





Finland’s

most popular esports competition, the Finnish Esports League (FEL.gg)

is now part of Challengermode’s NEL (National Esports Leagues) project,

joining a quickly growing group of regional or national leagues across

Europe. Some of the other regions include the Baltics, the Balkans,

Spain and Portugal as well as the Nordic countries. Having previously

operated as a standalone competition, the FEL.gg will now provide its

top teams with the chance to qualify into Nordic and European regional

competitions, bridging the gap between amateur and professional esports

on the one hand, and the local and international on the other hand.

“We’re

more than excited to include the FEL within our NEL competitions, as it

will provide the Finnish esports scene with the longevity and

seriousness it deserves. Having previously hosted the FEL as part of the

larger Nordic Esports Leagues we can now together with FEL take the

competition to the next level by offering local language broadcasts,

improved operations and a closer connection to grassroots esports in

Finland. Needless to say, we believe this is a great thing for both the

NEL project as a whole and the local Finnish esports ecosystem.”

- Philip Skogsberg, CMO at Challengermode

Running

on challengermode.com using the league system, the FEL will now provide

a structure for amateur and semi-pro teams to play in a serious but

accessible esports environment, while allowing participants to compete

at a skill level that is appropriate to them, regardless of where in the

division structure they are playing.

"By

joining forces with Challengermode, we are able to not only accelerate

the growth of our established leagues but also help the Finnish teams

and players reach new heights. Professionalizing the booming esports

scene in Finland has been a top priority for us since day one, and with a

partner like Challengermode and the tools they are providing us with,

we are taking a huge leap forward in that process.”

- Jussi Halme, CEO at FEL

Within

the NEL framework, all the regional or national leagues receive one or

more qualification spots to a larger yearly pan-European competition,

providing a clear path to the top for non-pro and semi-pro teams. More

information will be announced about this in the near future.

The

latest season of the FEL on Challengermode started on March 4th and

will run alongside the upcoming seasons for the other Nordic leagues in

Sweden, Denmark and Norway, starting in April. FEL is primarily played

in the game CS:GO, while DreamHack will continue running the Finnish

league as a qualifier for the Nordic ERL in League of Legends.

In summary:

FEL.gg launches CS:GO league via Challengermode, including it as part of the NELs.

The best teams in the league will get a chance to qualify to larger pan-European competitions.

The

national leagues, jointly named NEL - National Esports Leagues - were

launched as a concept during spring of 2018. The NEL is a new

competitive ecosystem that is based on several interconnected national

or regional league competitions across several popular game titles. The

purpose with the leagues is to create a structure where regular players

can compete at their skill level in national competitions and get the

chance to go all the way to international professional competitions.

Challengermode

will continue to expand the NEL framework to more countries &

regions in Europe throughout 2019. Established tournament organizers and

esports broadcasting companies are urged to submit their interest to

host NEL competitions in their region through the partner portal.

Challengermode

Challengermode

is a Swedish tech startup working on a competitive gaming platform that

offers the most accessible competitive gaming experience for

professional and non-professional gamers alike. Working closely with

game developers, brands and tournament organizers, the Stockholm based

company provides an esports platform built to combat a growing

disconnect within the esports industry.

Tens

of thousands of tournaments have been hosted through the platform

together with partners and brands such as Dreamhack and OMEN by HP. Some

of these include the "Nordic University Esports Championship" and

"League of Schools", two popular school competitions. With these and

future competitions Challengermode aims to build a bridge between

amateurs and professionals and provide a clear path to the top.