Some time ago, after the well-publicised fallout with KeSPA, Blizzard chose GomTV as their new esports partner for Korea. GomTV promised big things for Starcraft II and today it seems that they have delivered.

The Global Starcraft League (GSL) will be one of the most audacious esports tournaments to date. 64 players will start, with every single game being broadcast on GomTV. That's five days of matches per week - that's even more than previous Korean TV leagues. The key word for GomTV was "accessible." Moreover, the invitations will not be limited to players from professional teams. Signups begin on August 10 and will be open to anyone over the age of 12 with their own battle.net account.

For the remainder of 2010 the monthly tournament will have a prize pool of roughly $170,000 USD (200 million won). Each month, the winner will receive around $85,000 while 2nd place will get $25,000 and 3rd approximately $8,500. At the start of 2011, players will be divided into divisions, based on their performances during the 2010 season.

Next year things will get a little bit more complicated, as Team Liquid summarised:



The tournament rules are mostly straightforward with a few notable exceptions. Race changing is not allowed - players must play with their registered race (including random) in every game. Battle.net notifications must be switched off and players must set their status as busy during a match. Chatting is also prohibited except for surrendering the game with a "gg." Presumably players will have to wish each other good luck in the pre-game lobby. Any pauses will be done only by the admins. Players wishing for a stoppage will have an "emergency button" inside their booth.

Source: Team Liquid via MYM