Esports tournament organiser ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) has unveiled details on the sixth season of ESL Impact, it’s female Counter-Strike circuit.
Teams from Europe, North and South America will compete from August 28th to November 24th, 2024.
The 28 teams taking part in Season 6 of ESL Impact will compete for a share of $150,000 (~£113,000) in prize money and places at the global finals taking place at DreamHack Stockholm in November. Each of the three regions taking part are split into groups with the first-placed team securing one of eight places at the Global Finals.
Several esports organisations are fielding teams in Season 6 of ESL Impact including FURIA, Astralis, and defending champions Imperial. The upcoming season is the third to take place on Counter-Strike 2 following its release in September 2023.
Launched in 2022, ESL Impact forms part of EFG’s #GGFORALL initiative aiming to create safe spaces for women and marginalised genders to enjoy gaming and esports. In collaboration with DHL, the initiative joined forces with non-profit esports organisation Para Esports inviting them to IEM Cologne in August.
The trend of all-female esports ecosystems launching shows no signs of slowing. In April, Gonna Need Milk launched a North American Fortnite series and in July, the MLBB Women’s Invitational garnered over 250,000 peak viewers making it the fourth most-watched event in women’s esports history.
ESL Impact remains one of the largest all-female esports tournament circuits in the world. Despite this, viewership remains low compared to other circuits. The Season 5 finals recorded peak viewing figures of 26,025 according to Esports Charts.