YOUR GUIDE TO THE FINALS : SPLIT 2 MASTERS
Eight teams, four playoff spots, 1 one victor; it is now time for us to crown the champion for Split 2 of THE FINALS Masters Series (TFMS). Over the last two months, dozens of teams have competed for points to qualify for the Split 2 Masters. Now we our down to our top eight teams. Four teams from NA and Four teams from EU will battle it out through an intense gauntlet to qualify for playoffs and the title of Split 2 Champion!
SPLIT 2 MASTERS FORMAT
SPLIT 2 MASTERS FORMAT
Now, going into the Split 2 Masters, this is where we will see some change. Just like we introduced Cashout into the last Masters, we will be bringing it back for the second time. The format will be the same as Split 1 with a few changes
Swiss Stage
The Swiss Stage is essentially double elimination where the first four teams to place top 2 in their groups twice will move on (2-0 and 2-1). Here is an example using the Swiss Stage from Split 1
We will be using the same format as last time but we will be changing the point spread a bit. We took into consideration the feedback from Split 1 for decreasing the amount of maps to be played. We weighed the pros and cons after going through VODs and looking at data and found it to be more beneficial for teams if more maps were to be played. We will keep the rotation at 5 maps. This allows for momentum shifts to happen and for teams to make comebacks over time which leads to more exciting matches (Allows a team to warm up over time).
Game Mode: Cashout
Teams: 4 Teams of 3 (3v3v3v3)
Opening map chosen by the Highest Seeded team
Swiss Round 1:
Split 2 Leaderboard Seeding
Swiss Round 2 and 3:
Team with highest amount of points in prior round
The following maps are chosen by the 1st place team on the prior map
i.e. Map 1 winner --> Map 2 /// Map 2 winner--> Map 3, etc.
The winner cannot choose a prior map until 2 map rotations have passed
Map 1 until Map 4 /// Map 2 until Map 5
Now the point spread will change a bit. Similar to the spread for qualifiers, we found that the disparity was too great and caused teams to fall behind without a chance to come back. We will be adopting the Point Spread from Embark Studios AB that was used in Twitch Rivals.
1st Place = 10 (was 15)
2nd Place = 7 (was 11)
3rd Place = 5 (was 7)
4th Place = 4 (was 3)
We will still award teams points based on kills. EVERY 3 KILLS (rounded down) will give a team a kill point. With this, it adds a new way for teams to potentially make a comeback while still keeping the original theme of the game.
PLAYOFF STAGE
The Playoff Stage also known as Championship Sunday is the icing on the cake for the competitors to prove they are the best. It is also a chance to claim 1 of 2 open slots for the World Championship. Championship Sunday will follow the same format as the Open Qualifiers. The only difference is that the Grand Final will be a Best of 5.
Note: If a team has already qualified through the Split 1 Masters (Top 2 finish) and places top 2 in Split 2, another spot will be opened for qualification through the global leaderboard.
RULESET UPDATES
We will be adding a few rules and bans upon suggestions from the players
GAMEPLAY
(NEW) MATCH SERVERS
Players must be playing on North American Servers or European Servers
Servers decided by coin flip
Second Seeded team (SWISS STAGE)/Lower Seeded Team (PLAYOFFS) will choose:
Coin side
Opening Map server
If it lands on the teams chosen side, the opening map will be played on the chosen server
If it lands on opposite side, the other server will be played for the opening map
The Servers will alternate each map
NA --> EU --> NA --> etc.
From a suggestion from a player, we decided to add some randomness to give the lower seed team a potential chance at getting their server choice rather than playing at a true disadvantage in both the map ban stage and when it comes to server choice. Rather than the higher seed getting both options, they are guaranteed only one with the map veto.
(NEW) BANNED SPECIALIZATIONS/GADGETS:
Winch Claw
Reason: Game-Breaking Bug
Glitch Mine
Reason: Game-Breaking Bug
At the request of the players, we have chosen to ban these specializations/gadgets due the nature of the bugs that they present. After Qualifier #3 and #4 we have deemed the Winch Claw to be too strong while also being affected by a bug that makes it unstoppable in any situation. While other gadgets are also affected by the bugs, they were found to not be as invasive as the glitch mines. For the foreseeable future, these items will be banned from competitive play until they are adjusted/fixed.
FAQ
Q: What teams have qualified for the Split 2 Masters?
A: Teams that were invited are the top 8 teams from the Split 2 Qualifying series
BURTS (NA)
NoName (EU)
Holtows Finest (NA)
Pushing 30 (NA)
NTHX Esport (EU)
Ape Squad (NA)
No Idea (EU)
Quattro Squad (EU)
Q: What’s the event schedule?
A: Check-in opens at 11:00 p.m. ET/ 4 p.m. BST. The starting time for the event will be as follows:
Swiss Stage and Playoffs (August 31 - September 1)
The stream will start at 12:30 p.m. ET with the matches starting at 1:00 p.m. ET.
Q: Where can I watch the event?
A: You can watch the event live on the Breakout Esports Twitch or YouTube here:
