Season 9 closed with 595 teams, a league record. Season 10 aims higher. The tenth season introduces the first Season Finals: one bracket at the end of playoffs where the best teams of every division meet. Around it: a new Intermediate division, a new $50,000 prize distribution, Open Qualifiers, Player Finder, a new map pool, and more. Registration is open now and closes September 02.
Before the new season, here is how Season 9 ends, and everything Season 10 changes.
Season 9 closes with its playoffs. From August 3 to 16, 36 co-streamers cover the matches on Twitch, with 250,000 FACEIT Points up for grabs in drops. The full lineup is below.
To be eligible for drops, connect your FACEIT account through the FACEIT panel on an eligible co-streamer's Twitch page.
On August 10, Season 9's top two Master teams in EMEA and NA face the bottom two teams from OWCS Stage 2, playing for two OWCS Stage 3 spots per region. This is the stake Season 9's Master division earned: league teams measured directly against OWCS teams, with Stage 3 places on the line.
The broadcast starts at 19:00 CEST and covers each region's lower bracket final and final. Watch on the Overwatch Esports and FACEIT Overwatch channels, on both Twitch and YouTube. On the mic: Legday and Lemonkiwi for EMEA, Kenobi and Richrad for NA.
100,000 FACEIT Points drops are up for grabs in Twitch during the broadcast.
Season 10 is a milestone, and it belongs to the players who played their official matches every week, the teams that rebuilt their rosters and ran it back season after season, the co-streamers who put the matches on screen, and the community leaders who kept their scenes running. Thank you.
The numbers behind nine seasons:
Until now, your season ended inside your division, with its playoffs. In Season 10 it can end in a new tournament: the Season Finals, where the top teams of every division meet, and the winner leaves as the region's season champion.
The Season Finals run in EMEA and NA after playoffs, from November 9 to 15. Twelve teams per region qualify: the top four from Master and the top two from each of Expert, Advanced, Intermediate, and Open. Rounds play November 11, 12, and 13, and the final plays November 15.
Each region's Season Finals carry their own prize pool of $7,300: $3,000 for first, $1,000 for second, $650 each for third and fourth, $500 each for fifth to eighth. Teams that finish 9th to 12th receive free league passes for the next season, so every team in the bracket leaves with something.
On top of the rewards, winning from Open or Intermediate moves you up faster: an Open team that wins the first round of the Season Finals starts Season 11 in Advanced, and an Intermediate team that wins the first round will start in Expert. The Season Finals is a tournament exclusive to Season 10
Season 10 has no OWCS connection: there is no promotion or relegation to OWCS at the end of the season. Promotion and relegation between FACEIT League divisions continue as normal, with move-ups and move-downs applied on November 17.
The prize pool stays at $50,000 per season with 1,500,000 FACEIT Points in prizes alongside it. Season 10 distributes it differently: it now covers playoffs, the new Intermediate division, and the Season Finals.
The three main changes:
Find the full breakdown, below
Match balance, especially the gap between the top and bottom of a division, is one of the most consistent pieces of feedback from the community. Season 10 answers it with a new division: Intermediate, between Open and Advanced, in EMEA and NA. The ladder is now Open, Intermediate, Advanced, Expert, Master.
We are also changing division sizes in the upper tiers. The new team caps per region in Season 10, which we might reevaluate in upcoming seasons are:
Smaller Expert and Advanced divisions reduce how far apart two teams in the same division can be, so the opponents you can meet sit closer to your skill level.
OCE and SA keep their current structure of Master and Open, without an Intermediate division or Season Finals.
Team Finder lets captains post their team and players apply. Player Finder is the other half of that loop: by posting themselves as LFT (Looking For Team) on FACEIT, players become visible to captains browsing the Player Finder directory to complete their rosters.
These two tools are built to work together, so use both at once: stay visible to captains in the Player Finder directory while you browse and apply to rosters yourself.
Post yourself as LFT and apply to several teams at the same time to give yourself more chances of getting picked up.
Here are the key dates for Season 10.
Teams do not have to start in Open. The Open Qualifiers place the strongest rosters directly in higher divisions, giving experienced stacks forming for Season 10 a route to start at their level. The spots at stake:
Sign-up here for NA and here for EMEA.
The Season 10 map pool covers every mode:
D.Mon will be playable in season 10 matches from Day 1 of the regular season on September 07.
Season 10 rewards you for bringing players to the league. Anyone you refer gets 20% off their league pass, and you earn Creator Points once they subscribe. The amount depends on who you bring: more for bringing a first-time league player than for bringing back someone who played last season.
Complete activities around streaming, playing, or referring players, and you earn Creator Points, redeemable for Steam Wallet Codes, Battle.net Gift Cards, or cash. Hit set totals and you unlock bonus rewards, from 500 Overwatch Coins up to $1,000. And the season's top 10 referrers earn cash or FACEIT Points on the leaderboard, with $1,000 for first place.
Apply for your referral link, track your progress, and exchange your Creator Points at faceitcreators.com.
Every registered player on a team at roster lock, October 12, receives an exclusive Player Icon and Name Card, set to be distributed after Season 10 ends. Their designs will be revealed later in the season.
Season 10 starts September 07: five divisions in EMEA and NA, official matches at your level every week, and for the first time, a Season Finals bracket where the best of every division meet. Registration closes September 02.
Thank you for reading, and good luck in Season 10.
The FACEIT League Team
