We’re excited to announce the first StarCraft 2 LAN format open tournament of the Heartland eSports Association! This November 10th, competitors from across the Midwest region will gather in Lincoln, Nebraska to face off for a chance to win $400 in prizes and the title of StarCraft 2 “champion.” In addition, we will be hosting a LAN party, free to the public, held at the same location. Whether you are a skilled StarCraft 2 player or not, there will be something for everyone as a competitor, as a spectator, or as a casual player.
Entry into the tournament is just $12, and registration closes November 5th. Entry for the LAN party is FREE to everyone (but bring your own equipment).
When and Where?
All matches will be played live on November 10th, 2012 in the Nebraska Union Ballroom on the campus of the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. Matches will begin at 10:00 AM CST; click here for a full detailed schedule.
If more than 16 contestants register for the event, we will play three rounds online (1 upper, 2 lower) to reduced the number to 16 for the LAN event. These matches will be played on November 7th, beginning at 6:00 PM CST.
If you get eliminated during online rounds, please still come to the live event! You can always participate in the LAN party and watch the tournament with the rest of us.
What are the prizes?
The following prizes are based off an estimate pool of 32 participants. Should more than 32 register, the prize pool will be adjusted proportionally for every 8 additional participants.
First Place – $250 Second Place – $100 Third Place – $50
We will announce any increases to the prize pool via the website and email to participants.
What is the format?
Tournament format is double-elimination in rounds of best-of-three (Bo3) matches. The exception to this are the finals for the upper and lower brackets, and the grand finals, which are all Bo5.
Maps for play will be selected from the following pool:
GSL Ohana GSL Cloud Kingdom GSL Daybreak GSL Abyssal City ESV Khaydaria
In Bo3 rounds, each player will be afforded 1 veto. The first map of play will then be selected alternate veto, with starting player determined by coin flip. Subsequent maps in the series are Loser’s Pick.
Map choices for the upper and lower bracket finals, as well as the grand finals, will be determined in similar fashion. The exceptions are that Games 4 and 5 will be chosen via Loser’s Pick from the initially vetoed maps, and that the player starting the veto process for the grand finals will be the upper bracket champion.
How do I register?
Registration for the StarCraft 2 tournament is only $12 and must be made by Nov 5th at the latest. Registration payment can be submitted via PayPal or Stripe.
>>> REGISTER TO COMPETE HERE! <<<
The is NO COST to participate as a spectator or to participate in the LAN party; you only have to bring your equipment and smiling face. See below for what to bring.
What games will be played on the LAN?
Anything and everything your heart desires. More seriously, you can count on people to be playing StarCraft 2, Team Fortress 2, League of Legends, Dota 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Halo 4, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, and Minecraft, to name a few.
The LAN is open to PC and console players alike; just bring your gear and we’ll help connect you to the network. In true LAN fashion, bring what you want to play and we’ll play it.
What do I need to bring?
StarCraft 2 Competitors
Your PC and monitor Keyboard and mouse
PC Gamers (LAN only)
Your PC and monitor Keyboard and mouse Power strip An ethernet cable A network switch (not a router!!)
Console gamers
Your console system of choice A display (TV or monitor) Games you want to play Controllers Power strip Ethernet cable (optional system link) Network switch (optional system link)
|
Time is swiftly passing as the Heartland eSports Starcraft 2 Open approaches. In fact, registration for the event closes in just over 3 days! If you haven't registered yet, you can still do so here! At this time, we'd like to make the players and community aware of a few changes to the format of the event that you'll have to be sure to remember. Specifically, to allow for easier parking access for attendees, the event is being moved to the University of Nebraska East Campus Union. We are also announcing minor changes to the map pool, and contributions from QuickTEQ and 70MGame.
New Location
Inasmuch as UNL has a home football game against Penn State on Nov 10th and parking will be impossible anywhere near to city campus, we have decided to move the tournament to the East Campus Union. This will make it far easier for attendees of both the Starcraft 2 tournament and LAN party to park their vehicles and unload their equipment.
The address is Nebraska East Union, Lincoln, NE 68503. See this map for directions.
Time Change
With the change in venue comes a slight change in time. The event will now be starting at 9:00 AM and will last until 11:00 PM. This is only an hour earlier for both start and end from what was previously announced.
Map Pool Change
We've been keeping an eye on the balance of the maps we initially picked for the map pool and want to ensure the highest quality of play and best experience for players and spectators alike. To that end, we've decided to make a few small changes to the map pool that we believe will greatly improve the quality of the tournament. The new map pool is as follows:
MLG ESV Cloud Kingdom MLG Daybreak MLG Entombed Valley MLG Metropolis MLG Ohana GSL Abyssal City ESV Odd Eye AE
From the old pool, you'll note that we've moved to the MLG versions of the Cloud Kingdom, Daybreak and Ohana. This is because players are more familiar with these versions of the maps and their balance is top notch. We've also substituted ESV Odd Eye AE for ESV Khaydaria. This change is based on recent trends on balance data for these maps and on community feedback. We've also added MLG Entombed Valley and MLG Metropolis to the pool. These are two very solid maps and we wanted to increase the number of familiar options for players to choose from.
A few notes regarding the maps:
MLG Entombed Valley - No Close 3rds by Ground Spawns. MLG Metropolis - No Close by Ground Spawns. MLG Metropolis - Reduced decorations for better performance. MLG Metropolis - Island expansions removed.
QuickTEQ Bringing Computers
For those of you who attended the first Starcraft 2 tournament we ever held in Nebraska, you will remember that QuickTEQ provided us with several machines on which we ran the tournament. This made it easier for several players to travel out to compete as they didn't have to pack up their big gaming rigs and haul them out to the event. Well, we are pleased to announce that QuickTEQ will again be supplying computers for the event as a part of their sponsorship of the Heartland eSports Association!
We will be running the tournament primarily from these machines, meaning that players in the tournament need not worry about bringing their computers to the venue....unless they want to. Yes, if you prefer to play on your own machine, then by all means, bring it; but if you do not want to go to the hassle of packing it up and hauling it out, now you don't have to!
Of course, if you want to play as a part of the LAN party apart from Starcraft 2, you'll need to bring your own system, as per the previous announcement.
70MGame and Halo 4
We are also excited to announce that 70MGame will again be travelling down from Omaha to support our event and participate in the LAN party. This time they will be bringing down 8 XBOX consoles with copies of Halo 4 for participants to play! Since we'll have the equipment, we might as well hold a small prize tournament while we're at it. We don't have full details yet, but we will announce them as soon as we have them.
|