It’s finally official: Every major Counter-Strike in the world is confirmed for Turner’s ambitious $1.2 million ELEAGUE, the new esports league that will premiere on American television next month.
ESL Cologne and Katowice 2015 champions Fnatic, DreamHack Leipzig winners Natus Vincere and MLG Columbus Major winners Luminosity Gaming have all been confirmed for the first $1.2 million season.
Those teams join Cloud9, Renegades, Counter Logic Gaming (CLG), Astralis, Ninjas in Pyjamas (NiP), Mousesports, all of which Turner announced months ago.
ELEAGUE is one of four confirmed tournaments with a seven-figure prizepool in Counter-Strike this year, propelling the game forward in its argument to be the number one esport. It’s the most popular game among esports fans to both watch and play, and ELEAGUE is about to put it front and center on a major cable network.
While ELEAGUE is the only esports competition on U.S. television, the league still faces stiff competition. The new Esports Championship Series, run by Twitch and FACEIT run, boasts a $3.5 million prizepool—the biggest in the history of first person shooters.
Among the other teams newly announced today are DreamHack Cluj winners EnVyUs, FaZe Clan, Team Liquid and DreamHack Malmo surprise package Tyloo. Optic Gaming won their place in the league in the live qualifier at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES).
The big omission in the eyes of many fans will be Tempo Storm, who were also excluded from the inaugural season of ECS.
In total, 24 teams will participate in the league.
Here’s the full lineup for ELEAGUE:
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Astralis
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Cloud9
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Counter Logic Gaming
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EnVyUs
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FaZe Clan
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Fnatic
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Team Liquid
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Luminosity Gaming
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Mousesports
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Natus Vincere
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Ninjas in Pyjamas
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Optic Gaming
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Renegades
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Tyloo
The inaugural season of ELEAGUE begins May 24, with the premiere on TBS slated for May 27. The season will conclude with live finals on July 30.
