ESEA introduce new paths to Pro League; bring .coach functionality to CS2

The path to qualification from ESEA to ESL Pro League has now been adjusted to follow Valve tournament guidelines, introducing a new Elite division that will serve as the qualifier for ECL while also introducing a pathway via BYOC tournaments for the winners of Advanced to Pro League.

The biggest change is in how ESEA Advanced players advance to ESL Challenger League. In previous seasons of ECL, the winners of each season of ESEA Advanced would qualify directly for the next ECL season, while the Advanced teams just below them would compete against the lowest ranked performers from ECL in Relegation.

Going forward, two ranked Elite events will serve as qualifiers for ECL, held twice per season in both Europe and North America. Each Elite event will start with an open qualifier, with seeding determined by either VRS rank or ESEA League points, then lead into a 16-team group stage followed by playoffs, with the top two teams advancing to ECL.

There will also be a path for an ESEA Advanced winner to qualify for Pro League, even though Advanced itself will not be ranked. The winner of ESEA Advanced Season 53 will receive a travel stipend to compete at the BYOC LAN qualifier for ESL Pro League at DreamHack Atlanta.

ESL and ESEA have also noted that due to Valve restrictions, the total prize pool for ESEA League has to be capped at $250,000, but they are redistributing the difference into the Elite event prize pool, the aforementioned travel support for Advanced winners, and "other initiatives for upcoming players."

The full list of changes to ESEA League, including the reallowing of a coach to be in the server with you, can be read on the ESEA website.