Mentioned in this article
League/Tournament Brands:
- FACEIT will replace the ECS with a new league under the working title of B Site.
- B Site will require a $2M USD buy-in and will give investment ownership status to teams.
- There is on-going competition between leagues with some asking for exclusivity.
According to a report by DBLTAP, FACEIT, the London based esports company, will be replacing its Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Esports Championship Series (ECS) with a new league and format. The new league, whose working name thus far is “B-Site,” will cost participating teams $2M to enter and is said to start in March.
The league will feature 12 teams and reports so far indicate that Cloud9, MIBR, Gen.G, Dignitas, and MAD Lions have negotiated entry. Other sources have told The Esports Observer that Astralis, Team Liquid, and Evil Geniuses are making decisions on whether or not to participate.
With a season that could overlap the ESL Pro League, B Site’s regular season will take one month to compete with all matches being played on LAN. The B Site league playoffs, with eight teams participating, will also be played on LAN and will take place in Europe or North America, alternating each season.
The league will be a joint venture where the teams will receive ownership stake. However, players will be offered direct revenue sharing starting at approximately $1M which could increase as the league progresses in terms of securing sponsorships and lucrative media rights deals..
While the ECS was a co-ownership league that allowed participating teams the choice of co-ownership or just participating, B Site league has some distinct differences.
The $2M entry into the league will guarantee a revenue share with the participating teams and players. Additionally, all the matches will be played on LAN and a certain threshold in terms of world team rankings are required.
B Site will be in direct competition with the ESL Pro League to acquire teams. As it stands, the two leagues are set to overlap and ESL is attempting to land exclusive deals that would preclude teams from participating in B Site.
The Esports Observer has reached out to various relevant parties regarding this story and will update as more information becomes available.
