Rainbow Six: Siege is getting an upgrade with the GSA League 2020, a new e-sport event for the German-speaking region. We’ll show you everything you need to know about the league, the schedule, the rules, and more.
Recently, we briefly introduced the GSA League 2020 with its €30,000 prize pool – however, the prize pool has now been increased to €40,000. 8 teams from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland can qualify and will compete for victory over 14 days.
Here we explain in detail how exactly the new e-sport spectacle unfolds in one of the best shooters and what the GSA League actually is.
This article will be updated throughout the duration of the tournament. We will continuously provide you with results, highlights, and standings of the GSA League.
Invitational, Pro League, GSA League – What is all this?
This is the GSA League: The GSA League is the successor to the previously held Nationals in the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland).
Previously, Nationals (country tournaments) were held in each of the three countries, with the winners then competing against each other in the “Clash of Nations”. Now, in the GSA League, the qualifiers and playoffs are combined into a single event.
How does it differ from other e-sport? The GSA is smaller than the large “Major” or “Premier” tournaments like the Six Invitational or the Pro League. The differences briefly summarized:
- At the Six Invitational, teams from around the world qualify in their respective region and compete once a year for millions in prize money
- The Pro League has divisions in various regions and now takes place biannually. Teams qualify and the two best from each region compete in the finals
- The GSA League takes place only in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Participants must come from Europe, and there are specific rules regarding their residences in these countries
Although the tournament is smaller, the GSA Nationals have attracted a huge audience. During the playoffs in January 2020, over 22,000 viewers watched on the German Twitch channel alone (via sullygnome). Additionally, there were viewers on YouTube, the official Ubisoft channel, and VODs.
Highlights of the GSA League
While the GSA League is running, MeinMMO will provide you weekly with results from the match days as well as the highlights. On May 14, the first four matches of the participating teams took place. You can find the highlights here:
- Match Day 1: Newcomer FACT Gaming dismantles Turtle eSport with a perfect 7:0
- Match Day 2: FACT makes a stunning comeback against Rogue – like a thriller
- Match Day 3: mYinsanity loses to G2, showing how not to do it
- Match Day 4: FACT even puts G2 Esports on the ropes
- Match Day 5: FACT vs. DIVIZON – the best match of the GSA League
- Match Day 6: 4 tricks that you can learn from the pros
- Match Day 7: G2 Esports and Rogue achieve the first draw of the league
- Match Day 8: G2 loses for the first time – fans claim: it was intentional
- Match Day 9: Rogue wins against FACT, explains how it works
- Match Day 10: Severe defeat: strong German newcomers in Rainbow Six are not that strong after all
- Match Day 11: FACT defeats G2, but “that doesn’t feel right”
- Match Day 12: Daya from WarKidz pulls an ace against G2 Esports
- Match Day 13: FACT misses a chance for the final due to a wrong skin
- Match Day 14: Manager helps out at DIVIZON, they protect him and lose.
Playoffs and Final
When do the playoffs take place? On Saturday, September 12, and Sunday, September 13, the playoff weekend happens. On Saturday, the qualified teams will play in the semifinals. The teams are:
- Team Secret
- G2 Esports
- DIVIZON
- Rogue
On Sunday, the final takes place, where it will be decided who takes home the €10,000 prize for first place and the GSA title.
What happens to the other teams? The 5th and 6th places, WarKidz and FACT Gaming, are in the relegation zone and can participate in the GSA League again next year, just like the 1st to 4th places.
The 7th and 8th places, Turtle eSport and mYinsanity, are in relegation and must compete against the top teams of the Acension League to qualify again.
How can I watch? The tournament takes place offline in Munich (LAN). However, due to the corona crisis, no spectators will be allowed. Therefore, you will not be able to be there live in person.
Instead, the games will likely be streamed as before via Twitch and YouTube. You can find more about it further down in the article. If anything changes, we will update it as soon as possible.
What rules will be followed? In the final, teams play in a “Best-of-3” format. So whoever can win two games wins the match.
Additionally, there is an upper and a lower bracket, which means a winner and a loser group. In the final, the winners of both groups will face off.
Schedule, Tournament Rules, and Prize Money
When will the games be played? The regular match days of the GSA League concluded on August 3. Next up are the playoffs on September 12 and 13.
These were the qualifiers: Before the actual games of the GSA League, the qualifier matches took place in April and May. You can find the archive of the matches on the opleague website.
On May 3, the eight best teams competed in the playoffs to secure a top placement, which TRSH and DIVIZON managed to do.
What rules will be followed? In the qualifier rounds, a “Single Elimination” format is played in a closed league system with home and away matches. This means: whoever loses is out. There is also a points system that factors into the results, so the pure ratio of wins to losses is not the only thing that counts.
In the subsequent playoffs, the eight best teams play in a Best-of-3 to determine two finalists who qualify for the league matches.
In addition to these two qualified teams, Ubisoft directly invites six more teams to participate in the GSA League. In the league, the teams play one map in a Best-of-1.
How high is the prize money? There is a prize pool of over €40,000. The breakdown is as follows:
- €10,000 for 1st place
- €8,000 for 2nd place
- €5,200 each for 3rd and 4th place
- €4,000 for 5th place
- €3,200 for 6th place
- €2,400 for 7th place
- €2,000 for 8th place
Teams and Rankings
Who is playing in the GSA League? The participating teams for the GSA League are:
- G2 Esports
- Rogue
- OrgLess, now under contract with Team Secret
- DIVIZON
- Fact Gaming (formerly TRSH)
- mYinsanity
- WarKidz
- Turtle eSport
In our separate article, you can find more details about the teams of the GSA League.
This is the current ranking: On the website of the GSA League, the results of the matches are recorded after each match day. The table after the last match day looks like this:
The Rules of the GSA League
As it is a regional tournament, the teams must meet specific requirements in addition to some general ones:
- All players must be at least 18 years old and currently reside in Europe
- A maximum of nine people per team is allowed – including coach, analyst, and manager
- Three of the five playing players must have their current residence in Germany, Austria, or Switzerland
- Organizations can only have one team participating in global events
- Players participating in the GSA League are not allowed to participate in any other national Ubisoft league
With these rules, e-sport in the DACH region can indeed be promoted, provided there are no or fewer player transfers from other regions.
Do you want to try your hand at Rainbow Six Siege? Here you can find 5 tips for getting started in the shooter.
Twitch, YouTube, Mixer – Where can I watch the e-sport?
The GSA League will be broadcasted on the official German Twitch channel of Rainbow Six: Siege. We have embedded the stream here for you:
Rainbow Six Siege: So seht ihr die Deutsche Liga
Alle Infos, Ankündigungen und Streaming-Pläne zur großen deutschsprachigen GSA-Liga.
GameStar and MeinMMO are media partners of this year’s league for Rainbow Six: Siege in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. In the coming weeks and months, we will regularly report on our websites and channels about the league, matches, and teams.
