CGS World Finals 2007 - TEK9 Networks

By J. Mallalieu and C. Rietbergen

Love it or hate it, the Championship Gaming Series, contrary to what many a 1.6 "fanboy" would have you believe, is here to stay. The "First Professional Gaming League" opened earlier this year to mixed acclaim, with many fearing it to be a corporate and Americanised soap opera meant to dumb down what is essentially an elitist sport. However since the demise of the WSVG and the ever diminishing support for the outspoken CPL, more and more the CGS is becoming an appealing prospect.

The initial premise was a simple one: Bring gaming to the mainstream and in so doing pay a large group of international gamers contracted to the league upwards of $30,000 a year not to mention tournament winnings. Starting off at the playboy mansion (always a good start) six franchises were born, each containing ten gamers from all over North America, and subsequently duked it out on national television to find out who would become the NA champion. Chicago Chimera, taking advantage of the CGS’s somewhat unique scoring system, clinched victory with its top-heavy PGR3 team, and grabbed the first spot in the World Finals. An underrated Carolina Core came a close second, thereby also receiving plain-tickets to LA, where they would compete with franchises from all over the world.

Fast forward a few months and twelve international teams have arrived in America with the sole intention of winning a chunk of the $1,000,000 prize fund and a whole heap of national pride to take home. The World Final is the culmination of a huge global hunt to find the best gamers around, featuring numerous combines, drafts and championships to determine who the lucky few would be.

The CGS, seemingly realising that an American business model would not necessarily work on foreign soil, set about gathering some of esport’s most recognised figures and teams such as 1.6 legend HeatoN, who is now the General Manager for the Stockholm franchise, the Brazilian MiBR and the Chinese wNv. However questions still remain as to whether these old-schoolers will have had enough time to adapt to a new game and take on some of the very best CS:S teams in the world such as former NoA and complexity, who made the switch at the end of 2006.

Personal and national pride is at stake and the spectators are eagerly awaiting the first results of this truly global event. Love it or hate it, one thing is for certain, the CGS World Finals will be an explosive tournament as the competition reaches fever pitch.