You’ve waited for a while, but now it is finally here: The 9th Main Season in ETF2L’s history! Today, we will reveal the signup schedule as well as the full map schedule. There are plenty of interesting additions this season, so be sure to read on!

Initially the plan was to run 2 full seasons before summer, but that plan was scrapped after some re-thinking and requests. With Season 9 starting in March there should be a smaller gap in summer, and plenty of room for other popular events, maybe even the most famous event of all…

But first, it’s time for the new main season. There will be a fresh wind of maps and rulesets that will hopefully bring a great season for everyone. So gather some friends, find a team, go practise and get ready!

Season 9 Signup Schedule:

Signups open: Friday March 4th

Signups close: Friday March 11th

Seedings published: Tuesday March 15th

Week 1 start: Monday March 21st

The Maps

Besides classic old maps like Badlands, Granary, Gravelpit and Gullywash returning to the map pool, there are some new maps, some of which will be quite familiar to ETF2L veterans. With a map schedule that allows for easy preparation and training, the new additions will surely prove interesting. Update: Due to some disclarity, and requests on the size of the map pool, we will be switching Obscure out for another Gullywash and Badlands. Get training!

Warmfront:

Coldfront. Some loved it, some hated it. For both groups the sun will shine happily! Warmfront is an updated version of Coldfront that implements a more natural theme but primarily brings some gameplay changes and improvements that should hopefully make the non-believers see light.

Download: cp_warmfront

Bazillion:

A new and very intriguing map from Gullywash creator, Arnold. Like Gullywash, Bazillion has seen countless of iterations and betas, hopefully leading to a map that can rival its predecessor. As one of the more exotic maps in the pool it will certainly be interesting to see how it will fare. Be sure to check it out!

Download: cp_bazillion_rc2

Turbine_pro:

An old-time favourite of the map pool has returned with a few twists and changes. First of all, a “pro” version of Turbine was released, which should make the map more dynamic and less confined as well as add some long awaited changes, like the ammo packs on middle. In addition to that, CTF gameplay using multiple rounds has grown in favour recently. Therefore, the new Turbine version will use the following rules:

Turbine rules (it really does)

Turbine will be played with a 30 minute map timer in a round based format. The first team to reach 5 flag captures will win a round. Like Gravelpit, the first team to win 2 rounds will be the winner of the map. If after 30 minutes the teams have won an equal number of rounds, the team leading in captures is the winner. If captures are also equal, a new game with first to 3 captures should be played to decide the winner.

You will not need to change server settings or restart the config between rounds, though you can set mp_winlimit 2 for convenience. The upcoming ETF2L config will handle the other settings by default (tf_flag_caps_per_round 5). With a new rule set and several improvements to the map this will surely be great fun!

Download: ctf_turbine_pro_rc1

Gullywash Update:

One of the most popular custom maps recently received an update. It features some bug-fixes as well as some improvements to CP1. In spite of – or thanks to – the loss of the iconic water section, CP1 should be harder to turtle now. This updated version grants some great changes and will be used in season 9, so be sure to download it and use it in your future matches!

Download: cp_gullywash pro

Full Map Schedule:

Week 1: Badlands / Warmfront

Week 2: Gravelpit / Warmfront

Week 3: Gravelpit / Granary

Week 4: Turbine_pro / Granary

Week 5: Turbine_pro / Gullywash

Week 6: Badlands / Gullywash

Week 7: Bazillion / Gullywash

Week 8: Bazillion / Badlands

Week 9: Granary / Badlands

Stay tuned for more info on rules and prizes!