and EU, we will be announcing the plans surrounding Season 1 this week but it will likely include some invitations as well as an open qualification.
Thanks for your patience. We know everyone is anxious to get this information, and we're working hard to get it to you as quickly as we can.
Are the prize pools the same between the leagues?
Yes. All of the regional leagues will have identical prize pools and point distribution.
The prize pool breakdown for the remaining part of 2013 is as follows:
Each Regional WCS League Season - $100,000
Each Global Season Finals - $150,000
WCS Global Finals at BlizzCon - $250,000
In regards to NA and EU, how does a player qualify for Season 1 "Premier League"?
As we mentioned in the question above, we are working hard to get the exact details out to you as soon as we can. In short, Season 1 will be an exception and will likely include some invitations that we will send to top players in each region as well as open qualifiers, but all future seasons will adopt a three-division system (Qualifier, Challenger, and Premiere) that will appropriately qualify players into the top division for future seasons.
Have you considered a residency requirement for the Leagues? Wouldn't it make sense to require players who are playing in your region's tournament to live in your country?
We have discussed implementing a residency requirement but feel that this would add additional complexity, especially for players outside of the three main regions, and particularly for 2013. This is the kind of thing we'd really like to avoid if at all possible.
Many people feel that the abrupt global change, combined with locking players to the region they play in for the entire year, is remarkably unfair to KR players, especially those currently competing in GSL?
We too agree that Korean players currently playing in GSL were put in a difficult situation regarding making a year-long commitment to a WCS league as GSL started right on the heels of our announcement. With this being the case, we will be making a one-time exception at the end of Season 1 to allow players to make a change in their regional commitments for the rest of 2013. If a player currently playing in GSL would like to make a change at that time then they will be able to do so. We will have more information on exactly how this process will work well in advance of the conclusion of Season 1.
What is the point system?
We are working hard to finalize all the details surrounding the WCS points system. At the moment, we are mostly ironing out exactly how points earned outside the WCS leagues will integrate into the system. We should be able to announce the initial system next week, although some some adjustments will probably need to happen as we move forward.
How lucrative (in terms of points) is it to compete in a tournament like NASL, DreamHack, or Iron Squid?
Players who qualify for the World Championship at BlizzCon will have to compete in the WCS. That said, points earned from outside the WCS Leagues should be meaningful in terms of qualification and seeding at that tournament, especially for those who might be on the edge of qualifying.
How much of the tournaments for each season will be played online?
The intention is that most of the Premiere league (all in the case of WCS KR) for each region will be played offline in a studio, but we are working with MLG and ESL on the details. We might need to have additional online matches in 2013 based on logistical challenges that may arise.
What steps is Blizzard taking to ensure that cheating/hacking is not going to take place for matches played online?
Our goal is to minimize the number of online matches and eventually to eliminate the need for them, for as long as online matches will take place we will be taking great precaution to monitor and ensure fair play. We will be working with our tournament partners to ensure best practices and the integrity of each league.
We are aware that there are certainly questions that remain. As another step in process, Blizzard is intending to host a Reddit AMA regarding WCS, so please stay tuned for the exact details in the coming days!
