We are thrilled to announce that ESL and ESEA are joining forces to create the ESL ESEA Pro League, which is set to start this May. With a prize pool of US$1,000,000 for 2015 and full travel support for the offline finals, we are now on the hunt for the world’s top teams to bring their absolute best in this newly formed league.

Almost 30 years of combined experience

ESEA and ESL, who have a combined almost 30 years of experience in high-quality esports production and broadcasting, working together means that teams and fans alike can expect the cream of the crop in CS:GO. Scheduled around Valve-supported major events such as ESL One Katowice 2015, this new league is set to be the most prestigious CS:GO league in the world and is meant to consolidate the CS:GO scene.

Ralf Reichert, managing director of ESL, said of the ESL ESEA Pro League:
“ESL started out with Counter-Strike more than fifteen years ago. Now, many years later, we are extremely humbled to be in a position where we can pioneer the first regular US$500,000 Counter-Strike tournament together with ESEA. We are proud to have continuously lead the industry in terms of innovation and broadcasting quality and are sure that this new venture will be an unparalleled experience for our global audience. We couldn’t be more excited.”

Eric Thunberg, president and CEO of ESEA, said of their new cooperative endeavour:
"ESEA is where the pros play - it's been that way for more than a decade - and combining our league expertise, a million dollars and ESL's exceptional production quality represents a major milestone for everyone who loves Counter-Strike."

To underline this step being just the first, ESL and ESEA have already confirmed that they will be increasing the prize money over the coming years to strengthen the competitive scene even more.

About the ESL ESEA Pro League

Starting on May the 4th, the ESL ESEA Pro League will see league seasons over the course of multiple months. Both North America and Europe will see one division each, with the 12 best teams from their respective regions to compete within them. Weekly matches, protected by ESEA’s industry leading anti-cheat client, will precede the four-day offline finals for both divisions, which will take place at the ESL studios in Burbank, California, and Cologne, Germany.

For more about the ESL ESEA Pro League, check the official homepage and keep an eye on ESL CS:GO on Twitter and Facebook.