Hello Eternal Return Esports fans!
The fierce competition of Season 11 has come to an end. Now, with the kickoff of Season 12 Esports fast approaching, we'd like to share what the upcoming Season 12 tournament schedule looks like and what new changes are in store!
§ S12 Masters Schedule
Masters Season 11 served as a stage for many amateur players to pursue their dreams. It was incredible to watch so many talented amateur players step up and prove themselves in place of the KEL teams. Following suit, Masters Season 12 will once again serve as an arena of competition exclusively for amateur players without KEL teams.
Just like last season, three Phase tournaments will take place, each wrapping up in a single week with seven teams advancing directly to the Season Finals. The final remaining spot will be decided through an open LCQ, where numerous teams will fiercely battle it out for the last chance to make it into the finals.
Since Masters is run separately from KEL, we won't be making individual player emotes for the Season Finals, but we will create a special custom emote to celebrate the winning team! We look forward to seeing many top-tier players rise to the challenge!
§ Addition of "Fair Play" Clause to Esports Rules of Conduct
Under Season 11’s Checkpoint rule, we noticed multiple instances where teams avoided standard fights and relentlessly targeted one specific team, which made for a poor viewing experience.
We believe Esports is a form of entertainment built on top of a game, making it crucial to avoid scenarios that viewers or participants perceive as unfair. While multiple teams teaming up against one in certain situations can naturally occur in the battle royale genre, if viewers perceive it as unnatural gameplay, it becomes something we must address through rules and systems.
While these issues are amplified under the Checkpoint system, such scenarios should ultimately not occur in any match. Therefore, we aim to supplement our rules and Code of Conduct to address this. Going forward, the following actions may be penalized under "Violation of Fair Play" in the Esports Rules of Conduct:
1. Intentionally allowing an opponent to take items without interference.
2. Guarding an opponent so they can comfortably secure objectives.
3. Moving along the same path within close range (such as basic attack range) without engaging in combat.
4. Using your own team's resources to perform plays that benefit an opponent.
5. Allowing downed enemies to be revived or regrouped when a risk-free kill is possible.
6. Abnormally casting skills into the air for the purpose of signaling.
The "Violation of Fair Play" clause will be added to the upcoming revised Eternal Return Esports Global Rulebooks. Penalties for violating the Fair Play policy range from point deductions for minor infractions to up to a 180-day ban from competition if intent and repetition are proven.
The decision and severity of penalties will be determined by a consensus of at least two authorized referees during standard matches, and a consensus of at least three authorized referees during Checkpoint matches.
Please note that the actions listed above will not automatically lead to sanctions in every situation. Since players operate with limited in-game information, they frequently make choices that differ from what observers, who have full visibility, might consider optimal. The intent of adding this clause is to penalize cases where such actions occur without logical reasoning and harm the fairness of the match.
We will continue to refine our rules and systems to ensure that unfair situations like these do not disrupt future matches.
While KEL and Masters will continue to run separately through Season 12, KEL will not be held at the end of 2026 for Season 13. Instead, we will be hosting "Super Masters"! We can't wait to see if two seasons of hard work will allow our amateur teams to overcome the seasoned pros of KEL! Stay tuned for Super Masters in Season 13!
Eternal Return Esports is both a thrilling experience for our community and a stage where players chase their dreams. We'll keep doing our best to create an environment where competitors can shine and fans can cheer them on. Get ready for an incredible lineup of tournaments in Season 12!
Thank you,
Eternal Return Esports Team
