Slasher Profile Joined September 2007 United States 1059 Posts Last Edited: 2011-02-26 00:35:52 #1



With Halo: Reach and StarCraft 2 passes set to go on sale on Tuesday, March 1, MLG is pleased to announce the new competition format for the 2011 Season.



Open Bracket/Championship Bracket



Like Halo, the Starcraft 2 competition will now be split up into an Open Bracket, and a Championship Bracket. The Top 16 ranked players heading into each Live Competition will be entered directly into the Championship Bracket, while the other 256 (max) players will be entered into the Open Bracket. 16 players from Open Bracket will join the top 16 ranked players to form a 32-man Championship Bracket. The 2011 season and initial rankings for the first event in Dallas will be based on the total points accumulated from the 2010 season.



Pool Play



The Top 16 ranked players in StarCraft 2 heading into each Live Competition will be divided into four pools of five players each. The fifth player in each pool will be derived from the four players that emerge from the Open Bracket undefeated. The Open Bracket format has not changed from the 2010 Season. It is still a double-elimination, best-of-three bracket.



Pool Play will begin on the Friday of each Pro Circuit Live Competition weekend, with the Top 16 players playing every other player in their pool in a best-of-five series. After Open Bracket play is complete and the undefeated competitors become the fifth player in each pool, they will then run the gauntlet, playing each player in the pool based on the current pool standings, beginning with the 4th Place player and ending with the 1st Place player.



The results of Pool Play will dictate where each team/player is placed in the Championship Bracket.



Pool Play Results



1st Place – Winners Bracket Semi-Finals



2nd Place – Losers Bracket Round 6



3rd Place – Losers Bracket Round 5



4th Place – Losers Bracket Round 4



5th Place – Losers Bracket Round 3



A simulated bracket can be seen at



Once Pool Play is complete, the Championship Bracket Format is identical to the 2010 Season. The Bracket will play out until one player remains and is crowned Champion. Players that lose in the Open Bracket will be placed in the Championship Losers Bracket, based on the same criteria as the 2010 Season.



More details on specifics regarding Pool Play, including how pools are determined and tiebreakers, can be found in the Pro Circuit Section.



StarCraft 2 and Halo: Reach will Use the Same Competition Format



Both games will feature Open Brackets, Pool Play, and a Championship Bracket. The only major difference between the two is that StarCraft 2 will feature a best-of-three series in all portions of the tournament, while Halo: Reach will feature a best-of-three Open Bracket and a best-of-five Championship Bracket.



Open Bracket Results Now Carry Over to Championship Bracket Matches



If two teams meet in the Championship Bracket after meeting in the Open Bracket, they will play an extended series, taking the previous best-of-three results into account. Here is a quick rundown of the extended series specifics:



Best of 3 + Best of 3 = Best of 7



Best of 3 + Best of 5 = Best of 9



Best of 5 + Best of 5 = Best of 11



The Removal of Placement Rounds



Because of the way Pool Play works, there will be no more Placement Rounds within the Championship Bracket.



Why These Changes Have Been Made



The new Competition Format in 2011 will result in a more exciting and fair competition for all MLG teams. It will also produce more matches over the course of the weekend for fans around the globe. For more information on MLG Dallas, including Schedules, Rules/Settings, and a full rundown of the Competition Format, be sure to check out the Pro Circuit Section.



StarCraft 2 Competition Passes will go on sale in the MLG Store Tuesday at 7pm ET/01:00 CET. Don’t miss out! With Halo: Reach and StarCraft 2 passes set to go on sale on Tuesday, March 1, MLG is pleased to announce the new competition format for the 2011 Season.Like Halo, the Starcraft 2 competition will now be split up into an Open Bracket, and a Championship Bracket. The Top 16 ranked players heading into each Live Competition will be entered directly into the Championship Bracket, while the other 256 (max) players will be entered into the Open Bracket. 16 players from Open Bracket will join the top 16 ranked players to form a 32-man Championship Bracket. The 2011 season and initial rankings for the first event in Dallas will be based on the total points accumulated from the 2010 season.The Top 16 ranked players in StarCraft 2 heading into each Live Competition will be divided into four pools of five players each. The fifth player in each pool will be derived from the four players that emerge from the Open Bracket undefeated. The Open Bracket format has not changed from the 2010 Season. It is still a double-elimination, best-of-three bracket.Pool Play will begin on the Friday of each Pro Circuit Live Competition weekend, with the Top 16 players playing every other player in their pool in a best-of-five series. After Open Bracket play is complete and the undefeated competitors become the fifth player in each pool, they will then run the gauntlet, playing each player in the pool based on the current pool standings, beginning with the 4th Place player and ending with the 1st Place player.The results of Pool Play will dictate where each team/player is placed in the Championship Bracket.1st Place – Winners Bracket Semi-Finals2nd Place – Losers Bracket Round 63rd Place – Losers Bracket Round 54th Place – Losers Bracket Round 45th Place – Losers Bracket Round 3A simulated bracket can be seen at http://media.mlgpro.com/site/files/PoolPlaySimulated.htm Once Pool Play is complete, the Championship Bracket Format is identical to the 2010 Season. The Bracket will play out until one player remains and is crowned Champion. Players that lose in the Open Bracket will be placed in the Championship Losers Bracket, based on the same criteria as the 2010 Season.More details on specifics regarding Pool Play, including how pools are determined and tiebreakers, can be found in the Pro Circuit Section.Both games will feature Open Brackets, Pool Play, and a Championship Bracket. The only major difference between the two is that StarCraft 2 will feature a best-of-three series in all portions of the tournament, while Halo: Reach will feature a best-of-three Open Bracket and a best-of-five Championship Bracket.If two teams meet in the Championship Bracket after meeting in the Open Bracket, they will play an extended series, taking the previous best-of-three results into account. Here is a quick rundown of the extended series specifics:Best of 3 + Best of 3 = Best of 7Best of 3 + Best of 5 = Best of 9Best of 5 + Best of 5 = Best of 11Because of the way Pool Play works, there will be no more Placement Rounds within the Championship Bracket.The new Competition Format in 2011 will result in a more exciting and fair competition for all MLG teams. It will also produce more matches over the course of the weekend for fans around the globe. For more information on MLG Dallas, including Schedules, Rules/Settings, and a full rundown of the Competition Format, be sure to check out the Pro Circuit Section.StarCraft 2 Competition Passes will go on sale in the MLG Store Tuesday at 7pm ET/01:00 CET. Don’t miss out!