Hey there Onward Fans! Here we are. THE WORLD FINALS!
K-FOT (OCE), Imperial (EU), and MAYHEM (NA) qualified for this season's World Finals! Congrats for being top of your region!
Now, they play a round-robin style tournament to decide who will play for the grand prize. Tune in and cheer on your favorites. We invite you to watch the YouTube streams, join the community BigScreen rooms, and share share share the links!
MAYHEM vs K-FOT, Friday August 16th at 10:00 PM EDT / 0200 AM UTC (Saturday) / 12:00 PM AEST (Saturday)
Imperial vs K-FOT, Saturday August 17th at 9:00 AM EDT / 1300 UTC / 11:00 PM AEST
MAYHEM vs Imperial, Saturday August 17th at 3:00 PM EDT / 1900 UTC / 5:00 AM AEST (Sunday)
Good luck to all the teams!
After last week's exciting playoffs, top teams from APAC, EU, and NA are gering up for the regional Semi-Finals and Finals!
EU REGION
Congrats to Tutorial Level, NFI, Imperial, and The Newbies for coming out on top of the playoffs stage! The competition is getting fierce! Tune in this weekend. Only 1 team will make it to Worlds!!
Semi-Finals, Saturday August 10th at 3:00 PM EDT / 1900 UTC
Regional Finals, Sunday August 10th at 3:00 PM EDT / 1900 UTC
Bracket:
NA REGION
Get ready for the epic matchups between Grim Tide and CLASSIFIED, and Animal House and MAYHEM! Which team will make it to Worlds?
Semi-Finals, Saturday August 10th, 8:00 PM EDT / 0000 UTC (Sunday)
Regional Finals, Sunday August 11th, 7:00 PM EDT / 2300 UTC
Bracket:
APAC REGION
K-FOT were not only undefeated this season, they were also Season 14's World Champions! Can they reclaim their title?
Sunday, August 11th at 9:00 AM EDT / 1300 UTC / 11 PM AEST
Stay tuned for link to stream and bracket!
Season 16 Round Robins are upon us and as such there is a ton of action coming your way this weekend! Be sure to tune in to see who will move onto their semi-final matches. Here is your schedule and the streams that we will be using for the respective days:
APAC DAY 1
K-FOT (Season 14 World Champion), JAMMINIZ, TNK, and IMMOGI are playing! Starting at 6:30 PM AEST / 4:30 AM EDT / 0830 UTC. Tune in LIVE!
EU GROUP A, DAY 1
NFI, The Newbies, Phantoms, and FriendlyFire are playing for a spot in the Semi-Finals! Starting at 12:30 PM EDT / 1630 UTC.
NA GROUP A, DAY 1
Watch MAYHEM, Grim Tide, Dark Tidings, and Most Wanted play for a spot in the regional Semi-Finals! Starting at 6:30 PM EDT / 2230 UTC!
EU GROUP B, DAY 2
Rising from the Chalenger Cup, Tutorial Level is joining the top EU teams, Imperial (Season 15 Champions), Slither, and Aging Moss. Get excited! Watch it LIVE! Starting at 12:30 PM EDT / 1630 UTC.
NA GROUP B, DAY 2
CLASSIFIED made it through the grueling Challenger Cup and will play Animal House (Custom Map Champion 2024), REKT, Raptors (Season 11 Champion), and Dark Tidings! Don't miss a thing! Starting at 6:30 PM EDT / 2230 UTC.
Good luck to all!!
FYI: Moderation team is working together to best combat with the recent OS update from Meta. We will advise ASAP. On another note - Utilities will be thrown, guns will be shot, and uplinks will be sent! You won't want to miss any of the action this weekend cause these top 8 teams are sure to deliver the thrill of the fight to be the best in VRML Onward!
After all the excitement at VRML Con, we're back to business hosting the Season 16 Championships!
Congrats to our Season 16 regional finalists! Top 4 from APAC and top 7 from EU and NA are qualified to play in the upcoming playoffs!
APAC: K-FOT (Season 14 World Champion), JAMMINIZ, TNK, and IMMOGI
EU: Imperial (Season 15 Champions), NFI, The Newbies, Slither, Aging Moss, Phantoms, and FriendlyFire
NA: Animal House (Custom Map Champion 2024), MAYHEM, Grim Tide, REKT, Raptors (Season 11 Champion), Dark Tidings, and Most Wanted
There is 1 spot left open in NA and in EU for the teams that win through the Challenger Cup.
PRIZE POOL
Season 16 prize pool has been unveiled! Thanks to our generous sponsors, Protube, VR Cover, and Helga, Finalists and Challenger Cup Winners are playing for great prizes!
World Champions - $500 USD/team from ProtubeVR and VR Cover kits (1 per player).
Regional Champions - Subcription to Helga (team schedule management software, https://discord.gg/XdKnRQPMNr)
CHALLENGER CUP / LAST CHANCE QUALIFIERS / WILDCARD TOURNAMENT
Your team missed the closed qualifiers group and you want to try your shot at the grand honours? The Challenger Cup, happening this Saturday may be your golden ticket to earn a spot in the S16 Championship.
Please see below for the challenger cup times of each group (EU/NA) which should display in your timezone.
EU: 1:00 PM EDT / 1700 UTC
NA:5:00 PM EDT / 2200 UTC
Make sure to register for the right Group! EU=Group 1, NA=Group 2
Details here: https://vrmasterleague.com/Onward/Championships/Season16/ChallengerCup
And catch the action here!
Goodluck for every participating team! More information soon about the next steps in the Championship will be available soon!
Get geared up for the PYW Tournament Final at VRML Con 2024!
Proteus and Animal House emerged victorious from the semifinals and will be facing off live on stage at the VRML CON 2024!
Broadcast starts at 10:45am Denver Local Time (Saturday, July 20, 2024 12:45 PM EDT).
If you are unable to catch it in person please tune in here
Good luck to all!
Pay Your Way (PYW) tournament "Onward Invitational" is an exciting opportunity open to anyone holding a VRML Con 2024 ticket. Mark your calendars for the online matches starting June 22nd culminating with the finalists taking the stage at VRML CON July 20-21. Please note, that the tournament's format will adapt based on the number of teams, and we're unable to offer refunds should a team be eliminated. MMR Calculations will be manually calculated for teams of mixed players with the finalist playing on stage!
Registration closes June 17th!
What is the format of the Onward Invitational?
The Onward Invitational will be played in 2 stages, an online elimination stage, and a live Championshiphip. Up to the first 32 teams registered will be entered into the online elimination stage of the tournament. The top 2 teams from the online stage will move on to play in the Championship match live on stage in Denver!
How are teams for the Onward Invitational made?
Anyone attending VRML Con can form a team and enter into the Onward Invitational. The team does NOT have to be the same roster as your official VRML team and VRML won't be restricting the rank of players allowed on each team. MMR of Mixed teams will be calculated manually to decide tournament seeding. All players on the team must be attending VRML Con and provide proof with a ticket.
Why doesn’t Onward have a season final at VRML Con?
Hosting season finals at LAN is not cheap and was made possible by the generous support of Triangle Factory, Aexlab, and Thirdverse who agreed to fund the travel of their respective finalists. Unfortunately, VRML was unable to acquire support to fund Onward’s season finals at the LAN. But we are hoping to still provide a place for the Onward community to come together at VRML Con with the Invitational.
VRML CON 2024 Tickets Are Up For Grabs!
Secure your tickets now HERE and be part of the most thrilling VR esports event of the year. We Want Your Input! If you're planning to attend VRML CON 2024, don’t forget to fill out the Census Survey. Your feedback is crucial. Also, if volunteering at VRML CON excites you, join the conversation on Discord here. Applications are now open!
SIGN UPS CLOSE MAY 4TH AT 8 PM EDT!!
It deeply saddens to announce Shaun Hensey, AKA Catholic Goat, passed away at the age of 18 in a single-car accident on February 22nd, 2024. Many of those reading this have heard of Catholic Goat or even played with him in Onward. He was among the most energetic, optimistic, and determined Onward players many have met. His life was tragically taken from this world too soon. Shaun loved and excelled in football and baseball and would have graduated this year. Shaun was an amazing brother, always playing with and helping care for his younger siblings Eli and Noel and he looked up to his older brother Vincent. He had many friends that meant so much to him. At VRCT, they want to help celebrate the life that Shaun had and show just how much of an impact he has had in our community.
This will be their first tournament that won't require any donations for participation. They want everyone to feel welcome to show support in Catholic Goats' name. If you want to take a step further and offer more support, you can donate to the family go-fund-me linkedbelow. These costs will help the family take time off to mourn.
The VRML would like to recognize Catholic Goat for his contributions to the Onward community. Not only was he recognized in-game, but he is recognized in the VRML for his high dedication to the competitive scene and ensuring a playing field was level and inviting for all players, vetted or new. The news of his loss was a shock to all in the community and we send the family of Catholic Goat our heartfelt condolences as they work through the hardship that has overcome them.
This will take place on May 5th, 2024 at 3pm EST It will be a 5 map Swiss Style Tournament for the game mode Uplink in ONWARD
More info in:
https://discord.gg/ptbjwEQgM2
http://vrcharity.net/
Attention Onward players!
Still searching for your perfect team you want to spend season 16 or more with ? Look no further! Our new blog highlights teams actively recruiting new members. Get ready to find your matching team! We've interviewed captains from teams worldwide just for you.
Dive into our blog and discover in-depth profiles of each team, including their playstyle, goals, and team culture!
The first team we are presenting to you is a brand new European team called Swedish Fish (EU). They currently have six rostered players, and active vrml players might remember one: Whiteknight, a past member of Fireteam Inferno.
This team seems to be brand new and does not have a lot of experience because of that. Which means it's a perfect fit for new players. Experienced players are also welcomed!
But let’s hear what they have to say! We interviewed Noelphilip for you:
Q: What aspirations do you and your team have set your sights on?
A: I would like to say that our goals are to become better players and people while also having a ton of fun and climbing the ranks as time goes.
Q:How many players are you looking for?
A:We are looking for for 2 players at the moment so we can have a full team.
Q:What qualities are you eagerly anticipating in potential new players to join your team?
A:We are looking for players that are striving to have fun while also keeping a competitive mindset we also want them to be respectful and kind to the other players of the team, we want players that are willing to learn and take or give feedback from other players of our team the player must also be a team player wanting to listen and give his thoughts and opinions.
Q:What makes your team special?
A:I think that personally we are a very new team of course and we want to give new players an opportunity to join they’re first team to learn and play with us along the journey to become better.
Q:What makes your team the go-to choice for players seeking an exciting gaming journey?
A:Why people should become players of our team is because we want to learn more and gain experience together so we can grow as not only a team but as friends, meanwhile we will try our best to climb the ranks and have a great time with eachother.
That's it! If this team looks attractive to you, checkout their teampage HERE
And if not, there are still others to come!
Matches have been generated for our 16th season! So, if your team is still inactive, make sure your captain checks the "Active" box in the "My Teams" portion of the website. There will be more matches next week!
NEW to VRML?
If you're new here, we play Uplink 5v5. Matches are generated every Monday after noon EDT. Every week during the regular season, teams will get assigned 1 opponent. We use "flex-scheduling", meaning that teams agree on a date and time to play their match within the week. An extra challenge match may be played with a team within your skill-level. Check the standings to find teams within your range.
To be considered eligible for a weekly match, a team must fulfill both requirements before matches are generated on Monday:
(1) Have "Is active and participating weekly" checked in the My Teams page.
(2) Have at least five rostered members on the team that are verified.
If you need help creating a team or recruiting players, scroll down to "ARE YOU READY?" or let us know in Discord. Community members and mods will guide you through it.
New teams will not have a visible MMR score right away. They will need to play 3 matches to be placed on the ladder and perhaps a 4th or 5th to determine the color of their star. More information about the ranking system and the divisions can be found in the Rules and in Discord.
OFFICIAL MAP POOL
Large:
- Abandoned
- Downfall
- Quarantine
- Snowpeak
Medium:
- Bazaar
- Subway
- Egress
- Shipyard
Small:
- Cargo
- Suburbia
- Arctic
- USS Quest
WHAT'S NEW?
Rounds of 5 or 6 Minutes?
Players decided rounds should be 6 minutes long. During the custom map tournament, roundtimers were set to 5 minutes. We've taken note of the criticism from the community through a poll. 6 minutes got the most votes.
New Jiggle-Peak Rule
Just a quick note to avoid confusion: the new jiggle-peek rules tested inthe custom map tournament will be used in Season 16. They worked out well! Refer to the Rules page for details.
And, Reminder
VRML Onward broadcasts moved off of Twitch and is now on Youtube! You can find all the action at https://www.youtube.com/@OnwardMasterLeague Be sure to subscribe to the channel so you will get notified of all the streamed match ups!
ARE YOU READY?
Here is your Squad Up Checklist:
1. Are you in the Discord server? If not, right this way https://discord.gg/jXEjffwx5P
2. Are you looking for a team? Check out the recruitment channels in Discord and contact team captains in your region. https://vrmasterleague.com/Onward/Recruiting
3. Already got a squad? Create a team! https://vrmasterleague.com/Onward/Register Make sure you've assigned your team captain and co-captain their roles and that at least one of you is in the Support Server https://discord.gg/48JWECFQy7
4. Have your teammates read the rules? Make sure to read them and then read them again here: https://vrmasterleague.com/Onward/Rules Any updates to the rules will be announced in Discord. Feel free to ask questions!
5. Is your team set to "Active"? Make sure your team is activate to get matches. The admins put all teams as "inactive" last week to make sure there are no false starts when matches are generated.
6. Have fun!
STAY CONNECTED!
Last but not least, follow us on all our social media to not miss casted match announcements, clipped plays, and general VR esports goodness!
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Onward_VRML
Facebook: https://facebook.com/@VRMasterLeague
Instagram: https://instagram.com/@VRMasterLeague
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@vrmasterleague
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/OnwardMasterLeague
See you on the battlefield!
Dear Players,
We are excited to announce that the long-awaited Custom Map Tournament will kick off next monday/the 19th of february! It will be a Swiss-style best of 3 tournament with matches generated weekly every monday teams need to schedule. Registrations are open now! To register you have to go to the “My Team Page”(https://vrmasterleague.com/MyTeams) and click the "Check here to register in the Challenger Cup Group A" or B box. A is for EU, B for NA.
We have the goal to find the best custom-maps to be possibly added into the map-pool of season 16. That’s why we created a vote to find out your top 8 favorite custom-maps.These 8 maps will also be the map-pool for this tournament. Note that Shipyard and Arctic are excluded since they are well-known maps and do not make sense implementing. Map Pool:
1: Sand
2: Slums
3: Hook 2.0
4: Hangar
5: Paintball
6: Pestilence
7: Seastorm
8: Offshore platform
Other than that we are also thrilled to present you some rule changes that will be used in this tournament as tests to be possibly added into the season 16 ruleset:
- 5 Minute Round Timer instead of using 6 minutes.
- Changes on the jiggle rules.
The winner rule of the currently ongoing captain-poll will be the one used. That will be either:
Option A: Double Peek (Players may only quick peek two (2) times per three (3) seconds
Option B: Players may only quick peek one (1) time per two (2) seconds.
Announcement on that will follow!
Also, do NOT forget about the Between Realities Live Podcast where Nightfiree will do the biggest announcement in VRML’s history happening today at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdT7TXiWUhI