Beginning this Sunday, June 9th at 15:00 GMT...
The $100 ESOC Underused Cup!
ESOCTV >> Tournament Bracket << Escape
Although the top 8 matches for the NWC cup are a little over a month away, tournament coverage here at ESOC is far from over. As mentioned with the announcement of the Grand Tour Season 2, we'll be running five tournaments over the next two months, with top finishers making their way to playoff slots later this year.
That first tournament is the Underused Cup, a tournament which cuts the top five most-played civilizations from players' repertoires. Unlike many ESOC tournaments, this one takes place over a single day, with the First Round starting at 15 GMT Sunday the 9th (i.e. tomorrow) and the finals ending on the same day. If the NWC is the final exam, rewarding careful study and preparation, then a one-day tournament is a pop quiz, demanding that you be ready for whatever your opponents might throw at you.
It's not quite fair to say that removing the top five civs from the game will push whatever is 6th-best into the top slot. Civs whose matchups are weak to the top-played civs but strong against the rest of the field have the best chance at reaching the top. It's not immediately obvious which - if any - civilization fulfills that role, and it will be up to the players to resolve the new meta over the course of the day.
And there's no shortage of players capable of solving it. NWC top 8s like LordRaphael, Mitoe, Kaiserklein, and tabben are showing up. Numerous players who fell just short of that spot, like IAmSoldieR, Aizamk, and Garja are coming as well. Even the legendary umeu has graced us with his presence, opting this time to sign up with three accounts. Hopefully he won't have to play against himself.
In addition, 50% of donations received on-stream will go directly towards the event prize pool. Be sure to support your favorite players as they climb their way through the bracket! You can tune in on ESOCTV and EscapeAoE tomorrow for the event's live coverage. See ya then!
