Join us for a two-day weekend bash featuring new maps, new players, and unique rules you'll only see during iNcog's Empire Cup!

⚔ Saturday, March 21st

Games start at 15:00 GMT (8A PT / 11A ET). All times in GMT.

• Round of 128: 15:00 - 15:45
  
• Round of 64: 15:45 - 16:30
  
• Round of 32: 16:30 - 17:15
  
• Round of 16: 17:15 - 19:30
  
• Round of 8: 19:30 - 21:30

⚔ Sunday, March 22nd

Games start at 15:00 GMT (8A PT / 11A ET). All times in GMT.

• Semi-finals 1: 15:00 - 17:00
  
• Semi-finals 2: 17:00 - 19:00
  
• Finals: 19:30 - 22:30

Expanding on the success of its first iteration, ESOC's next big event will be the second season of the ESOC Premier League (EPL): a team-based tournament where six Team Managers draft a squad from a pool of players and duke it out over the next five weeks to reach the playoffs. Each team will consist of at least six players: with five players on the main roster and at least one substitute.

Players will be drafted in a Live Auction Event, with Team Managers bidding on players using a limited amount of "duck coins." Each team is also granted one "champion"—a player who is theirs for free and basically functions as the team's assistant manager.

The ESOC Premier League is one of the most fun and engaging tournaments ESOC has to offer, so read on if you're interested!

—Snippet by Cometk

I am pleased to announce that, with the partnership of ESOC, I will be hosting the first edition of the Empire Cup. There are a few twists in store for this event:

• The event will be played over the course of two days. On the first day, players will be pit against each other in a best-of-one narrowing from the Round of 128 all the way to the Quarter-Finals. After the dust settles, four players will remain to compete in the Semi-Finals and Finals matches on the second day.
  
• Participants will pick a "Premier Civilization" which they'll play throughout the Round of 128 all the way to the Finals. (Learn More)
  
• Starting in the Round of 16, matches become best-of-three and add a little more flexibility for players. This is where another addition is made to the tournament: a civilization veto mechanic.(Learn More)

—Snippet by iNcog

The time has come! This is the definitive battle between two Age of Empires III legends. This coming Thursday, Mitoe and Hazza54321 will face off in a best-of-nine bout to claim the coveted title of Winter Champion—as well as a cool slice of the $2250 prize pool pie.

Here's a recap of their journey to the pro finals:

• Both Hazza and Mitoe were expected to go far: clocking in as the third- and fourth-strongest players in the pre-tournament Power Rankings, respectively.
  
• Hazza knocked out No. 1 ranked Kaiserklein with a convincing 4-2 upset in the semifinals.
  
• Mitoe is hot off a 4-0 sweep of Lukas, who beat snowww and the indominable LordRaphael—who is sometimes regarded as the Greatest of All Time.

These two powerhouses belong to a newer time; gone (for now) are the days of iamgrunt, H2O, and BlackStar_OP of the World Cyber Games of 2007 and 2008. New competitors now stand on the shoulders of giants.

Mitoe made his ESO debut in early 2014 to the tune of Lt. Colonel: a humbling experience for a player who dominated the smaller Macintosh scene for years. He showed he was fit to dominate ESO, too, winning the 2017 Autumn Championship in a 5-2 series over Goongoon, and later, two weekend tournaments.

Hazza was a captain in 2016, and in one of the fastest “rags-to-riches” transformations, blew up to become Brigadier in less than two years. Now he's a Major General. Although ranked above Mitoe, Hazza has yet to win a Seasonal Major. He is well poised for his first.

Further, these players have a history of tournament meetings, introducing a psychological factor to this encounter. In the 2018 Autumn Championship, Hazza swept Mitoe 4-0, and again over-performed with a 4-1 victory in the ESOC Premier League. Mitoe was able to get his sweet revenge in the 2019 New World Championship qualifiers, vanquishing Hazza 3-2 in the Round of 16.

But with a Championship Title on the line—including more money and more prestige—which of these two players will rise to the occasion?

—Written by Guest Contributor: SirCallen

• What: $3,000 AoE3 Open Tournament
  
• When: Tournament begins January 6th, 2020
  
• Where: https://eso-community.net/
  
• How (do I participate?): Registration is open NOW until January 4th, 2020. You can sign up by creating an account on eso-community.net and then using this link: https://eso-community.net/my-esoc.php
  
• More Info & Rules: https://eso-community.net/viewtopic.php?t=18685

• Website: https://eso-community.net/
  
• Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/esoctv
  
• Discord: https://discord.gg/nyqM7Mq

• What: The New World Championship
  
• When: July 11 - 14
  
• Time: Streams start at 13:00 GMT each day
  
• Where: http://www.twitch.tv/EscapeAoE

• Twitch: http://www.twitch.tv/EscapeAoE
  
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/EscapeAoE
  
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EscapeAoE/