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From Half-Life mod to CS2: a brief history of Counter-Strike

A1 Adria League has been hosting tournaments in CS since its inception in 2017. Counter-Strike is our main game, the most competitive and with the highest prize pool. In the A1AL teams have been competing in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS: GO) up until recently when CS2 entered the scene. Today, this game is one of the most popular, if not the most popular and known FPS games. Its esports scene is also one of the largest, so I think it’s time to look at how the game became so big and its evolution.

From Mod to the most popular FPS

Counter-Strike is one of those games where once you get hooked there is no stopping. It all started in 1999 when Counter-Strike was just a mod for Valve’s groundbreaking first-person shooter, Half-Life. This was when the strategic angle was put in the spotlight.  It was a tactical multiplayer strategy mod where you could choose to be either a terrorist or a counter-terrorist.

Since the game was pretty popular, the developers decided to release Counter Strike 1.0 just one year later. The new version brought new weapons, maps and of course, the gameplay was improved. Things were even more improving with the release of its third version Counter Strike 1.3. This was when the esports scene was starting to form.

I asked the A1 Adria League project manager Leonardo Bujas to tell me more about the history of Counter since he was there since the beginning.

With the release of Half-Life, we finally got a new first-person shooter, at the time so realistic that we couldn’t stop playing single player missions, and playing together in the arcade became a daily routine. Counter-Strike was a very fun mode because it was more realistic than HL (more realistic guns, shooting, you had to use tactics because you played as a team and not solo, etc.), so we also learned to play it better and better every day.

Beta versions 5.0, 6.0 and 7.1 brought something new each time, and with the release of the first full version of CS 1.0, various tournaments began to be held. Versions 1.3-1.5 saw their full bloom and Counter-Strike experienced a worldwide boom. ClanBase was then a platform where various tournaments were played on a daily basis, and the first ones that remain in my memory are the Nations Cup tournaments where the “representations” of the countries of that time played.

Now this was all before my time, but the version which I first played was 1.6. This version appeared in 2003 and to this date is one of the most played games. It’s a nostalgic game that brings back many memories. Looking at those old maps, I can’t decide which one was more fun to play, Dust, Dust 2, or Aztec.

With faster internet and the release of Counter-Strike 1.6, and the transfer of all players to the Steam platform, it became easier to find servers and play on public servers against players from all over the world. For some, it was a step towards a playing career, and CS will definitely gain the greatest popularity, which it has retained to this day. Fragmovies, videos with presentations of clans of the time, huge LAN parties, big tournaments, portals with news and interviews – internet is officially infected with a virus called CS.

For many years, we watched the dominance of Scandinavian countries in CS 1.6 tournaments, which was (and for some still is) the best version of CS that existed.

Counter-Strike 1.6 Aztec

Counter-Strike 1.6 was improved and optimized, it was suited for both competitive and casual players. The mechanics were refined, maps adjusted and it included for the first time a silenced rifle M4A1-S.

After two more versions, Condition Zero and Source, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive was released and the esports scene exploded with the creation of ESL and Dream Hack tournaments. This game featured updated graphics, new game modes, and improved matchmaking. The introduction of weapon skins and the market system added a new layer of engagement, which made the game even more popular.

At the beginning, there were a lot of “bugs” that bothered the players, but Valve decided to go in that direction and release improvements every 2 weeks to address all the problems that existed. CS was the most played and the biggest FPS in the world in this period as well, experiencing many peaks and all-time highs in the number of players, the number of viewers of live broadcasts, the number of tournaments and prize funds, etc. As time went on and other new games came out with much nicer graphics and new mechanics, CS stagnated a bit, because it was not attractive to new players, and old players stopped playing.

CSGO skins

CS: GO Danger Zone and Operation Riptide have come and gone, and in 2023 Valve released a huge bomb on the audience and brought us Counter Strike 2. The game showcased improved graphics, enhanced mechanics, better matchmaking, more regular updates and feedback from the community, and many more.

Like any big change, CS2 was met with a lot of disapproval from players who have been playing CS:GO for a long time, “bugs” in the game, the changes did not go well, and especially the big noise was about the fact that Valve decided to just shut down the old CS: GO and force all organizers and players to play the new CS2, which according to many was not ready yet. But, as in the previous iterations, the biggest mistakes were slowly corrected with regular updates, and more and more players realize the potential of the new mechanics that have been added to the game and return to playing.

The king is dead, long live the king. Today, the king of first-person shooters CS2 is still at the top in terms of the number of players and viewers, counting 900k to 1.2 million players per day on average, while the highest number it ever had was 1.8 million players simultaneously. Looking at the tournaments that are being organized now, the prize funds, the production, the look of arenas where the tournaments are held in and of course all the fans who come to support the teams they are rooting for, we have nothing left but to shiver and bow down to the king – CS.

Explosive start of the new A1AL season in the first qualifiers!

Season 14 of A1AL has started and competitors from CS2, Brawl Stars, and EAFC played their first qualifier cups. We have seen some surprises and some expected triumphs this weekend. The competition is fierce this year and we already have a lot of strong players and teams signed up. Each qualifier will be of utmost importance as this season you will want to secure your group stage spot as soon as possible. Read on to see the results of the first A1 Adria League qualifier.

S13 finale in the first Brawl Stars qualifier

Brawlers were the first to open the 14th season of A1AL. Many familiar teams competed. From our champions Salada and vice champions OBII (now going under 76ers), to Delulu, OMERTA, Team Cherry, FBI, and many more. The games were pretty clean up until finals where all five matches were played. But let’s start from the beginning.

On the one side of the bracket, OMERTA and Delulu were doing very well until they ran into Salada who won 2:0 against both teams. Gertrude, a new team with familiar players, did give Salada some resistance in the semifinals but not enough for them to win. With a 2:1 win Salada secured a spot in the finals.

On the other bracket side, team GospodinAdry, made out of previous A1AL champions, was demolishing competition. However, in the semifinals they lost against S13 vice champions 76ers with a 2:0 score. This brings us to the finals where we saw a replay of last seasons finale. The 76ers really gave their best to defeat Salada but in the end, our champions prevailed winning with a 3:2 score and securing a maximum of 20 points.

The second BS qualifier will be played on the 20th, so make sure to sign up HERE!

Brawl Stars Q1 A1AL S14

Nikolas7 wins the first A1AL EAFC24 Mobile qualifier

FC Mobile or EAFC24 Mobile is once again a big hit in the A1 Adria League. Just from the first qualifier, we can see how tight the competition will be considering a total of 190 players competed. Not many surprises were seen in the top 256 and top 128 stages of the qualifier. However, things started to get heated as we got top 64 and especially top 32. The biggest surprise of this stage was our two-time A1AL champion Shaq being eliminated. Three-time BFL winner lost to Nikolas7, ex-A1AL caster, and S13 third place.

Nikolas7 showed a great performance in the first qualifier and quite deservedly won the most points and is sitting in the first spot. He should feel pretty secure and confident at the top with 180 points, but nothing is decided yet. His road to the finals was not easy. He eliminated Lazar from Buducnost in the quarterfinals and Jaha in the semis who ended up taking third place and 80 points.

On the other side of the bracket, maybe the biggest surprise of the qualifier, HugoBOSS was sweeping everyone in his sight determined to get to the finals. Rabotnicki eSports player gave his best to win the qualifier but Nikolas7 came out victorious with a 2:0 win. HugoBOSS can be satisfied as he is in second place with 100 points.

The second qualifier will be played on the 21st of September and you can sign up for it HERE!

FC Mobile Q1

The S10 EAFC champion is back and ready to win!

The EAFC first qualifier was extremely tense as 100 players battled each other to win as many points as possible. No one had an easy road but some players showed their supremacy. Season 10 champion Gruby and last season’s winner Marac were the one to clash in the finals. But besides them, many familiar players were participating in this qualifier cup. Some of them are Hara, Cyber_Fico, our six-time champion Novo, and the CLA clan.

In the upper side of the bracket, Hara did well and reached the quarterfinals but got eliminated by CLA_TUNA. The member of the CLA organization then try to take down GAME ON Marac, but our defending champion was stronger. That win secured him a spot in the finals where Gruby was waiting.
Gruby’s road to that final wasn’t easy either. In the semifinals, he defeated Misko_fifa, who previously eliminated Tarik Novo in the quarterfinals.

The first finals game was Gruby’s domination who scored six goals against his opponent’s two. However, in the second game, Gruby took his guard down which Marac knew how to take advantage of. In the third match, Gruby wakes up and takes the lead securing 100 points and probably a spot in the next stage of the competition.

The next EAFC24 qualifier is played on the 21st of September, so sign up right away by clicking HERE!

A1AL EAFC_24_Q1

Oto100 and GOT secure the first CS2 group stage spot in A1AL

The best regional CS2 teams also started their grind to playoffs the past weekend. Many familiar A1AL names signed up from Oto100, who competed a couple of seasons ago against titans such as BLUEJAYS, Z10, and Blink, to Diamant Esports, Team Secret, and Cupava Veverica.

Cupava Veverica, team who got to the group stage last season, managed to get to the semis without many problems. There, however, they were defeated by Oto100 on Anubis. On the same side, Team Andr1xx lost after double overtime against Bezgresni who then lost to Oto100. GornjiDonji was waiting for them in finals as they cleared their way pretty smoothly but the spot in the group stage was just out of reach. In the end, Oto100 secured that groups spot with a 2:0 win.

Balkan Vikings showed extraordinary performance on the other side of the bracket. They defeated S13 vice champions Superior Esports, as well as Diamant Esports. Unfortunately, this promising team was stopped by Team Secret in the semis. As Team Secret reached the finals it was sure they would go on to win the whole thing. However, they failed on their map pick, and GOT took that opportunity to advance to playoffs.

CS teams will have another chance to compete for a 14,000 euro prize pool on the 22nd of September. Sign up for the second qualifier HERE!

CS2 qualified teams S14

Season 14 of A1AL is here with the biggest prize pool ever!

If you thought you had to wait a long time for season 14 of A1AL, you were wrong. After just a month, and after crowning the best in the 13th season, we are continuing our journey and inviting you to compete again! The 14th season is bringing a lot of action, more games, and a whopping prize pool.

Compete with the best at the Reboot event in Zagreb!

Just like in the previous season, the A1 Adria League 14th season will feature CS2, EAFC, EAFC Mobile, and Brawl Stars. We will also host competitions in PUBG, LoL, Tekken, and a Student eChallenge tournament. But more on that later. The two biggest differences from the previous season are the enormous prize pool we offer the best competitors and the LAN event which will crown the winner. The best four teams from BS and CS2, and the best four players in EAFC and EAFC Mobile will compete in the grand finale at the Reboot InfoGamer event in Zagreb in November this year!

The competition will be fierce considering that we have thrice as big a prize pool as in the previous season. The best players in our games will share a whopping 26,900 euros! The CS2 competition now has a 14,000 euro prize pool as our biggest and most popular competition in the league.

Season 14 format explained

We won’t be changing much when it comes to format in season 14. CS2 players will have to go through three qualifiers to earn their place in the top eight. However, unlike the previous season, this time only six teams will make it through the cups, while the remaining two will be invited. After that, it’s a double elimination bracket in the SWISS stage. And as I said the best four go to Zagreb for a grand finale and a fierce fight.

EAFC and EAFC24 Mobile games will have the same format. Starting with four qualifiers cups where 16 players will advance to group stage. The group stage consists of four groups of four players. There the winner of each group goes to the finals to compete for a 3,500 prize pool.

Our Brawlers will also be able to enjoy four qualifiers, followed by a SWISS group stage. It will be a double elimination bracket consisting of Bo5 and Bo3 matches. So plenty of action and excitement awaits. That will culminate at the Reboot event where the best four teams will fight for the throne.

As I previously mentioned PUBG is back! The competition is scheduled for October and November starting with two qualifiers. After that, the playoff stage commences, and in the finals, we will watch a fierce fight where the best four teams will share the prize.

The first qualifiers are scheduled for the second week of September, so stay tuned for more information and how to sign up! Don’t forget to follow our social media accounts on Facebook, X, TikTok, and Instagram, and watch our streams on YouTube and Twitch.

 

Weekly A1AL recap brings you group stage CS2, EAFC, and BS results!

We are already at the seventh weekly A1AL recap. The finals of the 13th season are very near and things are getting heated up. CS2 finished their fourth round of group stage, EAFC24, and EAFC24 Mobile finished their third, while Brawl Stars had just started their climb through this competition stage. Read on to learn how everything went!

Frutas remain dominant in the A1AL group stage

You might be wondering who was the best in this week’s Brawl Stars competition and the answer once again is the same. Its Frutas. They didn’t lose a single game within sets on their playday.

La Aquilla and Team Cherry may have been the tensest match of the day since the sets were repeated due to tied results. They played practically the longest today and proved they are the two teams closest in terms of skill.

The match between Delulu and M4M was delayed only because of internet problems at M4M. Otherwise, it could have ended 3-0 for M4M, but Delulu took advantage of the opportunity and almost won.

In the match between OOB1 and No Excuses, we saw only a slightly worse opening of OOB1 in the first set, but apart from that they passed without major problems. OOB1 is the team who alongside Frutas are favorites for winning the A1 Adria League competition.

In the lower bracket, we saw the clash of FBI and Team Cherry. FBI even though it has two players who won A1 in the past seasons more than once – that’s not it anymore, they seem like they can’t compete at the level of the league anymore. The second match of the lower bracket was played by Delulu and No Excuses. It was the same tense match that could have gone in any direction. I would say that Delulu deservedly went on with a lot of trouble.

A1AL S13 BS group stage results

EAFC third round group stage results

In this week’s EAFC24 group stage favorites were victorious. In group A, Marac started and finished without a single defeat, which brought great uncertainty in the fight for second place. Even though Marac had already secured a place in the top 4 he didn’t want to lose the rest. He allowed Cyber Fico to qualify by winning over Klaic. Fico then routinely defeated CLA_JokerTole in both matches, and thus together with Marac made it to the top 4.

In group B, brstimir’s magic and his Ronaldhino secured him an easy spot in the finals, while his three opponents had to battle it out for the last spot. Although perhaps the underdog of the group, CLA_Banderas defeated both Hara and Misko with an incredible game, thus ensuring the CLA team an additional slot in the top 4.

Semifinal EAFC24 matches:

  • CLA_Banderas VS Marac
  • Cyber_Fico VS brstimir

EAFC24 group stage results

In EAFC24 Mobile Serbian players were more successful than the Bosnian. Shaq, Savazver, and Nikolas were victorious, and from Bosnian representatives, Ogi secured a win.

Nikolas surprised everyone with an extraordinary performance against last season’s A1AL vice champion Nerko from Buducnost. Shaq without any problems won 3-0 against his countryman Lazovic and showed his class once again. Furthermore, the biggest surprise of the stage was Ogi, who with two overtime goals made it through. In two separate games, he scored in the 91st and 92nd minute for the win.

EAFC24 Mobile group stage results

CS2 lower bracket results

This week in A1AL we saw two matches from the lower bracket. One between GIZone and BeFive and the second was Kubix against Cupava Veverica. In the first match, GIZone couldn’t be saved, not even by Katalic, who came as a sub. BeFive was simply better. Shooting Miwo and at times miksoz with timely frags kept BeFive in the lead. They barely won their pick on Dust with 13-11, but on Anubis in the second half they completely crushed GiZone and deservedly took the victory. Now they continue their journey in the lower bracket.

The second match started with the dominance of Kubix on Dust, where the Cupava Veverica team had no chance. Run-and-shoot tactics gave excellent results primarily because of good shooting, running was less important there. On Inferno Cupava Veverica managed to make a few good rounds and show their teeth, but a couple of beginner’s mistakes cost them dearly. In the end, Kubix deservedly goes on and schedules their match against BeFive for next week.

CS2 A1AL group stage recap

A1AL recap: CS2 and EAFC Mobile group stage results as BS finished third qualifier

We have arrived at the fifth A1AL recap in the 13th season. CS2 and EAFC24 Mobile are playing their group-stage matches, while Brawlers are still trying to make it there. Things are getting more and more intense as we are drawing near to the playoffs. Read what happened this past week and see how your favorite teams/players performed.

Intense CS2 group stage in A1AL

This week we had the opportunity to follow two duels on the A1AL stream. The first one was The Wild Ones (TWO) taking on Superior Esports and securing a win with a 2:0 score. In the other matchup PROMETEY succeeded against their opponent GIZONE with a 2:1. Let’s take a look at each duel separately.

The Wild Ones victory

The Wild Ones started the first match on Mirage magnificently. They opened the game well by sticking to mid and a B site. That brought them a nice lead of 7-2. They were taking easy rounds without sacrificing a single player on the team making it 9-3 at half. In the second half, we saw a little bit more of Superior Esports. They woke up and managed to get close to their enemies (11-8). After that all hell broke loose and Superior was close to evening up the score when TWO after three match points ended the game (13-11).

The second match was played on Ancient and it was a purely one-sided half. TWO dominated their opponents not letting them breathe. The half ended with 9-3 again in favor of The Wild Ones. Once again, the second half is when Superiror wakes up. After an 11-3 score they took some rounds, but it wasn’t good enough. With an aggressive push towards the A site, The Wild Ones take the enemies down and close the match with a 13-9 score.

PROMETEY takes the win after three games

Prometey had a good start on their pick (Ancient) but the result came slowly. On the wings of KdaN, who had 17 frags in the first half, PROMETEY takes the half with 7-5. After that, GIZONE takes the initiative and takes the lead at 8-7. That lead does not last long but reaches 9-7, after which KdaN wakes up again. Prometey does not drop a single round after that and they return to the game and take the map with a score of 13-9.

On GIZONE’s map pick Anubis, this team dominates their opponents. Even though PROMETEY woke up for a couple of rounds during the game, GIZONE was pretty convincing. They were especially strong on the T side as the game went in their favor with a 12-6 score. A small delay caused by PROMETEY who took only two rounds, led to the final victory of GIZONE with 13-8.

The decider on Mirage was completely even-steven as the first half ended at 7-5 for GIZONE. It was a very back-and-forth game. In the second half, PROMETEY takes the lead but loses it very quickly as GIZONE takes the charge. In the end, the score was 10-10. GIZONE takes the lead once again winning the following round, however, they make a mistake which PROMETEY takes advantage of ending the game in their favor.

CS2 A1AL group stage results

EAFC Mobile A1AL Group A and B results

The first A1AL group stage results for EAFC24 Mobile are in. This week we saw matches in groups A and B. As far as A group is concerned, it was Bojce who secured the top spot with his amazing performance. However, since this young talent has to leave the competition for personal reasons he is automatically placed last. In the lead of group A right now is Nerko from Buducnost eSport, followed by Ogi and another Buducnost player Haverz.

In group B another player from Buducnost eSport is at the top of the table with 12 points and that’s Skrebo98. The second place is taken by a Spartak player Lazovic with 10 points, followed by Sveta and another player from Spartak Somzi.

Next week we will stream groups C and D after which only the top eight will continue to the next stage. Stay tuned for that!

EAFC24 Mobile first round of group stage

OOB1 wins the third BS qualifiers

This is the first time we have had a smooth sailing qualifier when it comes to administration. After many problems last qualifier, this time the team from A1 Adria League came on top. As far as the competition is concerned, it is the same old same old. Salada de Frutas once again sweeps their side of the bracket making it to the finals like it’s nothing. OOB1 did the same thing on the other side of the bracket reaching the final mini boss.

It was OOB1 this time who emerged victorious from the finals of the third A1AL qualifier with a score of 3:1, letting Salada only one game. Now even though Salada didn’t secure max points in this qualifier they are still in the lead overall with 40 points. They are followed by none other than OOB1 with 20 points. Third place is La Aquilla, followed by Team Cherry and M4M.

Brawl Stars third qualifier results:

Brawl Stars third A1AL qualifier results

From hobby to career: stories of professional Esports players

Do you ever sit at home watching CS2 Major or LEC and LCS and wonder how the pro players became what they are today? There are many great pro players on the esports scene at the moment. Many of them started playing video games at a very early age, but each story is different. I chose to talk about the best, or at least, some of the best players in CS2, League of Legends, and VALORANT and their journey to greatness. Let’s dive in.

Stories of greatness

Without a doubt, the majority of video game lovers play games for fun and out of a hobby. In some rare cases, the hobby can become a very well-paid career. That’s what happened to s1mple, Faker, and TenZCS, League of Legends, and VALORANT best.

Faker and T1

Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok is considered the best in League of Legends. His story begins with a single parent who was sure his son would make it as a pro player. Since the inception of the esports industry eastern Asian countries have first recognized the potential of the industry and invested in it. Faker’s father nudged the Unkillable Demon King to start playing games. T1 midlaner began his journey with a MOBA game called CHAOS. After that, he switched to LoL, sometime in late 2011. It wasn’t long after that T1 (SKT1) contacted him to play in their second team.

Faker who had just started high school decided to pursue the gamer dream and drop out. The rest as they say is history. Only two years later, in 2013, he won his first World Championship, and now as we know he has four, along with countless domestic titles in LCK.

S1mple’s struggling journey

Another player considered (and probably is/was) the best in his game is Oleksandr ”s1mple” Kostyliev. Just like Faker, s1mple also started gaming early on. He started by playing Counter-Strike 1.6 inspired by his older brother who he used to watch play. As there was only one computer in the house, s1mple didn’t have the possibility to play whenever he wanted, but to wait his turn. Something I think many of us with a sibling can relate to.

S1mple started playing CS:GO as soon as it was released in 2012. He played the game for one year before he stepped into the competitive scene in a semi-pro tournament with the local team Lan Dodgers. After that, he signed for Courage Gaming and then HellRaisers who had many superstar players in the team. This led to one of the problems in his early career resulting in toxic behavior. That and the ban from his CS 1.6 days made him miss a couple of majors. However, in the end, as we know he became a well-respected AWPer and now has around 20 MVPs, Major, and other high-tier tournament titles under his name.

Race for best VALORANT player

Pro VALORANT players in most cases switched from CS:GO to the Riot’s FPS. The same thing goes for TenZ, who is considered one of the best in the game. Tyson “TenZ” Ngo started playing video games when he was only three years old. At the age of 15, he competed at his first LAN event which his mom first had to approve. Similar to Faker and his father, TenZ’s mother also saw the potential in gaming (even though it took some convincing).

After high school TenZ signed for Cloud9 and competed shortly for their CS:GO team. Some time he was a streamer for the org and then VALORANT beta came knocking on his door. TenZ became the first player to hit Radiant on VALORANT and that brought him a lot of recognition and respect. The fact that he is protanomaly colorblind didn’t stop him from making 40 kills on Breeze at VCT 2022: North America Stage 2 Challengers tournament. As VALORANT is still young we have yet to see what Tenz will do in the future. So far he already has two VCT titles and a couple of MVP awards.

CS2 ready for groups in A1AL; Bojce and Mupinho on top of the second EAFC qualifiers

The second A1 Adria League qualifiers of the 13th season are behind us. While CS2 teams have already secured all the spots in the groups and are now ready to start the climb, EAFC24 and EAFC24 Mobile players still have a long way to go. As far as football is concerned, we are at halftime, two qualifiers are finished while two more are on schedule. Check out what happened in the second A1AL qualifiers this weekend!

CS2: Group stage is formed

Last week we saw very interesting matches and four teams advancing to the group stage. The groups were secured by KubiX, Spotify, Bagra and The Wild ones. The second CS2 qualifiers in this A1AL season brought us the remaining four teams. The winners are:

  • Cupava Veverica
  • SuperiorEsports
  • GornjiDonji
  • PROMETEY

PROMETEY was one of the teams who made it through and their road wasn’t an easy one. They eliminated two familiar names in the region. Both Jake Bube and KlanRUR failed to qualify for this season, while the former was really close as we saw overtime. An interesting duel was seen between Cupava Veverica and Ravens where we also went into overtime. However, in the end, Cupava Veverica who we also saw in the first qualifier, deservedly advanced to groups. One of the dominating teams was SuperiorEsports who didn’t lose a single map.

Mupinho broke the A1AL record

81 players participated in the second EAFC24 qualifiers in the A1 Adria League. The absence of some of the better-known names may have given space to new players to collect a significant number of points. Mustafa “Mupinho” Sejmenovic made the most of it!

We knew he had a talent for FIFA, but this is the first time he convinced us all, breaking the record in the final itself. He defeated the champion of the 11th season, Marko “Gruby” Grubisic, with a score of 9-2 in the deciding game, thus securing 100 points and a practically safe place in the group stage. In the total score, the first place belongs to the winner of the first qualification, Nemanja “Misko” Misic, while Mupinho is second with 100 points. Novo remains third, and in the 4th position was the now regular Tin ” CLA Th3Prod1gy ” Škrgatić.

There is still time for turnarounds so don’t waste any time and sign up! The third EAFC24 qualifiers are scheduled for June 22.

Again more than 200 EAFC24 Mobile players signed up

Of 232 registered players, 220 played in the second qualifier of EAFC24 Mobile in the A1AL. It was the first time we saw former caster Nikolas in esports action. He managed to make it all the way to the finals. Unfortunately for him, the better player was Bojce, who in the semi-finals overcame the tournament’s surprise, Somzi.

Somzi was in the top 20 of the world four years ago and is a member of Spartak eSport from Subotica. He finished the competition as 4th because he lost to the young Bosnian player Ogi in the Bo3 match for third place. However, you should remember this name as he was the only one who succeeded, in the appearance of the FC Mobile community in the A1AL so far, to make up for the 3-goal deficit. From 4:1 he returned the semi-final match against Bojce to 4:4.

A total of 40 goals were seen in this interesting stream of the top 8 in the second qualifiers of the A1AL. Among the new faces in the top 16, we saw a guy named prosječnibosanac. Surely this success will motivate him to fight even more in the remaining two qualifying stages. Another name worth mentioning is Bojan, whose appearance in the A1 Adria League was the first, where he immediately took part in the top 8.

If you still haven’t, sign up for the third qualifier, scheduled on June 22.

Students, sign up and compete in the A1 Student eChallenge!

Another season of A1 Adria League is just around the corner and as always we are not just letting pro players and teams compete and have fun playing their favorite games. Once again students from Croatia will have a chance to show who is the best and compete in the student league this June. Don’t wait up as A1 Student eChallenge is very near. Read on to find out how to sign up and which games we are hosting.

A1 Student eChallenge will feature three games

Everyone needs a break from studying and we know that video games are one of the best ways to relax and enjoy your free time. So why not make a little money on the side while gaming, and compete with your colleagues for the right to call yourself the best? If you were wondering where you can do that, the answer is here, in our A1 Adria League tournament.

This season students from Croatia will be able to compete in CS2, Rocket League, and EAFC24. Choose your game and don’t waste any more time, since you can only sign up until June 5th. Contact your student services for application and you’re all set.

Now regarding the games themselves, Rocket League and EAFC24 will be played from the 10th to 14th of June. The games will be BO3 until we reach the semifinals and played off stream. This stage will be BO5. On the last day, 14.06, we will have the grand finals and the fight for third place in both games on stream in the BO7 format.

Counter-Strike 2 is scheduled for the 17th until the 21st of June. The bracket will be BO1 in this case until the finals. Finals and the match for third place will however be BO3 and we will stream both matches on 21st of June. You can watch all the games on our YouTube or Twitch channel.

For more information regarding the A1 student eChallenge, follow our social media accounts on TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

A1 Adria League Season 13 is waiting for you!

If you thought that this year you wouldn’t be participating in the A1 Adria League or watching the best regional players and teams, you are mistaken. Even though we are starting a bit later this year, we are more than ready to show you what we have planned for the 13th and 14th season. Keep reading to find out more!

Seven games, a LAN event, and a whopping prize pool

This year we are proud to inform you that we will be hosting 6 different games in both A1 Adria League seasons. Four games we will stream throughout the whole season while two of them will be a part of mini tournaments. All year long you will be able to enjoy CS2, EAFC23, EAFC24 Mobile, and Brawl Stars. We don’t want to reveal everything from the start, so stay tuned for the remaining two games! All we will say is that first one is from Riot Games, second one is a legendary fighting game, and the third is a very popular battle royale.

The prize pool for both seasons will be more than 40.000 Euros, and we are starting the league with the first qualifiers of the s13 on June 8th. Leaving you time to practice and prepare, since the competition is fierce each year. And while the 13th season will have a finale online, the ending for the 14th season will be a LAN party as a part of the Reboot event sometime in November!

As far as the format goes, for CS2, we will have six qualified teams and two invited to compete for the top prize. The group stage will be double elimination and the top 4 will move on to playoff.

Football lovers will enjoy EAFC24 and EAFC24 Mobile throughout four qualifiers, group stage, and finals. The group stage will contain four groups of four players. The remaining eight players will advance to the second stage of groups where there will be two groups with four players. From there we will get the best four who will compete in the playoffs.

Last but not least, Brawl Stars will have four qualifiers as well while the group stage is double elimination where the best 16 teams will compete in BO5/BO3 series.

For more information follow our social media accounts on Instagram, X, and Facebook, and watch the league on YouTube. Twitch or Kick.

 

Here are the top eight FIFA Mobile players in the 12th A1AL!

The last qualifier’s week is behind us. We had the opportunity to enjoy exhilarating matches in the fourth and last FIFA Mobile qualifiers. As CS: GO, now CS2, and FIFA23, now EA Sports FC 24, finished this part of the tournament, the previous week only one qualifier was played. Now we have the top eight players in all three main games and the group stage can commence.

Bosnian players dominated the FIFA Mobile qualifiers

After four exciting qualifiers in FIFA Mobile, we finally have our best eight players who will advance to the SWISS group stage and compete for the top prize. Besides already-known players who qualified, based on their success, we also had one upset in the fourth qualifier. Namely, the winner of the Gaming Weekend, Andrija 06, was defeated by a new player Mbalug, and is now out of the race for the top eight and the league. He will have to try again next season.

Two players made it to the semi-finals in the fourth qualifier and therefore secured the two group stage places. It was Lazar and Destroyer who bested a competition of 114 players and are safe in groups. Destroyer, Kayozz, and Nerko are representing Bosnia in the 12th A1 Adria League season, while two Maceodian players, Ivand and Tocc also made it. Besides them, Suh12 and Shaq are also one of the best eight players this season. Watch them compete in EA Sports FC Mobile this Friday on our YouTube or Twitch channel!

SWISS Group Stage Round 1 Matchups in EA Sports FC Mobile:

MATCH 1: Tomislav “suh12” Peula VS Lazar “Lazar” Maras

MATCH 2: Amar “Kayozz” Hadziabdic VS Benjamin “Destroyer” Saldum

MATCH 3: Ivan “Shaq” Novakovic VS Hristijan “Tocc” Tocev

MATCH 4: Ivan “Ivand” Donevski VS Nermin “Nerko” Zdralovic

Besides FIFA Mobile switching to EA Sports FC Mobile, the other main games in our tournament are making the change as well. Qualified FIFA23 players will compete in EA Sports FC 24 in the group stage, while CS: GO is now Counter-Strike 2.

Follow our social media for more information on the upcoming SWISS group stage news in EA Sports FC Mobile, EA Sports FC 24, and CS2!