
ESL announced the return of the ESL Pro League for 2016 that will feature two seasons with $750,000 prizes.
Today, ESL announced the schedule, along with invited teams, for the 2016 edition of the ESL Pro League (formerly known as the ESL ESEA Pro League). Beginning in the week of February 8th and running through the week of April 25th, the league will feature head-to-head matchups that culiminate in an offline event at the conclusion of each season.
ESL has upped the prize pool per season, increasing last year's $500,000 prize pool to $750,000 per season.
Each division, European and North American, will feature 12 teams. 22 of the 24 teams have been announced by ESL today, with one spot per region still to be claimed through a Wildcard playoff.
European Division:
Fnatic Natus Vincere Question Mark Team Enyvus Ex-Titan Team Dignitas Ninjas in Pyjamas mousesports Virtus.pro SK Gaming FlipSid3 Tactics WildcardNorth American Division:
Team Liquid Luminosity Gaming OpTic Gaming Counter Logic Gaming compLexity Gaming Cloud9 Splyce.gg EnemyGG Sponsorless Ex-Method Winterfox WildcardNotable absentees from the list of invited teams include the European mix G2 Esports and the Australian side Renegades who recently moved to North America. If these teams wish to participate in the league, they will have to qualify through the wildcard spot that is available in both regions.