Since its initial announcement in January 2015, the ESL S.K.I.L.L. Pro League - and the game’s esports scene as a whole - have continued to grow significantly.
Before the advent of the Pro League, we held two offline S.K.I.L.L. events here at the ESL headquarters in Cologne: the ESL Euro Series Summer 2014 finals and the Allstars Cup 2014 finals. The ESL Pro League was the next logical step for Gameforge, thus providing an opportunity for the game and its esports scene to evolve. Now, with an incredible €52,753.20 to be won - a 300% increase on the €15,000 base prize thanks to fan contributions - tomorrow’s playoffs are just the start of something even bigger.
The standings
The first match day of the ESL S.K.I.L.L. Pro League took place on May the 13th 2015, and with the group stage now over, half of the teams’ futures rest on tomorrow’s playoffs.
Currently, the standings are as follows:
| Team | Points | Rounds (W-L) | Rounds Diff. |
| Senpai | 18 | 12-4 | 8 |
| Team Upside Down | 15 | 11-4 | 7 |
| PENTA Sports | 15 | 11-5 | 6 |
| EnRo GRIFFINS | 12 | 8-6 | 2 |
| nKnown | 9 | 6-9 | -3 |
| Enyxia | 6 | 6-11 | -5 |
| InFLAME Gaming | 6 | 5-10 | -5 |
| Synergy Club | 3 | 2-12 | -10 |
Having only lost against nKnown and currently sitting at the top of the standings with 18 points, Senpai are arguably the favorite to win. However, all participating teams have their eyes set firmly on the prize and won’t be giving it up without a fight.
The semifinalists
It isn’t the first time that tomorrow’s matchups - Senpai versus EnRo followed by Team Upside Down versus PENTA Sports - have happened. These four also met during week six’s group stage, with the final outcomes being as follows:
Senpai vs. EnRo GRIFFINS
- 9-5 on Peacehawk
- 9-8 on Desert Camp
Team Upside Down vs. PENTA Sports
- 9-6 on Satellite
- 9-8 on Power Station
Will Senpai and Upside Down triumph 2-0 again? Only tomorrow will tell...
You can find all the bracket information here.
The schedule
- Wednesday, July 8th, at 20:00 CEST - Semifinal one
- Wednesday, July 8th, at 21:00 CEST - Semifinal two
- Thursday, August 6th, at 16:00 CEST - Finals
Tune in tomorrow at 20:00 CEST and join Lauren “Pansy” Scott as she takes you through the action-packed ESL S.K.I.L.L. Pro League semifinals!
Tune in here tomorrow from 20:00 CEST!
We’d like to take this opportunity to thank our sponsors Gameforge and paysafecard - it’s been a great season so far and we’re looking forward to two epic semifinals as well as a fantastic grand final on the big stage at gamescom!
To stay up to date with the latest information about the ESL S.K.I.L.L. Pro League, be sure to follow ESL S.K.I.L.L. on Facebook and Twitter.
