FLASHPOINT format: everything you need to know
What is the FLASHPOINT format?
The upcoming new CS:GO league slated to replace ECS will pioneer a new approach in tournament organization, including its format. The FLASHPOINT format is unique in Counter-Strike, focusing on team input in a multi-phase format. Ten partnered teams are joined by two others from the open qualifier, who are then split up in three groups of four based on the CSPPA's independent ranking system. The top three teams are randomly placed in a group, and their captains will draft their respective first opponents in their own group from the rest of the field.
From then on, the most recently selected team will go on to select their next opponents, with the final teams (who had no opportunity to draft anyone) then proposing swaps (either of any two teams between groups, subject to a veto by the first-place team captains, or the first-round opponents in the group, which cannot be vetoed.) The subsequent group stage is seeded based on the team results from the first one. The group stages of FLASHPOINT are played out in a best-of-three GSL format.
A complete explainer document about the draft is available here.
Teams receive points based on their performances across the two group stages, and the top eight in the overall standings make it into the seeded best-of-three double elimination bracket to fight it out for the trophy in the playoff portion of the competition.
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