ESL and WESA partner with Occitanie Region to bring the ninth season of the CS:GO Pro League Finals to Montpellier

ESL, WESA and Occitanie Region are proud to announce their very first major Counter Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) event in France, as the Pro League Season Nine Finals are set to take place in Montpellier on June 21-23, 2019 as highlight of Occitanie Esports 2019. The world’s top 16 CS:GO teams from Europe, Americas and the Asia-Pacific region will battle it out for a total prize pool of US $750,000 at the Sud de France Arena. In addition to the tournament, Occitanie Esports 2019 will feature LAN tournaments for more than 800 players and a convention area with over 50 booths.

Only the best 6 teams that have proven themselves during the offline group stages, which will be held on June 18-20 at the Montpellier Exhibition Center, will proceed to the playoffs. The winners can not only claim the coveted title but also another point towards the Intel® Grand Slam, where a US $1 million bonus prize is up for grabs.

“We are looking forward to bringing the CS:GO Pro League Finals to a completely new location”, said Ulrich Schulze, Senior Vice President of Product at ESL. “The French community is known for its passion for esports and especially CS:GO, which comes as no surprise considering some of the top players are from France. With a brand new Pro League format featuring live studio matches and groups system we are breaking it down to some of the purest esports the community has ever seen.”

“WESA is excited by the positive development of the CS:GO Pro League and is looking forward to the new season played under WESA regulations,” said Dr. Pietro Fringuelli, Commissioner of WESA. “The revised competition format and expansion to new locations supports our mission to further grow and professionalize esports.”

“It’s a first for France and consequently a real sense of pride for the Occitanie/Pyrénées-Méditerranée Region to have been chosen to host the Pro League Finals this June, at the 2nd edition of Occitanie Esports, an event co-created by ESL, Futurolan, Occitanie Events and supported by the Occitanie Region,” said Carole Delga, President of the Occitanie / Pyrénées-Méditerranée Region. “The inaugural edition in 2018 attracted 7,000 participants to the Sud de France Arena and our region is once again preparing to host this major international tournament and become the venue of choice for gamers worldwide. In doing so, Occitanie is building on its status as a region for innovation and digital creation due, to an increasingly capable and successful video gaming sector.”

Tickets for the Pro League Season Nine Finals in Montpellier will go on sale on March 22 at 4pm CET / 7am PT  and will be available here. Fans will have the choice between Day tickets (25€), Weekend tickets (50€) and Premium tickets (100€). All ticket types will grant access to Occitanie Esports 2019 where fans can participate in local LAN tournaments, explore different booths at the convention, take part in giveaways or join meet and greets and signing sessions with pro players and teams.

For more information about the CS:GO Pro League please visit the official CS:GO Pro League website. Be sure to follow ESL CS on both, Twitter and Facebook to receive the latest updates and don’t forget to check out the official CS:GO Pro League announcement trailer, for a first look at what it is all about.

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About ESL

ESL, a part of the international digital entertainment group MTG, is the world's largest independent esports company, leading the industry across the most popular video games with numerous online and offline competitions. It operates high profile, branded international and national leagues and tournaments such as the Intel® Extreme Masters, ESL One, ESL National Championships and other top tier stadium-size events, as well as grassroots amateur cups, leagues and matchmaking systems. ESL covers a broad field of services in gaming technology, event management, advertising and television production, fully catering to the needs of the esports ecosystem. With offices in North America, Germany, Russia, France, Poland, Spain, China, and partners in many other countries, it has a truly global footprint (www.eslgaming.com).

About WESA

WESA was founded in May 2016 and counts as its members thirteen of the world’s most popular esports teams (EnVyUS, Faze Clan, Fnatic, G2 Esports, mousesports, Natus Vincere, Ninjas in Pyjamas, North, Optic, Renegades, SK Gaming, Splyce and Virtus.Pro) together with ESL, the world’s largest esports company.  This elite group share a collective vision to continue to professionalize esports by introducing elements of player representation, standardized regulations and revenue sharing for teams.  Based on traditional sports association models, WESA also aims to create predictable schedules for fans, players, organizers and broadcasters by engaging all appropriate stakeholders. Pro League for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is the first professional esports competition that is played under WESA regulations (www.wesa.gg).

About Occitanie/Pyrénées-Méditerranée Region

Occitanie lies in the heart of Southern Europe and is France’s 2nd largest region (72,724 km²). With more than 600 jobs and 88 companies based here, the region offers a particularly attractive ecosystem in the video game sector. It is combining several support measures to boost and sustain the drive for innovation which is so vital to the growth of this sector. These include, in particular, its individual aid or collective support schemes. In June 2018, the Occitanie/Pyrénées-Méditerranée Region also supported Occitanie Esports, the largest gamer community gathering organised in the South of France, attracting more than 7,000 participants. Soon, with the Cité de l’Économie et des Métiers de Demain (economy and jobs of the future) in Montpellier or the Cité des Start-ups (Start-up Business Village) in Toulouse, the Region will play a key role in this ecosystem by helping those working in the video game sector to prosper.