Alienware’s big Overwatch launch tournament is about to go live! We have prepared a viewers guide to get you started!
A total of 64 teams have signed up for the Alienware Monthly Melee, that’s kicking off its first day of matches later today. They compete for and –of course- to get hold of the $3,000 prize pool!
When?
Tuesday (today!), 24th May at 17:00 EST/23:00 CEST
Winner’s bracket up until RO16 and the loser’s bracket rounds 1 to 5
Wednesday, 25th May at 17:00 EST/23:00 CEST
Remaining winner’s and loser’s bracket, and grand finals!
Where to watch?
Rules & Scoring System
The Alienware Monthly Melee will be using an interesting set of rules. You can find all of them here, but here are the highlights:
- On day one, maps will be played in a set order. On day two, the event will make use of a map veto system.
- King of the Hill maps will be enforcing a one hero limit!
- Maps with two CP will not be able to be drafted on day two.
- Tuesday will feature BO3 matches while Wednesday will have BO5 matches
- Control maps are used as tie-breakers
There will also be a brand new scoring system in place, scoring teams on how quickly a map (payload) is completed:
| RANK | TIME | POINTS |
|---|---|---|
|
Gold | 5 minutes or less | 3 |
| Silver | 8 minutes or less | 2 |
| Bronze | Over 8 minutes | 1 |
| No completion | n/a | 0 |
Teams to look out for!
You will see a lot of familiar faces from Beta in this tournament, as well as some new and upcoming teams. Here’s who you should keep an eye on!
THE BIG THREE
This three giants will most likely be competing for the first place and it’s very likely all of them will get a spot in the top three.
Currently number one in the GosuGamers rankings, Cloud9 is a very solid team with extremely talented individuals. But it’s not just raw talent that makes their team great: they have the creativity and guts to try out new things, while working together seamlessly, often winning them the game.
This team has been a powerhouse since the start of Beta, starting out as Fnatic before beginning their own organization. The members have been playing together for years, which shows in their playstyle. They have been dominating the scene and are expected to continue their rampage.
Rising from the ashes of IDDQD, the former king of Overwatch CBT, EnVyUs mixes NA’s talent Talespin with former IDDQD members and Taimou. As they had to play with a stand-in during the Overkill.gg league, this will be their first big tournament together.
THE CONTENDERS
These teams might not be able to get first place on paper, but are still very strong and could very well surprise us after the two-week hibernation without Overwatch.
With a lot of victories to their name, the former #FlatEarth team has proven before that they can do the unexpected and win against a dead-set winner.
Luminosity Gaming
LG had their ups and downs, and a position on the top three is possible if they bring their A-game.
Rogue
This half-French, half-Swedish team has a talented roster on their hand, but we will have to wait and see if they can bring enough team play and strategy to the table to sneak into the top five.
OWKings.com
Out of all “rookie” teams that have signed up, OWKings (former SICK6) is the most interesting. They have talent and four core players who have played together for over five years, which gives them the edge over many other starting teams.
Who do you think will win the Alienware Monthly Melee tournament? Let us know in the comments below!
For more competitive Overwatch news, follow us @GosuOverwatch.
