After providing a platform for some of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive’s most exciting new competitive prospects, FACEIT will now be launching its famous Pro League in North America.
For both professional players and amateurs in Europe, the FACEIT Pro League has become one of the best ways to introduce new blood to the competitive circuit. Just a glance at some of the past two years’ most impressive new players like Robin “ropz” Kool, Kevin “HS” Tarn, and Tomáš “oskar” Šťastný will showcase the efficacy of the platform, and how it can be the first stepping stone of a pro gamer’s career.
Now, with its sights set toward North America, FACEIT’s chief product officer Fabio Floris hopes that the league will be as successful as its European counterpart—and is offering a number of incentives in the shape of multiple leagues, dedicated management staff, and monthly prize payouts.
“We want to make sure that all players involved in both FPL and FPL Challenger can find a group of people that interact with them directly every day to guarantee a good competitive experience to everyone,” Floris told Dot Esports.
Although the initial focus of FPL was primarily centered around watching pro players play against each other, Floris argues that the implementation of FPL in North America can serve an even bigger role. The platform allows its users to create their own leagues and tournaments through a feature known as “hubs.” Overlooked by a dedicated admin, hubs provide players with the ability to create an almost tailor-made online community—which would establish FACEIT as something more than just a matchmaking service within the region.
In terms of prize money, the FPL will be offering its top competitors a total of $20,000 a month as a means of providing something extra to its players. But Floris also said that the prize pool isn’t meant to act as the league’s primary incentive either. “The prize money is instead an additional way to support those players who cannot yet rely on any financial support because they’re temporarily without a contract, or because they didn’t manage to sign for any organization yet,” Floris said.
Ultimately, Floris claims that the main goal for FACEIT’s North American expansion is to ensure that any ambitious CS:GO player can find a dedicated space for not only improving their skill, but also to learn from the professionals that participate. “The presence of a community around the FPL means that many of these new young guys can rely on the support of the most experienced players to guide them through things which are completely new, like signing a contract, for example,” Floris said.
