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How to compete in the A1 Student eChallenge

In the last few articles, we’ve talked a lot about the prize pools, the format and other details of the A1 Adria League Weekly tournaments, aimed to bridge the gap between the 14th and the 15th season as a big change for 2025.

When it comes to the A1 Student eChallenge or A1SeC, not much has changed, and we’re sticking with two seasons of the tournament in 2025. A1 Hrvatska is once again partnering with universities across Croatia to provide students with a way to represent their college in their favourite game. 

Apply now!

What are the games (and the prizes)

The first A1 SeC of the year (spring) will have an overall prize pool of €3,150, distributed across four games: Counter-Strike 2, Rocket League, EA FC and League of Legends. 

The CS2 tournament will have a €1,125 prize pool with €500 going to the winners, same as the League of Legends tournament. EA FC will have a total prize pool of €225, and Rocket League will have a prize pool of €300. The main idea is to have the winners go home with €100 per person for the first A1 SeC of the season. 

Who is eligible to compete? 

Any and all students are eligible to compete, but there are rules in place for team-based sports:

 

  • All universities from Croatia are eligible to compete
  • Students need to be from Croatia (exchange students are not eligible for competing)
  • Multiple teams from one institution can apply
  • For CS2, four players must be from the same institution, with one player allowed outside the institution (4+1)

When are the competitions taking place?

EA FC

Qualifiers: 19.04.2025., and 20.04.2025. 

Finals: 24.04.2025.

The qualifiers will be hosted in a single-elimination format, best-of-1 with a best-of-3 decider match. The best 2 players from both qualifiers advance to the finals. 

Rocket League

Qualifiers: 03.05.2025., and 04.05.2025.

Finals: 08.05.2025.

The best two players from each qualifier advance. The finals are best-of-5 with an advantage for the upper bracket team.

League of Legends

Qualifiers: 17.05.2025. and 18.05.2025. 

Finals: 22.05.2025.

Top two teams from each qualifiers advance to the finals for a BO3 single elimination round with a third place decider match.

CS2

Qualifiers: 23.05.2025. and 30.05.2025.

Finals: 05.06.2025.

The same format applies as with League of Legends. Two teams advance from each qualifier, with a BO3 final and a decider match taking place on the final day. 

How to apply

To apply for the competitions, all interested students can fill out the details in the submission form, and the captains and EA FC players will then be added to the official Discord server for further information. 

 

How much can you earn by playing in A1 Adria League Weekly?

We know –  everyone reading this does not think about money when playing competitive esports and A1 Adria League, and your primary motivation is to win just for the sake of winning, right? Still, there’s more going on than simply having us shake your hand and say you are great. Every year, we’re trying hard to improve the prize money so teams and players are better rewarded for their efforts in the League.

This year, the total prize pool will be over €40,000, where the Weekly cups will be €10,550, and an additional €3,150 will go to the best teams in the A1 Student eChallenge. The applications are open to anyone interested! 

The prize pool allocation depends on several factors, the most notable being whether the winner is a single player or a team. This is why team sports prizes, such as League of Legends, Brawl Stars, and PUBG, are larger than EA FC Mobile and EA FC prizes. Let’s dissect the prize pools further for each game according to the number of players participating. 

CS2

The most lucrative tournament to win this year is, as always, Counter-Strike. For the weekly cups, we’ve allocated a total of €3,000 in prize money, which translates to €300 per player in the winning team. The second-place team gets €1,000, and the third-place team will earn €500, or €100 per player. 

League of Legends and PUBG

For LoL and PUBG, we allocated €1,500 for each game, meaning that the winners get €800, second-placed teams get €500, and the third-place team gets €200. It should be noted that PUBG is played in squads of four players, with one substitution player allowed. 

Brawl Stars

Brawl Stars is played in teams of three players, and the prize pool for the Weekly cups stands at €1,350, with €600 going to the winners, €450 to the second-placed team and €300 to the third-placed team. 

EA FC Mobile

EA’s mobile football simulator has proven to be a popular choice in the A1 Adria League. It’s the only title that will have two separate Weekly tournaments, one at the start of the Weekly tournaments and one at the very end. Both Weeklies will have the same prize pools, with €800 distributed to the top three players of both events. The winners will each get €400, the second-placed players will receive €250 each, and the third-place players will get €150. 

EA FC and eFootball

For the two “main” football simulators, both globally and in the A1 Adria League, we’ve kept the prize pools the same as with EA FC Mobile. This means that the winner in both eFootball and EA FC gets €400, second place will earn you €250 and finishing third is rewarded with €150. 

A1 Student eChallenge

For our student competition for Spring, € 3,150 will be awarded to the best teams and players in four games: CS2, Rocket League, League of Legends, and EA FC. 

CS2: €1,125 (1st place €500, 2nd place €375, 3rd place €250)

Rocket League: €675 (1st place €300, 2nd place €225, 3rd place €150)

EA SPORTS FC: €225 (1st place €100 2nd place €75, 3rd place €50)

League of Legends: €1,125 (1st place €500, 2nd place €375, 3rd place €250)

Applications are open for the Weekly cups, so pick your game and get ready for exciting tournaments across all the games! 

How to apply for the A1 Adria League Weekly cups

Our last article described the main changes coming to the A1 Adria League this year, mostly tied to the Weekly tournaments and cups, which will replace the Spring season in 2025. The cups will take place throughout April, May, and June and will be exclusively available online.

The Weekly tournaments will take place in CS2, EA FC 25, EA FC Mobile, Brawl Stars, League of Legends, eFootball and PUBG.

To apply for the events, you must head to the Games section of the website, where you will find a list of all games for the season. From there, simply select the game you are interested in.

Platform: FACEIT

Open Qualifiers: 30.05.2025., 31.05.2025.,01.06.2025.

Playoffs: 06.06.2025., 07.06.2025., 08.06.2025.

CS2 will have three open qualifiers, and the winner of each qualifier will advance to the next stage, along with one directly invited team.

To apply, simply select the SIGN UP link next to the cup you would like to compete in, which will lead you to our official FACEIT tournament page. From there, you will be able to join the tournament, view the brackets and participants and read through the rules, but we are sure that seasoned CS2 players will be very familiar with the way FACEIT works.

 

EA SPORTS FC 25

Tournament page

Platform: Toornament

Open Qualifiers: 19.04.2025. and 20.04.2025.

Group Stage: 25.04.2025., and 26.04.2025.

Finals: 27.04.2025.

Similar to CS2, EA FC will have open qualifiers and playoffs. For EA FC, we have prepared two rounds of open qualifiers, and eight best players will advance to the playoffs from each of the qualifiers.

To apply for the EA FC tournaments, click the SIGN UP link which will lead you to the Toornament website. There, you should log into your Toornament account (or create a new one if you do not have it), which will allow you to connect to the platform and register for the qualifier.

 

EA FC Mobile

Tournament page

Platform: Discord

First Weekly open qualifiers: 11.04.2025, 12.04.2025.,13.04.2025.

First Weekly group stage: 18.04.2025 and 19.04.2025.

First Weekly playoffs: 20.04.2025.

Second Weekly open qualifiers: 05.06.2025., 06.06.2025., 07.06.2025.

Second Weekly group stage: 13.06.2025., and 14.06.2025.

Second Weekly playoffs: 15.06.2025.

EA FC Mobile will have two series of weekly tournaments, which will be the first and last tournaments we will host in Spring. There will be three open qualifiers for the first series, with the best eight players advancing to the playoffs.

Applications for the Weekly tournament is done via Discord. Clicking the SIGN UP link near a qualifier will lead you to our EA FC Mobile Discord channel, where admins will help with any preparation for the matches.

Brawl Stars

Tournament page

Platform: Toornament

Open Qualifiers: 16.05.2025 and 17.05.2025.

Playoffs: 18.05.2025.

Brawl Stars Weekly will take place over two qualifiers, and the best teams from each qualifier will advance to the group stage, and the four best group stage teams will advance to the double elimination bracket to crown the champion.

The Brawl Stars Weekly events are also handled through Toornament, which means that clicking the SIGN UP link will open the Toornament event page where you can apply for the tournament, provided that you already have a Toornament account – create one if you do not have it yet.

 

League of Legends

Tournament page

Platform: Challengermode

Open Qualifiers: 02.05.2025 and 03.05.2025.

Playoffs: 04.05.2025.

League of Legends Weekly tournaments will consist of two open qualifiers, followed by a group stage and a playoff round which will include four teams.

For League of Legends, Challengermode will be used. Interested players will be taken to the Challengermode page where all details about the tournament will be published, along with the ability to contact admins directly through the platform. Similar to FACEIT and Toornament, Challengermode will also provide an overview of brackets and other details about the matches.

 

eFootball

Tournament page

Platform: Toornament

Open Qualifiers: 17.5 and 18.5

Playoffs: 23.5 and 24.5

Finals: 25.5

The eFootball touranment will play out similarly to the Brawl Stars one, with two open qualifiers followed by a group stage and playoffs. Just like EA FC, eFootball’s biggest competitor, we’re using Toornament as our platform of choice, which means that the application process is the same as with EA FC, simply apply for a qualifier and the Toornament platform will handle everything else.

 

Open Qualifiers: 05.05.2025., 06.05.2025.

Playoffs: 09.05.2025.,10.05.2025.,11.05.2025.

The PUBG Weekly tournaments will take place over two qualifiers, with two lobbies of 16 teams for each qualifier. The six best teams from each qualifier advance to the playoffs, together with four invited teams, for a total of 16 teams. Across three playoffs, the teams will compete for points across six maps in each playoff. The team with the most points – wins!

Announcing the A1 Adria League plans for 2025

After a thrilling LAN final last November and the conclusion of the 14th season of your favourite regional esports league, we are back with more in 2025. This year, we’ve made several notable changes to the tournament structure to improve the overall experience, while not dialing down on the best parts that made the league one of the premier destinations for esports in the region since our first season back in 2017. Since then, many of our players went on to achieve great success globally, the prize pool has steadily increased, and so did the number of titles on offer. Today, we’re taking the next step.

What’s new?

The A1 Adria League had two seasons per calendar year for a long time. The year’s first season was smaller in scope and took place online, while the fall season concluded on the Reboot InfoGamer in November as a large LAN event. To streamline the year for players and teams and increase the league’s overall quality, we are happy to announce an evolution of the dual-season format, called the A1 Adria League Weekly. For players and teams, nothing grand will change: there will still be dozens of matches to be played during spring in several games and rewards to earn for both individuals and teams. The new format aims to build on our past experiences and successes while responding to the feedback of the players and the community and putting a greater focus on the LAN finals later in the year. The Weekly tournaments will still serve as proving grounds for the ‘big’ season later in the year, albeit with a new name and a slightly tweaked format.

We are also happy to continue investing in the A1 Adria League Student eChallenge (A1 SeC), our student-focused esports competition, which will be featured in both the spring and fall tournaments in 2025. The A1 SeC has been a staple of the League since its inception, and we’re incredibly happy to keep the student competitions through both the Weekly tournaments and the 15th season.

The total prize pool for the Weekly tournaments will be €13,700, with €10,550 divided between the best teams and players of the regular tournaments and €3,150 going to the A1 SeC.

We’re starting things off in early April, and the weekly events will last until mid-June.

What games will be played?

While shuffling things around, we’re sticking to some known favourites for the Weekly tournaments. For the Weekly tournaments, players will compete in EA SPORTS FC Mobile (EA FC Mobile) as well as the regular EA SPORTS FC (EA FC), League of Legends, PUBG: Battlegrounds, Brawl Stars, eFootball: PES and Counter-Strike 2. The selection of games reflects our interest for mobile, PC and console players and aims to provide a good balance between global super hits such as CS2 and LoL and regional favourites EA FC and Brawl Stars.

What about Season 15?

We’re working hard to enhance and improve the overall experience for everyone involved for our milestone season 15, which will still keep the long-standing format we are all familiar with, together with dozens of hours of air time, some of the region’s best players, panel discussions, interviews and audience activities. More of everything is coming our way. We aim to tweak the format once again according to the information we received from both viewers and teams. Still, you can expect the season to feature fan-favourites EA FC and CS2, as well as other games, and we are happy to announce that the LAN finals will take place during the Reboot InfoGamer in November. We’ll share further details and enhancements for the 15th season as it approaches – but it will certainly be bigger and better than any before it.

Looking ahead, we invite everyone to apply for the Weekly tournaments in the mentioned games, and wish everyone the best of luck in the initial competitions!

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.

Check out what happened in the third A1AL qualifiers week!

The third week since the beginning of the 12th A1 Adria League season is already behind us. Many interesting matches were played, and excitement wasn’t absent. We even crowned the first champion in this A1AL season in League of Legends. Read on to learn more about FIFA23, FIFA Mobile, CS: GO, and LoL tournament results.

Shaq wins the second FIFA Mobile qualifiers

Unlike the first qualifier in FIFA Mobile, our new A1 Adria League tournament, the second didn’t see many surprises and upsets. At the top of the leaderboard are currently Kayozz, the winner of the first qualifier, and Shaq. These two players bested their opponents on their side of the bracket and made it to the finals. There, Shaq managed to snatch a victory from Kayozz and claim 120 points.

This puts him in the second place, while Kayozz remains the first with 200 points. He obtained 80 points in second place in the second FIFA Mobile qualifier. Ivand and Nerko are sharing the third spot with 90 points overall.

There is still time to earn more points and secure the group stage by signing up for the third qualifier set on September 22nd. You can do it HERE!

Third FIFA23 qualifier without a winner!

In the third FIFA23 qualifier, Teo “Sibirski_Plavac” Radman was the one who reached the finals and won 100 points. However, we found out another player was playing on his account and climbing in his place. Harun “Hara” Parla, a known FIFA player in the region, was boosting Teo, leading to both players being disqualified from the league.

Since these two players are now out of the league, the leaderboard in FIFA23 looks a bit different. Novo and Marac are still at the top with 140 points each. Haris, who made it to the finals in the third qualifier, has 90 points, followed by Esad Memic and Brstimir with 80 and 70 points, respectively.

The last FIFA23 qualifier will be played on September 23rd. Sign up for it HERE!

Underdogs Salamander and Megnatos made it to CS: GO group stage!

Out of 36 teams, only two could secure the group stage in the last CS: GO qualifier. Those teams were Salamander and Megnatos, who bested some familiar CS: GO players in the region and wider. They are the last two teams to make it to the group stage and join 4 qualified and 2 invited ones.

GhoulsW made another appearance but couldn’t get past ZGOINGON in the quarter-finals with HOLMES-, aidKiT, and choiv7 in their roster. However, this team didn’t make it far from there. They lost in the next round to Megnatos. Some of the names worth mentioning that also couldn’t secure groups are cerber-, deb0, v1w, and vAloN9, who we know from Kosovo organization X, and gejmzilla, who returned to A1 Adria League after a couple of seasons. Unfortunately, he will have to wait for the next one.

DZANGLERI are the new LoL champions!

Out of 16 teams, DZANGLERI made it to the end and won the first mini-tournament of the 12th A1 Adria League season, League of Legends. Another title goes into the hands of DZANGLERI, who also came on top in the ninth A1AL season. Panj also took another trophy home after showing up in many A1AL seasons.

The champions defeated VoidEsport in the finals 2:0 and rightfully claimed the throne and the 750 euros prize.

Close to winning were HARMONY and Stara Garda, previous champions in the A1 Adria League in this tournament. Both teams made it to the semifinals but weren’t successful. They battled against one another in the match for third place, where Stara Garda celebrated with a 1:0 score.

More new games and mini-tournaments are coming, so make sure to check our social media accounts and follow us for the latest news!

We’re kicking off A1 Gaming Weekends with League of Legends

The A1 Adria League is excited to unveil the next installment of the A1 Gaming Weekends, a series of tournaments encompassing various popular games. We are pleased to present the inaugural tournament of this series, featuring the widely acclaimed multiplayer online battle arena game, League of Legends (LoL), specifically targeting the EUNE region.

A1 Gaming Weekend League of Legends Details

Game & Region: League of Legends on the EUNE server.

Time & Date: On July the 16th, 17:00 CEST

Check-in Period: Teams are required to check-in 45 minutes before the tournament start time. Prompt check-in is crucial to ensure smooth proceedings.

Team Size: The tournament will follow a 5vs5 format, with each team allowed to have two substitutes. It is essential for participants to have their substitutes ready to step in if needed.

Entry Fee: We are delighted to announce that the A1 Gaming Weekends’ first LoL tournament is free to enter. We aim to provide an accessible and inclusive environment for players of all backgrounds to compete.

Format: The tournament will be conducted in a Single Elimination format. Teams will face off against each other, with the victors advancing to subsequent rounds while the defeated teams exit the competition. This intense format promises thrilling clashes and fierce battles throughout the event.

Prize Pool: Participants will have the opportunity to secure 250€ for the first place.

Registration Link: To register your team and secure a spot in this tournament, please visit the following link: https://www.challengermode.com/s/A1AdriaLeague/tournaments/36be9e70-ca61-4366-b5a9-08db7bd77ad4?UTM_Campaign=SharedTournament

Join Us for the A1 Gaming Weekends: LoL Tournament on EUNE Server

The A1 Adria League invites all passionate League of Legends players in the EUNE region to join us for an exhilarating showdown in our first A1 Gaming Weekends tournament. This is an excellent opportunity for teams to showcase their skills, test their mettle against worthy adversaries, and vie for the prestigious hardware prizes at stake.

Gather your team, register, and prepare for an adrenaline-fueled battle in the Summoner’s Rift. Stay tuned for further updates and announcements on our official website, a1adrialeague.com.

Together, let’s embark on an unforgettable gaming journey and embrace the spirit of competition in the A1 Gaming Weekends.

Battle for Glory: A1 Adria League’s League of Legends Tournament

Are you a League of Legends player looking for a chance to compete and potentially win big? Look no further than the A1 Adria League’s Season 11 one-day League of Legends tournament! This exciting event is open to all League of Legends players from the region and features a total prize pool of 1000 euros.

Taking place on April 6th, the tournament will be played in a single elimination bracket format, ensuring that every match is intense and competitive. With no qualifiers required, this is your chance to showcase your skills and potentially take home the top prize of 600 euros. Second and third-place finishers will also receive prizes of 300 and 100 euros, respectively. The matches will be Bo1 with the finals being Bo3 series.

Registration is free and open, so what are you waiting for? Sign up now at the link below and get ready to compete against some of the best League of Legends players in the region. This is a great opportunity for amateur players to test their skills and potentially make a name for themselves in the League of Legends community.

SIGN UP FOR THE A1 ADRIA LEAGUE LOL TOURNAMENT

Whether you’re an experienced player or just starting out, this tournament promises to be an exciting event that you won’t want to miss. With a chance to win big and compete against some of the top players in the region, there’s never been a better time to join the action and showcase your skills on the League of Legends stage.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to be a part of the A1 Adria League’s one-day League of Legends tournament. Register now and get ready to battle it out for your share of the 1000 euro prize pool!

S11_LOL_Prizepool

 

Stara Garda is the new A1AL LoL champion!

Once again the tournament in League of Legends appeared in the A1 Adria League. After a very exciting qualifier, four teams took their spot in the playoffs. The League of Legends playoffs were played last week and we got the champion for the tenth A1AL in the most popular MOBA game. Stara Garda was the best team in the competition and took the title.

Stara Garda on top

The four top teams in this season League of Legends competition were HARMONY, Fantastic eSports, Whatever Esports, and the new champions. The bracket brought us two semifinals where we saw Stara Garda compete against team Whatever Esports, while HARMONY took on the Fantastic team.

LoL playoffs bracket

As expected, the teams that advanced to the upper bracket’s finals were Stara Garda and HARMONY. The latter we know very well in A1AL as they also made it to the grand finals in our eighth season. However, Garda took down their opponents with a 2:0 win and sent HARMONY to the lower bracket. There HARMONY waited for either Whatever or Fantastic Esports. HARMONY came out victorious in the lower bracket’s final and went on to face Garda again. This time there was no time for mistakes as the prize was waiting.

The scenery was the same. Stara Garda demolished HARMONY once again with the same score of 2:0. This team actually didn’t lose a single game in the playoffs, which showed how dominant their performance was. The roster made out of Coatpustmain, Velja, MarrowOoze, Lelouch, and Shone took home the title and the 700€ prize.

 

Sign up for the League of Legends qualifiers!

It’s time we get back to the Summoner’s Rift. League of Legends qualifiers for Season 10 of the A1 Adria League are coming closer. Start watching Worlds and getting ready to claim that prize money and trophy.

A1 Adria League Season 10 League of Legends Qualifiers

League of Legends will consist of two phases in the tenth season. The first phase is an open qualifier in which all the teams from the region will have the opportunity to secure the playoff. Only the Top 4 teams will advance to the playoffs. The qualifier will be played in a single-elimination format with all matches being in the Bo1 series while deciding matches will be played in the Bo3 series. This way only the best teams will advance and have a chance to compete for the 1000€ prize pool. Already 36 teams have signed up for the qualifiers so make sure to claim your spot in time and don’t wait for the last moment. The qualifier will take place on the 8th of October.

SIGN UP FOR THE LEAGUE OF LEGENDS QUALIFIER – 8.10.2022.

The playoffs will be played exactly one week later on the 15th of October when we’ll find out who will claim the trophy! The schedule is made in a way that doesn’t interfere with the League of Legends World Championship. The play-In phase of the Worlds starts on the 29th of September and matches are played late at night since teams are competing in the United States. See you on the Rift! If you need additional motivation to hype you up, try listening to the League of Legends Worlds Anthem. More info can be found on the competition page.