Cyberathlete Professional League
Current season, competition or edition: N/A | |
 | |
| Sport | Electronic sports |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1997 |
| Most recent champion(s) |
 Thomas "Ogre 2" Ryan (Halo 3) |
| Most titles |
 SK-Gaming (7 times) |
| Official website | Official website |
The Cyberathlete Professional League (CPL) is a professional sports tournament organization specializing in computer and console video game competitions. It was founded by Angel Munoz on June 27, 1997 in Dallas, Texas.[1] The CPL is considered the pioneer[2] in professional video game tournaments, which have been held worldwide. The CPL's tournaments are open to all registrants, but due to the ESRB content rating of some video games, CPL competitions are restricted to participants age 17 or older. The CPL has distributed more than US$3,000,000 in cash prizes.
In 2005 the CPL moved to a World Tour format. The 2005 CPL World Tour focused on the one-on-one deathmatch game Painkiller and had a total prize purse of $1,000,000. The winner of the CPL Grand Finals event, Johnathan "Fatal1ty" Wendel, went home with the grand prize of $150,000, while Sander "Vo0" Kaasjager took home the MVP trophy for having the most tournament wins.
In March 2008, the CPL ceased operations, citing a "crowded field of competing leagues".[3] On August 25, 2008, the CPL announced that it had signed an acquisition agreement with an investment group based in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.[4] On August 23, 2010, the former parent company of the CPL, announced that the two-year acquisition process of the CPL was finalized, and that the sole owner of the CPL (and its subsidiaries) was now WoLong Ventures PTE of Singapore.[5][6] Following this acquisition, the CPL has hosted annual competitions in China, in collaboration with the municipal government of Shenyang.[7]
Events
2007 and 2010s
| Date | Event | Venue | Prizes | Game | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | CPL Championship 2013[8] | Shenyang | $6,500 | StarCraft II | Hui Cao "Jim" Jin | Lee "MarineKing" Jung Hoo |
| 2012 | CPL Championship 2012[9] | Shenyang | $10,250 | StarCraft II | Xiang "XY" Yao | Xing Biao "Way" Zhu |
| League of Legends | Invictus Gaming | MVP White | ||||
| 2011 | CPL Invitational 2011[10] | Shenyang | $26,057 | StarCraft II | Lee "MarineKing" Jung Hoo[11] | Kim "SaSe" Hammar |
| Defense of the Ancients | Invictus Gaming.z[12] | World Elite | ||||
| Warcraft III | Huang "TH000" Xiang[13] | Wang "Infi" Xu Wen | ||||
| 2008 | CPL World Tour 2007: Finals.[14] | London | $300,000 | F.E.A.R | Henrik "Jagad" Dahl[15] | Marc-André "4 Glory" Messier |
| World In Conflict | Team Dignitas[16] | Don't Care | ||||
| 2007 | CPL Winter 2007 | Dallas | $60,000 | Counter-Strike | x3o-gaming | Dynamo |
| Counter-Strike Source | Team XFX | carnage |
2006
The 2006 CPL World Season was a series of electronic sports competitions organized by the CPL in the fall of 2006. It was a follow up of the 2005 CPL World Tour and was announced by the CPL on July 31, 2006.[17]
The tour featured two games, Counter-Strike and Quake 3. After a total of 7 qualifier events, the finals were held on 16–20 December 2006 at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Dallas, Texas. The championship finals had a total prize purse of $150,000 and were won by ORG: Team: fnatic (Counter-Strike) and Paul "czm" Nelson (Quake 3).
| Event | Venue | Prizes | Game | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPL Winter 2006 | Dallas | $150,000 | Counter-Strike | fnatic | MeetYourMakers |
| Quake III | Paul "czm" Nelson | Fan "Jibo" Zhibo | |||
| CPL World Season 2006: Nordic | Jönköping | Qualifier | Counter-Strike | Ninjas in Pyjamas | H2k Gaming |
| Quake III | Fan "Jibo" Zhibo | Sebastian "Spart1e" Siira | |||
| CPL World Season 2006: Italy | Verona | Qualifier + $50,000 | Counter-Strike | aAa | a-Losers |
| Quake III | Magnus "Fojji" Olsson | Marcel "k1llsen" Paul | |||
| CPL World Season 2006: Korea | Seoul | Qualifier | Counter-Strike | LAVEGA-GAMING | project_kr |
| CPL World Season 2006: China | Chengdu | Qualifier | Counter-Strike | Star.ex | Hacker Gaming |
| CPL World Season 2006: Brazil | São Paulo | Qualifier | Counter-Strike | g3nerationX | Made in Brazil |
| Quake III | Daniel "Ryu" Souza De Lima | Diogo "met" Fressato | |||
| CPL World Season 2006: Singapore | Singapore | Qualifier + $30,000 | Counter-Strike | fnatic | SpeedLink |
| Quake III | Fan "Jibo" Zhibo | Brian "dkt" Flander |
2005
At the 2004 Cyberathlete Extreme Summer Championships, the CPL announced details on its largest event ever, the CPL World Tour. This event took place throughout 2005, with a total of 10 international stops and a finals event held in New York City, televised by MTV.[18]
| Event | Winner | Runner-up | Prizes | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPL Winter 2005 | CS:  SK-Gaming
Quake 4: F.E.A.R: |
CS:  Lunatic Hai
Quake 4: F.E.A.R: |
$100,000 |
Dallas |
| CPL World Tour 2005: Finals | Painkiller: Johnathan "Fatal1ty" Wendel |
Painkiller:  Sander "Vo0" Kaasjager |
$500,000 |
New York City |
| CPL World Tour 2005: Chile | CS:  Made in Brazil
Painkiller: WC3: |
CS: United 5
Painkiller: WC3: |
Qualifier + $60,000 |
 Santiago de Chile |
| CPL World Tour 2005: Italy | Painkiller: Sander "Vo0" Kaasjager |
Painkiller: Johnathan "Fatal1ty" Wendel |
Qualifier + $50,000 |
 Milan |
| CPL World Tour 2005: Singapore | CS: fnatic
Painkiller: |
CS:  Team XCN
Painkiller: |
Qualifier + $70,000 |
 Singapore |
| CPL World Tour 2005: United Kingdom | CS:  Team9
Painkiller: |
CS: Ninjas in Pyjamas
Painkiller: |
Qualifier + $60,000 |
 Sheffield |
| CPL Summer 2005 | CS: SK-Gaming
Painkiller: CS:Source: WC3: Day of Defeat: |
CS:  Evil Geniuses
Painkiller: CS:Source: WC3: Halo 2: Day of Defeat: |
$200,000 |
Dallas |
| CPL World Tour 2005: Sweden | Painkiller: Sander "Vo0" Kaasjager |
Painkiller: Johnathan "Fatal1ty" Wendel |
Qualifier + $50,000 |
Jönköping |
| CPL World Tour 2005: Brazil | CS: Made in Brazil
Painkiller: |
CS: SSV Lehnitz(fnatic)
Painkiller: |
Qualifier + $70,000 |
Rio de Janeiro |
| CPL World Tour 2005: Spain | CS: mousesports
Painkiller: |
CS: compLexity
Painkiller: |
Qualifier + $70,000 |
 Barcelona |
| CPL World Tour 2005: Turkey | CS: Catch Gamer
Painkiller: |
CS:  M19
Painkiller: WC3: |
Qualifier + $70,000 |
 Istanbul |
2004
| Event | Winner | Runner-up | Prizes | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPL Winter 2004 | CS: Team NoA
Painkiller: Day of Defeat: Doom 3: |
CS: EYEBALLERS
Painkiller: Day of Defeat: Doom 3: |
$150,000 |
Dallas |
| CPL UK Qualifier 2004 | CS: 4Kings |
CS:  GoodGame |
Qualifier |
London |
| CPL Greece Qualifier 2004 | CS:  The Titans |
CS: TeG |
Qualifier |  Athens |
| CPL Brazil Qualifier 2004 | CS: g3nerationX | CS: Made in Brazil |
Qualifier |
São Paulo |
| CPL Japan Qualifier 2004 | CS:  Epiphyllum Oxpetalum |
CS: Dynamic |
Qualifier |
Tokyo |
| CPL Turkey Qualifier 2004 | CS: mousesports |
CS: Team Quash |
Qualifier | Istanbul |
| CPL Romania Qualifier 2004 | CS: SK-Gaming |
CS:  AMD Cyber Team |
Qualifier |  Timişoara |
| CPL Summer 2004 | CS: EYEBALLERS
Painkiller: Call Of Duty: Halo: |
CS: SK-Gaming
Painkiller: UT2K4: Call Of Duty: Halo: |
$250,000 | Dallas |
Past CPL World Champions
Individual competitions
- 2006 - USA - Paul "czm" Nelson - Quake III[19]
- 2005 - USA - Johnathan "Fatal1ty" Wendel - Painkiller[20]
- 2004 - The Netherlands - Sander "Vo0" Kaasjager - Painkiller
- 2003 - Norway - Chris "kJer" Lujan - Painkiller
- 2002 - USA - Johnathan "Fatal1ty" Wendel - Unreal Tournament 2003
- 2001 - USA - Johnathan "Fatal1ty" Wendel - Alien versus Predator 2
- 2000 - USA - Johnathan "Fatal1ty" Wendel - Quake III
- 1999 - USA - Mark "wombat" Larsen - Quake III
- 1998 - USA - Dan "Rix" Hammans - Quake II
- 1997 - USA - Tom "gollum" Dawson - Quake
Team competitions
- 2007: USA - Pandemic - Counter-Strike Source
- 2006: Australia - fnatic - Counter-Strike[21]
- 2005: Germany - SK Gaming - Counter-Strike[22]
- 2004 - Unattached - Team NoA - Counter-Strike
- 2003 - Germany - SK Gaming - Counter-Strike
- 2002 - USA - Team3D - Counter-Strike
- 2001 - Sweden - Ninjas in Pyjamas - Counter-Strike
- 2000 - Sweden - e9 - Counter-Strike
- 2000 - The Philippines - DATA mngt - Counter-Strike
Cyberathlete Amateur League
The CPL also owned and operated an online video game league for amateur players and teams, named the Cyberathlete Amateur League or CAL. CAL operated year-round, with regular eight-week seasons, one or two matches per week, and a single-elimination postseason (playoffs).
On November 14, 2008, the newly formed CPL Holding Group, LLC from United Arab Emirates announced that it had acquired CAL.[23] On February 22, 2009, CAL ceased online operations. At its peak CAL was one of the largest online gaming leagues in North America with 20,000 teams and over 600,000 registered players.[24]
The CAL is based mainly on online game play. A 2003 competition hosted by CAL was played in a Hyatt Regency Ballroom. Several tables were placed together where 10 computers were set up for the professional gamers. The game was Half-Life: Counterstrike.[25] The CAL ceased operating in 2009.
CPL divisions
In mid-2006, the CPL together with its international partners announced a series of licensed divisions to bring worldwide the experience of the CPL events.
- Singapore: Edge of Reality
- China: Media Gaming Live Pte Ltd
- Australia: Ping Events Australia EH? (James Duffy's "Puffing Duffy's Pro's")
- Chile: ALM Ingenieria (LAN-Z) S.A.
- Brazil: Made in Brazil Esportes Eletrônicos (MiBR) Ltda
- South Korea: International e-Sports Group, Inc (IEG)
- Sweden: E-Sport Entertainment Group AB (EEG)
- Romania: E-Sport Entertainment, Inc (OSIM)
- Italy: A.S. Play.it (ASPI)
Possible fraud leak
On April 2, 2010, a former CGS employee Tonya Welch, released information[26] about an alleged "fraud scheme" by which the new buyers of the CPL had made fictitious statements to the general public and to the previous owner of the CPL. She claimed that the investors were not from Abu Dhabi, as had been announced, but that the purchase was actually conducted by a private group of US investors. Despite the allegations the acquisition was ultimately completed by WoLong Ventures of Singapore.
References
- ↑ John Gaudiosi (2013-04-09). "CPL Founder Angel Munoz Explains Why He Left ESports And Launched Mass Luminosity". Forbes.com. Retrieved 1 Jul 2013.
- ↑ "Club FORUM Beograd | PROJECTS |". Clubforum.org. Retrieved 2012-08-29.
- ↑ "Cyberathlete professional league (CPL) is no More!". GameGuru. 17 Mar 2008. Retrieved 15 Aug 2013.
- ↑ Adrenaline Vault (2008-08-25). "Investment Group Acquires CPL". avault.com. Retrieved 2011-02-22.
- ↑ NewWorld.com (2010-08-23). "NewWorld and WoLong Ventures Announce Completion of CPL Acquisition". newworld.com. Retrieved 2011-02-22.
- ↑ "and WoLong Ventures Announce Completion of CPL and CAL Acquisition". NewWorld. 2010-08-23. Retrieved 2012-05-25.
- ↑ "China- Shenyang CPL Championship is Back!!!". theCPL.com. 6 Jul 2013. Retrieved 30 Aug 2013.
- ↑ "CPL Championship 2013". Retrieved 2014-01-17.
- ↑ "CPL Championship 2012". Retrieved 2014-01-17.
- ↑ "CPL Invitational 2011". Retrieved 2014-01-17.
- ↑ "MarineKing wins CPL Invitational 2011". Retrieved 2014-01-28.
- ↑ "CPL 2011: group-stage details specified". Retrieved 2014-01-17.
- ↑ "沈阳CPL2011国际电子竞技明星邀请赛圆满落幕" (in Chinese). Retrieved 2014-01-17.
- ↑ "CPL World Tour 2007: Finals".
- ↑ "F.E.A.R".
- ↑ "World in Conflict 2007".
- ↑ Cyberathlete Professional League (2006-07-31). "The CPL Announces 2006 World Season". thecpl.com. Retrieved 2008-05-10.
- ↑ "MTV TO AIR CPL FINALS". gotfrag.com. 2005-11-25. Retrieved 2010-09-11.
- ↑ Cyberathlete Professional League (2006-12-21). "Championship Finals Winners!". thecpl.com. Retrieved 2008-05-10.
- ↑ Cyberathlete Professional League (2006-09-15). "The CPL Announces Past 1v1 Champions". thecpl.com. Retrieved 2008-05-10.
- ↑ Cyberathlete Professional League (2006-12-21). "Championship Finals Winners!". thecpl.com. Retrieved 2008-05-11.
- ↑ Cyberathlete Professional League (2006-10-19). "CPL Announces Counter-Strike World Champions". The CPL Romania 2010. Retrieved 2008-05-11.
- ↑ GotFrag (2008-11-14). "CPL Holdings Group Acquires CAL". thecpl.com. Retrieved 2011-02-22.
- ↑ "The CPL Heritage".
- ↑ "Are video games a sport?". csmonitor.com. 2003-08-08. Retrieved 2012-06-04.
- ↑ Don't Be Fooled (2010-04-02). "New CPL: Don't be fooled". Complexitygaming.com. Retrieved 2012-08-29.