Murat 'Arbalet' Zhumashevich and his tournament crew have announced a host of changes and a new structure for the Arbalet Cup series. Along with improvements to each event's prize fund, one of the biggest reveals is that a tournament will be held in the U.S. for the first time.

Changes:

1) The Arbalet Cups have reached international status, allowing any international teams to take part.

2) All tournaments will take place in an open format, but with limited total number of participants at the final stage (16 or 32).

3) The name of the tournament is determined by the city in which it passes, such as Arbalet Cup Stockholm or Arbalet Cup Moscow.

4) The top 16 placings all hold prize money.

5) Teams must cover all expenses (accommodation, food, travel, etc.) as the tournament organizers will focus solely on delivering the highest quality event possible.

6) The Arbalet Cup is heading to the U.S. for the first time.

Tournament details:

Arbalet Cup Dallas will be held in the Summer, once a year.
Number of teams: 32 - Prize fund: $80,000

Prize distribution:

1 - $25,000
2 - $15,000
3 - $10,000
4 - $7,000
5-6 - $3,500
7-8 - $2,000
9-16 - $1,500

Arbalet Cup Stockholm will be held twice a year in May and November.
Number of teams: 32 - Prize fund: $65,000

Prize distribution:

1 - $20,000
2 - $15,000
3 - $10,000
4 - $5,000
5-6 - $2,000
7-8 - $1,500
9-16 - $1,000

Arbalet Cup Kiev/Moscow will be held three times a year in February, April, and October.
Number of teams: 32 - Prize fund: $42,200

Prize distribution:

1 - $15,000
2 - $10,000
3 - $5,000
4 - $3,000
5-6 - $1,300
7-8 - $900
9-16 - $600

Arbalet Cup Female will be held twice a year in Spring and Autumn.
Number of teams: 16 - Prize fund: $42,200

Prize distribution:

1 - $10,000
2 - $7,000
3 - $5,000
4 - $3,000
5-6 - $2,300
7-8 - $1,500
9-16 - $1,200

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Source: Arbalet Cup (Russian) via HLTV.org
Picture credit: HLTV.org