After over a yr of delays, the Champion of Champions Tour (CCT) is now nicely underway, with worldwide Group Levels and Playoffs happening now into early 2023.
The CCT has been challenging for organizers to say the least. When it was initially announced in April 2021, the intention was for a Champion of Champions World Remaining occasion by the top of 2022. The present expectation in response to organizers is that those self same finals to happen in January 2024, with a complete prize pool of $3.4m being awarded between from time to time. Discuss lacking a deadline.
Inner drama at CCT?
CCT was initially introduced as a competitor to BLAST and ESL beneath the title Elisa Champion of Champions, a contest the place European groups might enhance their rankings with out being official companions of the biggest leagues. The founders on the time had been Elisa, Relog Media, Funspark and GRID Esports. So why the massive delays?
Throughout the delays, CCT has been shrouded in thriller. Of the founders, solely Relog Media and GRID Esports are nonetheless a part of the mission. It’s an enormous change, given Elisa’s title was entrance and centre to the promotion. And what’s worse – nobody appears to know when Elisa and Funspark left the mission. The web site was rebranded and new companions boarded, with FACEIT, Fantasy Expo and Eden Esports all concerned. GRID Esports are notably essential to the mission, as CCT use their information to rank particular person participant and workforce efficiency. The info-driven nature is one thing they’ve leant into closely throughout advertising and marketing, so to lose that may be disastrous.
With funding in fixed flux, it is smart that it’s taken so lengthy for the mission to return collectively. Regardless of the delays, we’re simply completely happy CCT appears to be nicely on its means. Extra competitors to the large boys like ESL and BLAST isn’t a nasty factor, particularly after they give smaller groups a chance on the large stage. CCT are boasting over 3000 best-of-three matchups within the build-up to their Grand Remaining, with over 10,000 hours of broadcast. That’s an absurd quantity of Counter-Strike, and with nice manufacturing might see CCT brute-force themselves into the sport’s elite tournaments.
Presently, Central Europe and North America have their common CCT sequence occurring. In the meantime, the latest CCT Playoff was the North Europe Sequence 2, which noticed dev1ce’s return to competitive play. The sequence was finally gained by ENCE, who defeated HAVU 2-0.
I’ve to commend the choice to begin the majority of the competitors in November and December and fill within the empty low season calendar slot. On the very least, it supplies groups a spot to bootcamp and check out their rosters.
