Once again there were two Invite Division regions comprised of 32 teams each, bringing ESL Pro League and major-level teams together with hot up-and-comers looking to break out at their expense. Both divisions featured a number of teams returning from Winners League Season 2 alongside interesting newcomers.
The teams are set, groups are announced. Season 3 of WINNERS League is coming 🔥https://t.co/V6gACuCOfh
— Winners League (@WinnersLeagueGG) 18 de octubre de 2019
They faced some tough new opponents this time, though. North American staple eUnited looked to start the Ryan "freakazoid" Abadir era strong after adding the ex-Cloud9 star in September. He competed against former Ghost Gaming teammate Joshua “steel” Nissan, who has been playing alongside Ben’s Anime Team. The Americas division was headlined by a number of top teams from last season. Previous winners Swole Patrol, who won Season 2 under the Lazarus Esports banner, returned for Season 3 alongside other strong performers such as ATK, Team Singularity, and INTZ Esports.
There are plenty of young teams looking to make a name in Winners League as well. The New England Whalers, Ascent Esports, and 7sins Esports are all organizations that could carve out a spot in the upper echelons of the region.
Epsilon Esports’ new Belgian lineup will look to keep its strong start going. Enduring French organization Team LDLC joined the fray with its retooled roster. DreamHack Showdown Valencia winners Besiktas Esports look to establish itself beyond the scope of dedicated women’s events. The list goes on! The Europe division welcomed back a slew of Season 2 teams including the likes of Unique Team, PACT, and runners-up Nemiga Gaming. Some very exciting new additions are also being made for Season 3.
Winners League is built around giving new teams the opportunity to climb the professional ladder and in honor of that, Season 2 Main Division winner Vexed Gaming will be promoted to the Invite Division for Season 3.
The Winners League Season 3 Invite Division regular season began on October 21. The regular season will see each group contested in a round-robin format, with best-of-one series. The top four teams will advance to the playoffs, which will be a 16-team, single-elimination bracket conested with best-of-three series.
Both Invite Divisions will boast a $15,000 prize pool. First place will receive $7,000 while second takes $3,000. $1,500 will go to the eliminated semifinalists, while top-eight finishers will receive $500.
Sign-ups for the open divisions closed on October 20.