Championship Gaming Series
Encyclopedia
The Championship Gaming Series was an international electronic sports
league based in the United States of America
, though it had expanded to every continent except Antarctica for Season Two before being abruptly discontinued.
The league was founded in 2007 and is owned and operated by DirecTV
in association with British Sky Broadcasting
and STAR TV (Asia)
.
in a 30-minute special in 2005, but there were complaints about the quality of the production.
Meanwhile, the World Series of Poker
had become a popular program on ESPN
and had turned no-limit Texas hold 'em
poker
into a spectator sport. Influenced by its success, David Hill
, an executive at Fox Sports
and DirecTV
(and himself an avid video gamer) pitched the idea of a TV program based on video gaming.
In the summer of 2006, a pilot episode called CGI for Championship Gaming Invitational was taped at Treasure Island in San Francisco, California
. It featured a Counter-Strike 1.6 match in which Team compLexity beat Team 3D. It also introduced the Dead Or Alive pro players such as "Master" Emmanuel Rodriguez who later went on to star for the league as pro gamers. This was also the only time that Battlefield 2
was featured in the CGS franchise, as the world champions Code7 took on three American teams. The first Invitational was said to produce a 400% plus increase in ratings for DirecTV's 101 channel at the time. The first pilot was then followed up by 2nd CGI2 Invitational event in Los Angeles which also introduced first female superstar gamer "Vanessa" Vanessa Arteaga. After the ratings showed some more promise, a full season with a league structure was planned for 2007.
players (one male and one female), one FIFA 07
player, and two Project Gotham Racing 3
players. CGS held their first ever draft at the Playboy Mansion
in Los Angeles
with Vanessa Arteaga
being selected as the overall number 1 pick.
The first televised match was shown on DirecTV
-exclusive channel, The 101, on July 9, 2007. The Region 1 Grand Finals were held on July 30, 2007 in Los Angeles. The Chicago Chimera defeated the Carolina Core by 22 points to 21, to become the first CGS Regional Champions. In the World Finals in December, the Chimera defeated the Core again to become World Champions and win the $500,000 top prize.
(The above-mentioned Team 3D and Team CompLexity of the pilot were later expanded to two of the league's other teams, the New York 3D and the Los Angeles Complexity respectively.)
player switching to FIFA 2008, and the Project Gotham Racing 3
players switching to Forza Motorsport 2
. On June 16, 2008, The 101 showed the first televised match of the second CGS season.
The Region 1 finals saw Carolina Core beat the Dallas Venom by a single point to become the North American Regional Champions.
The World Finals immediately followed the North American season, beginning on July 14. On July 28, 2008, the Birmingham Salvo defeated the San Francisco Optx to become the CGS World Champions for 2008, as well as the first international team to not only make the final, but win it as well.
On November 18, 2008, it was announced on esports portal Cadred
.org that the Championship Gaming Series would be ceasing operations immediately, news that was confirmed only hours later on the Championship Gaming Series' official website. The reasons for the departure of CGS remain unclear, but Hill had left DirecTV after it was purchased by Liberty Media
and therefore was no longer in charge of any programming on The 101.
Season 2 supported the following games:
s then meet and draft players to participate in the league. Combines are open to all comers.
In 2008, leagues could protect players in two of the five events; everyone else is put into the draft pool and can go to any team.
No bonus points are awarded to any team for winning an event.
. Tickets were free and were distributed by Jam Packed Entertainment.http://www.jampackedtv.com/ContactUs.aspx
The announcers on the DirecTV telecasts in 2008 were Paul "ReDeYe" Chaloner
, Marcus "djWHEAT" Graham, Johnathan "Fatal1ty" Wendel, and Andrew Siciliano. The original host was Stryker, also a disc jockey on KROQ-FM
radio in Los Angeles; Stryker left before the 2007 world final.
The 2008 world tournament was seen on G4
in a Saturday-night highlight package, in addition to the live telecasts on DirecTV.
The information in the following sections applies to the 2007 season
. See 2008 Championship Gaming Series season
for the most up-to-date information.
players (one male and one female), one FIFA 07
player, and two Project Gotham Racing 3
players.
The Region 1 Grand Finals were held on July 30, 2007 in Los Angeles. The Chicago Chimera defeated the Carolina Core 22-21 to become the first CGS Regional Champions. Both Chicago and Carolina competed in the World Finals on December 14, 2007 and Chicago won the World Championship.
Electronic sports
Electronic sports comprises the competitive play of video games. Other terms include competitive gaming, professional gaming and cybersports...
league based in the United States of America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, though it had expanded to every continent except Antarctica for Season Two before being abruptly discontinued.
The league was founded in 2007 and is owned and operated by DirecTV
DirecTV
DirecTV is an American direct broadcast satellite service provider and broadcaster based in El Segundo, California. Its satellite service, launched on June 17, 1994, transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States, Latin America, and the Anglophone Caribbean. ...
in association with British Sky Broadcasting
British Sky Broadcasting
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc is a satellite broadcasting, broadband and telephony services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, with operations in the United Kingdom and the Ireland....
and STAR TV (Asia)
STAR TV (Asia)
Satellite Television Asian Region is an Asian TV service owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation.In 2009, News Corporation restructured STAR Asia into four units – STAR India, STAR Greater China, STAR Select and Fox International Channels....
.
Origins
Although professional video game contests had been going on for several years, organizers recognized the need for it to gain greater exposure, preferably through regular telecasts. The World Series of Gaming was shown on MTVMTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
in a 30-minute special in 2005, but there were complaints about the quality of the production.
Meanwhile, the World Series of Poker
World Series of Poker
The World Series of Poker is a world-renowned series of poker tournaments held annually in Las Vegas and, since 2005, sponsored by Harrah's Entertainment...
had become a popular program on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
and had turned no-limit Texas hold 'em
Texas hold 'em
Texas Hold 'em is a variation of the standard card game of poker. The game consists of two cards being dealt face down to each player and then five community cards being placed face-up by the dealer—a series of three then two additional single cards , with...
poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
into a spectator sport. Influenced by its success, David Hill
David Hill
-Politicians:* David B. Hill , Governor of the U.S. state of New York, 1885–1891, U.S. Senator from New York, 1892–1897* David Jayne Hill , politician from New York, United States Assistant Secretary of State, 1898–1903...
, an executive at Fox Sports
Fox Sports (USA)
Fox Sports is a division of the Fox Broadcasting Company . It was formed in 1994 with Fox's acquisition of broadcast rights to National Football League games...
and DirecTV
DirecTV
DirecTV is an American direct broadcast satellite service provider and broadcaster based in El Segundo, California. Its satellite service, launched on June 17, 1994, transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States, Latin America, and the Anglophone Caribbean. ...
(and himself an avid video gamer) pitched the idea of a TV program based on video gaming.
In the summer of 2006, a pilot episode called CGI for Championship Gaming Invitational was taped at Treasure Island in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
. It featured a Counter-Strike 1.6 match in which Team compLexity beat Team 3D. It also introduced the Dead Or Alive pro players such as "Master" Emmanuel Rodriguez who later went on to star for the league as pro gamers. This was also the only time that Battlefield 2
Battlefield 2
Battlefield 2 is a computer game by the Swedish developer Digital Illusions CE . During development, Trauma Studios contributed to the development of the game after it was acquired by DICE...
was featured in the CGS franchise, as the world champions Code7 took on three American teams. The first Invitational was said to produce a 400% plus increase in ratings for DirecTV's 101 channel at the time. The first pilot was then followed up by 2nd CGI2 Invitational event in Los Angeles which also introduced first female superstar gamer "Vanessa" Vanessa Arteaga. After the ratings showed some more promise, a full season with a league structure was planned for 2007.
CGS Pro-Am
The CGS Pro-Am Division was a players opportunity to play against the Pros and compete for more than $40,000 in cash prizes. The first season included Counter-Strike 1.6, Counter-Strike: Source, and Team Fortress 2 tournaments. Sadly, shortly after the first season was completed The CGS franchise was cut by Direct-TV which ultimately ended this opportunity for another competitive league for the everyday gamer.2007 season
The first CGS season consisted of six franchises from six different major cities throughout Region 1 (the U.S. and Canada) plus a total of ten more franchises from the other Global Regions around the world. Each franchise consisted of a total of ten players: five Counter-Strike:Source players, two Dead or Alive 4Dead or Alive 4
Dead or Alive 4 has received generally positive reviews. IGN gave the game 9.0/10, calling it "a move in the right direction for the series", and praised the fighting system as "deeper and more sophisticated". GameSpot awarded the game a score of 8.8/10, with one of its only negative comments going...
players (one male and one female), one FIFA 07
FIFA 07
FIFA 07 is the 2007 edition of EA Sports' series of football simulator video games. Developed by EA Canada, it is published by Electronic Arts....
player, and two Project Gotham Racing 3
Project Gotham Racing 3
Project Gotham Racing 3 is an arcade-style racing game that was released with the launch of the Xbox 360 on November 22, 2005 for the US market and December 2, 2005 in Europe, and was released on January 12, 2006 in Japan. Developed by Bizarre Creations, it is the third installment in the Project...
players. CGS held their first ever draft at the Playboy Mansion
Playboy Mansion
The Playboy Mansion is the home of Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner. Located in the Holmby Hills area of Los Angeles, California, the mansion became famous during the 1970s through media reports of Hefner's lavish parties.-History:The house is described as being in the "Gothic-Tudor" style...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
with Vanessa Arteaga
Vanessa Arteaga
-Championship Gaming Series:Arteaga was the first pick in the draft of the Championship Gaming Series video game league list of players, excelling in the area of fighting games such as Dead or Alive 4.-References:...
being selected as the overall number 1 pick.
The first televised match was shown on DirecTV
DirecTV
DirecTV is an American direct broadcast satellite service provider and broadcaster based in El Segundo, California. Its satellite service, launched on June 17, 1994, transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States, Latin America, and the Anglophone Caribbean. ...
-exclusive channel, The 101, on July 9, 2007. The Region 1 Grand Finals were held on July 30, 2007 in Los Angeles. The Chicago Chimera defeated the Carolina Core by 22 points to 21, to become the first CGS Regional Champions. In the World Finals in December, the Chimera defeated the Core again to become World Champions and win the $500,000 top prize.
(The above-mentioned Team 3D and Team CompLexity of the pilot were later expanded to two of the league's other teams, the New York 3D and the Los Angeles Complexity respectively.)
2008 season
In 2008, two new franchises were added: the Kuala Lumpur Taufan and the Dubai Mirage. The franchise player setup remained the same, with the FIFA 07FIFA 07
FIFA 07 is the 2007 edition of EA Sports' series of football simulator video games. Developed by EA Canada, it is published by Electronic Arts....
player switching to FIFA 2008, and the Project Gotham Racing 3
Project Gotham Racing 3
Project Gotham Racing 3 is an arcade-style racing game that was released with the launch of the Xbox 360 on November 22, 2005 for the US market and December 2, 2005 in Europe, and was released on January 12, 2006 in Japan. Developed by Bizarre Creations, it is the third installment in the Project...
players switching to Forza Motorsport 2
Forza Motorsport 2
Forza Motorsport 2 is a racing video game developed by Turn 10 Studios for the Xbox 360 console. It is the second title in the Forza Motorsport series, and is the sequel to the original Forza Motorsport and is followed by Forza Motorsport 3 .The box art features a tuned Nissan 350Z...
. On June 16, 2008, The 101 showed the first televised match of the second CGS season.
The Region 1 finals saw Carolina Core beat the Dallas Venom by a single point to become the North American Regional Champions.
The World Finals immediately followed the North American season, beginning on July 14. On July 28, 2008, the Birmingham Salvo defeated the San Francisco Optx to become the CGS World Champions for 2008, as well as the first international team to not only make the final, but win it as well.
On November 18, 2008, it was announced on esports portal Cadred
Cadred
Cadred is a coverage site for competitive video gaming, or eSports, owned by Heaven Media Group, a United Kingdom based publishing company which focuses on tech and gaming subjects.-History:...
.org that the Championship Gaming Series would be ceasing operations immediately, news that was confirmed only hours later on the Championship Gaming Series' official website. The reasons for the departure of CGS remain unclear, but Hill had left DirecTV after it was purchased by Liberty Media
Liberty Media
Liberty Media Corporation is an American media conglomerate and the control is exercised by company Chairman John C. Malone, who owns a majority of the voting shares....
and therefore was no longer in charge of any programming on The 101.
Games
Season 1 supported the following games:- Counter-Strike: SourceCounter-Strike: SourceCounter-Strike: Source is an FPS video game developed by Valve Corporation. It is a complete remake of Counter-Strike using the Source game engine. As in the original, Counter-Strike: Source pits a team of counter-terrorists against a team of terrorists in a series of rounds...
- Dead or Alive 4Dead or Alive 4Dead or Alive 4 has received generally positive reviews. IGN gave the game 9.0/10, calling it "a move in the right direction for the series", and praised the fighting system as "deeper and more sophisticated". GameSpot awarded the game a score of 8.8/10, with one of its only negative comments going...
- FIFA 07FIFA 07FIFA 07 is the 2007 edition of EA Sports' series of football simulator video games. Developed by EA Canada, it is published by Electronic Arts....
- Project Gotham Racing 3Project Gotham Racing 3Project Gotham Racing 3 is an arcade-style racing game that was released with the launch of the Xbox 360 on November 22, 2005 for the US market and December 2, 2005 in Europe, and was released on January 12, 2006 in Japan. Developed by Bizarre Creations, it is the third installment in the Project...
- World of Warcraft 2v2 Arena
Season 2 supported the following games:
- Counter-Strike: SourceCounter-Strike: SourceCounter-Strike: Source is an FPS video game developed by Valve Corporation. It is a complete remake of Counter-Strike using the Source game engine. As in the original, Counter-Strike: Source pits a team of counter-terrorists against a team of terrorists in a series of rounds...
- Dead or Alive 4Dead or Alive 4Dead or Alive 4 has received generally positive reviews. IGN gave the game 9.0/10, calling it "a move in the right direction for the series", and praised the fighting system as "deeper and more sophisticated". GameSpot awarded the game a score of 8.8/10, with one of its only negative comments going...
- FIFA 08FIFA 08FIFA 08 is the 2008 installment of EA Sports' series of football video games. Developed by EA Canada, it is published by Electronic Arts worldwide under the EA Sports label. It was released on all popular gaming formats in September 2007 in Europe, Australia, and Asia, and in October 2007 in North...
- Forza Motorsport 2Forza Motorsport 2Forza Motorsport 2 is a racing video game developed by Turn 10 Studios for the Xbox 360 console. It is the second title in the Forza Motorsport series, and is the sequel to the original Forza Motorsport and is followed by Forza Motorsport 3 .The box art features a tuned Nissan 350Z...
- World of Warcraft 2v2 and 3v3 Arena
General structure
Before the start of the season, the CGS holds scouting combines in various cities around the world. Based on the results of the combines, the general managerGeneral manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
s then meet and draft players to participate in the league. Combines are open to all comers.
In 2008, leagues could protect players in two of the five events; everyone else is put into the draft pool and can go to any team.
Scoring system
Points are awarded for each event as follows:- DOA 4: One point per each round won, regardless of result; this event is best five of nine rounds
- Forza Motorsport 2: Teams are awarded four points for the winning driver, two points for the second-place driver, and one point for third place.
- FIFA 08: Gamers participate in an eight-minute minigame. Each goal is scored one point for the team competition. If the game is tied, penalty kickPenalty kickA penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
s determine the winner, and each goal also counts as a point in the team totals. - Counter-Strike Source: This event consists of 18 rounds. All games count toward the team total, one point per winning round. If the teams tie after 18 rounds, a sudden deathSudden deathIn a sport or game, sudden death is a form of competition where play ends as soon as one competitor is ahead of the others, with that competitor becoming the winner. Sudden death is typically used as a tiebreaker when a contest is tied at the end of the normal playing time or the completion of...
round is played. There is also a tie-breaking round if the teams are tied in the overall points.
No bonus points are awarded to any team for winning an event.
Television
All North American matches and the world tournament took place at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, CaliforniaSanta Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
. Tickets were free and were distributed by Jam Packed Entertainment.http://www.jampackedtv.com/ContactUs.aspx
The announcers on the DirecTV telecasts in 2008 were Paul "ReDeYe" Chaloner
RedEye
The RedEye is a daily publication put out by the Chicago Tribune geared toward 18 to 34-year-olds. RedEye was created due in part to the loss of readership among young people of the Chicago Tribune and other major newspapers...
, Marcus "djWHEAT" Graham, Johnathan "Fatal1ty" Wendel, and Andrew Siciliano. The original host was Stryker, also a disc jockey on KROQ-FM
KROQ-FM
KROQ-FM — branded 106.7 KROQ — is a commercial modern rock radio station licensed to Pasadena, California serving the Greater Los Angeles. The call sign is pronounced "kay rock." It is the flagship station of Loveline hosted by Dr...
radio in Los Angeles; Stryker left before the 2007 world final.
The 2008 world tournament was seen on G4
G4 (TV channel)
G4, also known as G4 TV, is an American cable- and satellite-television channel originally geared primarily toward young adult viewers, originally based on the world of video games...
in a Saturday-night highlight package, in addition to the live telecasts on DirecTV.
The information in the following sections applies to the 2007 season
2007 Championship Gaming Series season
The 2007 Championship Gaming Series season is the 1st season of the Championship Gaming Series. It began on July 9, 2007 with the first match, New York 3D against Carolina Core. The first televised match was between famed electronic sports rivals New York 3D against Los Angeles Complexity. It...
. See 2008 Championship Gaming Series season
2008 Championship Gaming Series season
In 2008, the Championship Gaming Series began its second season as a worldwide sports league for professional video gamers. A total of 18 teams representing cities in seven countries played in the league....
for the most up-to-date information.
Regions
| Title | Location | |
|---|---|---|
| Region 1 | North America | United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... , Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... |
| Region 2 | Latin America | Mexico Mexico The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of... , Caribbean Caribbean The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north... , Central America Central America Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent... , South America South America South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east... |
| Region 3 | Europe | Europe Europe Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting... |
| Region 4 | Africa/Middle East | Middle East Middle East The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East... , Africa Africa Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area... , South Asia South Asia South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east... , Southeast Asia Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic... |
| Region 5 | Asia | China China Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture... , East Asia East Asia East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms... |
| Region 6 | Australia | Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... , Oceania Oceania Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago... |
Franchises and teams
For the first season of the league there was six franchises from six different major cities throughout Region 1 (the U.S. and Canada) plus a total of ten more franchises from the other Global Regions around the world. Each franchise consists of a total of ten players: five Counter-Strike:Source players, two Dead or Alive 4Dead or Alive 4
Dead or Alive 4 has received generally positive reviews. IGN gave the game 9.0/10, calling it "a move in the right direction for the series", and praised the fighting system as "deeper and more sophisticated". GameSpot awarded the game a score of 8.8/10, with one of its only negative comments going...
players (one male and one female), one FIFA 07
FIFA 07
FIFA 07 is the 2007 edition of EA Sports' series of football simulator video games. Developed by EA Canada, it is published by Electronic Arts....
player, and two Project Gotham Racing 3
Project Gotham Racing 3
Project Gotham Racing 3 is an arcade-style racing game that was released with the launch of the Xbox 360 on November 22, 2005 for the US market and December 2, 2005 in Europe, and was released on January 12, 2006 in Japan. Developed by Bizarre Creations, it is the third installment in the Project...
players.
The Region 1 Grand Finals were held on July 30, 2007 in Los Angeles. The Chicago Chimera defeated the Carolina Core 22-21 to become the first CGS Regional Champions. Both Chicago and Carolina competed in the World Finals on December 14, 2007 and Chicago won the World Championship.
Region 1
| Team Name | Franchise Location | General Manager | First season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carolina Core |  CharlotteCHARLOTTE - CHARLOTTE :CHARLOTTE is an American blues-based hard rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California in 1986. Currently, they are signed to indie label, Eonian Records, under which they released their debut cd, Medusa Groove, in 2010. Notable Charlotte songs include 'Siren', 'Little Devils',... , North Carolina North Carolina North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte... |
Mark Dolven |
2007 |
| Chicago Chimera | Chicago Chicago Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles... , Illinois Illinois Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,... |
Brian "DKT" Flander |
2007 |
| Dallas Venom | Dallas, Texas Texas Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in... |
Alex "JaX" Conroy |
2007 |
| Los Angeles Complexity | Los Angeles Los Ángeles Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants... , California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... |
Jason "1" Lake |
2007 |
| New York 3D | New York City New York City New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and... , New York New York New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east... |
Dave Geffon |
2007 |
| San Francisco Optx | San Francisco, California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... |
Kathleen "kathunter" Hunter |
2007 |
Region 2
| Team Name | Franchise Location | General Manager | First season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico City Furia |  Mexico CityMexico City Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole... , Mexico Mexico The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of... |
 Augusto "NoobZaibot" Zapata |
2007 |
| Rio Sinistro |  Rio de JaneiroRio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th... , Brazil Brazil Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people... |
Paulo "pvell" Velloso |
2007 |
Region 3
| Team Name | Franchise Location | General Manager | First season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berlin Allianz |  BerlinBerlin Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union... , Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
 Jonas "bESEL" Vikan |
2007 |
| Birmingham Salvo |  BirminghamBirmingham Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a... , United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
Michael "ODEE" O'Dell |
2007 |
| London Mint | London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... , United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
Ben Woodward |
2007 |
| Stockholm Magnetik |  StockholmStockholm Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area... , Sweden Sweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund.... |
Emil "HeatoN" Christensen Emil Christensen Emil Pathric William Christensen , alias HeatoN, is a former Swedish professional Counter-Strike player, formerly playing as captain of the gaming team Ninjas in Pyjamas... |
2007 |
Region 4
| Team Name | Franchise Location | General Manager | First season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai Mirage |  DubaiDubai Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi... , United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a... |
Shariff Ibrahim | 2007 |
Region 5
| Team Name | Franchise Location | General Manager | First season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wuhan Dragon |  WuhanWuhan Wuhan is the capital of Hubei province, People's Republic of China, and is the most populous city in Central China. It lies at the east of the Jianghan Plain, and the intersection of the middle reaches of the Yangtze and Han rivers... , China China Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture... |
Chao Ma |
2007 |
| Singapore Sword |  SingaporeSingapore Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the... |
Steven Yong (interim) |
2007 |
| Seoul Jinhwa |  SeoulSeoul Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world... , South Korea South Korea The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south... |
Kim "Crystal" Sung Eun |
2007 |
| Kuala Lumpur Taufan |  Kuala LumpurKuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million... , Malaysia |
Mohd Irman Nawawi |
2007 |
Region 6
| Team Name | Franchise Location | General Manager | First season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney Underground |  SydneySydney Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people... , Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
Ben "Racs" Thomas |
2007 |