eSports: Upcoming tournaments 4/11

StarCraft II         eSports: Upcoming tournaments April 8, 2011 at 11:00 AM   Various competition organizers hold regular online tournaments in which you can compete against other players and maybe even win some prizes! Most of these contests are open to everyone. In addition, there are professional tournaments taking place like the GSL World Championship, the North American Star League or DreamHack Stockholm Invitational, which you can follow via video stream. Interested? Take a look at some of the open tournaments coming up in the next days - you can sign up to take part, or simply watch the live streams to get inspired by the players. It's your turn now! Date Name Format Prize Money Stream Sign Up Apr 08 Black Dragon League Matchday 14 1v1 € 6,000.00 Yes Invite only Apr 09 2011 GSL World Championship Final 1v1 ₩ 109,000,000 Yes Invite only Apr 09 Sennheiser Cup 1v1 € 100.00 Yes Yes Apr 09 ESL Benelux Madprocessor Cup #3 1v1 € 320.00 Yes Invite only Apr 09 TSL 3 Round of 16 Day 1 1v1 $ 34,500.00 Yes Invite only Apr 09-10 eOSL Open Series #4 1v1 € 300.00 + Qualifier Yes Yes Apr 10 TSL 3 Round of 16 Day 2 1v1 $ 34,500.00 Yes Invite only Apr 10 ZOTAC StarCraft II Cup #51 1v1 € 100.00 Yes Yes Apr 10 ESL France GoFrSC2 1v1 Qualifier Yes France only Apr 10 Go4SC2 #96 1v1 € 200.00 Yes Yes Apr 11 4Players Team Action #32 2v2 € 50.00 Yes Yes Apr 11 GameCreds Cup #9 1v1 $ 100.00 Yes Yes Apr 11 Black Dragon League Matchday 15 1v1 $ 6,000.00 Yes Invite only Apr 12 DreamHack Stockholm Invitational 1v1 100000 SEK Yes Invite only Apr 12 - Jun 11 North American Star League Season 1 1v1 $ 100,000.00 Yes Invite only Apr 12 ESL France GoFrSC2 1v1 Qualifier Yes Yes Apr 12 ESL Italy Victory Road Cup 2011 1v1 Hardware Yes Yes Apr 13 Go4SC2 #97 1v1 Qualifier Yes Yes Apr 13 Black Dragon League Matchday 15 1v1 $ 6,000.00 Yes Invite only Apr 14 Go4SC2 Remium Qualifier 1v1 Qualifier No Yes Apr 14 4Players Close Combat #33 1v1 € 300.00 Yes Yes         Matchmaking, Up and Coming List Hotfixes April 8, 2011 at 8:05 AM   We've recently implemented a couple hotfixes to improve specific StarCraft II features. Matchmaking We've made some improvements to the matchmaking system and it should now be better than ever at pairing evenly matched opponents. This will be especially true for team matches. The system is now more accurate when attempting to find a good match, which can result in slightly longer wait times if one can't be found immediately. Up & Coming The behind the scenes variables have been tweaked for how quickly or pertinently maps enter into the Up & Coming list. This change will take a day or so before the Up & Coming list reflects rising custom map stars more accurately.         New Lore: Colossus Short Story! April 8, 2011 at 2:00 AM   Aldrion, a respected high templar among the Aiur protoss, is plagued with visions that he is unable to understand. There was no way out. The screams made him certain of that. He could sense the dark templar huddled together in panic, their structure surrounded on all sides, but he was powerless to intervene. Their fear burned into his mind until his consciousness was pierced with it, each sensation bright and distinct before bleeding away into the abyss. He already knew how it would end. The machines were coming... Despite his desire to meditate and calm his mind, Aldrion has been called to serve; he is to work in concert with another Aiur protoss and a dark templar in their search for an artifact hidden away long ago by their people: the colossus. This dangerous relic is from a time when protoss mistakes led to genocide—the Kalath Intercession—but the rise of the zerg threat and the fall of Aiur have driven the protoss to desperate measures. Will latent animosity between the Aiur protoss and the dark templar foil the mission before it can be completed? Is the timing of Aldrion's visions more than just a coincidence? Check out the latest short story in the StarCraft Lore section: Colossus by Valerie Watrous!         Contest Winner: Guardian of Accounts - March 2011 April 7, 2011 at 1:00 PM   The latest winner in our recurring contest, "The Guardian of Accounts Art Contest", has been picked. Featuring guest appearances from main characters of StarCraft and WarCraft, the submission by Markus from Münster, Germany was a highly popular choice. Congratulations, Markus, and good work! As a reminder, we will continue picking one winner in "The Guardian of Accounts Art Contest" each month until January 2012. Next month's winner will receive an ASUS G51J 3D Republic of Gamers 3D Vision Laptop along with the fame, fortune and pleasure that comes from having others appreciate their work!         StarCraft II Official Mods Now Available April 7, 2011 at 2:00 AM   Maybe you've already had a chance to experience our official Aiur Chef, Left 2 Die, and StarJeweled mods while they were in beta, but even if you have, you'll definitely want to check them out again: the final release versions have just been published. Each mod has been polished with improvements and bug fixes, plus they now feature official achievements complete with brand-new avatars to unlock! Eager to get into the action? It's easy to get started -- just jump into StarCraft II and hit the Featured section of the Join Game interface to start a match! You can find all three mods featured on the StarCraft II community site's Maps and Mods page, where you can also check out great map making tutorials to teach you the techniques it takes to create your own mod masterpieces. Official Mods Achievements Aiur Chef Executor Chef - Cook at least one of each dish in all three rounds of one game of Aiur Chef. Virtuoso - Win a game of Aiur Chef. Awards Zealot Chef portrait. Supreme Cuisine - Score over 2000 points in a game of Aiur Chef. The Heat Is On - Kill another zealot chef when hit by the Great Equalizer. Allez Cuisine! - Cook two dishes within 30 seconds of each other. Left 2 Die Live and Let Die - Complete the "Left 2 Die" scenario on Normal difficulty. Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em - Kill a Stank before it kills anything on Hard difficulty. Awards Stank portrait. Die Another Day - Complete the "Left 2 Die" scenario on Hard difficulty. Here Comes the Hammer - Complete the "Left 2 Die" scenario before the fifth night on Brutal difficulty. License to Kill - Complete the "Left 2 Die" scenario on Brutal difficulty. Night Of The Living - Survive 5 Infested Horde Attacks in the "Night 2 Die" mode of the "Left 2 Die" scenario. Night Of The Living II - Survive 10 Infested Horde Attacks in the "Night 2 Die" mode of the "Left 2 Die" scenario. Night Of The Living III - Survive 15 Infested Horde Attacks in the "Night 2 Die" mode of the "Left 2 Die" scenario. StarJeweled Tag Team - Win a 2v2 game of 'StarJeweled' with no A.I. players. Jewel Crafter - Win a 1v1 game of 'StarJeweled' against a Medium A.I. opponent. Jewel Star - Win a 1v1 game of 'StarJeweled' against a Hard A.I. opponent. Jewel Super Star - Win a 1v1 game of 'StarJeweled' against a Very Hard A.I. opponent. Jewel Rock Star - Win a 1v1 game of 'StarJeweled' against an Insane A.I. opponent. Jewel of Denial - Heal 3000 points of damage in a game of 'StarJeweled' using the Healing Wave ability. Awards Ornatus portrait. World of Orecraft - Do a 6 combo gem break and receive "For the Swarm" notification in a game of 'StarJeweled'.         Poll: The Women of StarCraft II April 6, 2011 at 9:00 AM   The Koprulu sector is a dangerous place. It's a region torn by civil war, leashed by despotic regimes and scarred by ruthless aliens. Whether facing down urban predators on a capital world like Korhal IV or barely extracting a living from the dusts of Mar Sara, only the smart, tough, and capable survive there. The women of the Koprulu sector embody those qualities and more. Not only do they survive in these harsh conditions, they thrive. These women are brilliant intellectuals, nurturing healers, deadly warriors, and strong leaders. And they manage to look good while doing it, too. Judging them on talent, ability, beauty, and brains, "Who is your favorite female character in StarCraft II?"             This email was sent to masterstarcraft1@gmail.com. Delivered by Feed My Inbox PO Box 682532 Franklin, TN 37068 Account Login Unsubscribe Here