| ||||||||
| 2014 EU Challenger Series | ||
|---|---|---|
 | ||
| Tournament Information | ||
| Organizer | Riot Games | |
| Sponsor(s) | American Express Serve Coke Zero Plantronics Gaming | |
| Location & Dates | ||
| Region | Europe | |
| Event Type | Online/Offline | |
| Country | Germany | |
| Address | MMC Studios Am Coloneum 1 Studio 35 50829 Cologne | |
| Start Date | 2014-01-16 | |
| End Date | 2014-08-08 | |
| Social Media & Links | ||
| ||
The 2014 EU Challenger Series is the first Challenger Series run by Riot Games.
Overview[]
The Challenger Series is a talent building league and a direct bridge into the LCS. Twenty teams from the Ranked 5s Ladder will be placed into five brackets of four, where the top five teams will be placed into Challenger Series #1. The teams will then play in a single elimination bracket; the top three teams from this bracket will advance into Challenger Series #2, where they will be joined by another five teams from another twenty team qualifier identical to the one for Challenger Series #1.
Teams earn points from finishes in each Challenger Series. The top six teams with the most points will compete against each other, where the top three will earn a spot in the next LCS Promotion Tournament.
The Challenger Series will air following each LCS broadcast on Thursday and Friday.
Format[]
The Challenger Series runs alongside the LCS for the entire 2014 season, with the Promotion Tournament serving as the window between both leagues. To participate in the Challenger Series, teams must first prove their worth by being one of the top 20 eligible teams on the Ranked 5s Team Ladder before the ladder freeze date. For each regular LCS split, there will be two Challenger Series that feeds top teams into the Challenger Playoffs based on cumulative points over both series. The Challenger Playoffs will crown that split’s champion and also promote three teams into the Promotion Tournament for their shot into the LCS.
- Play-In 1
The top 20 teams from the Ranked 5s Ladder are split into five brackets of four. Each bracket plays down to one winner in a best-of-one series. One team from each bracket, a total of five, advances into Challenger Series 1.
- Challenger Series #1
The top five teams from Play-In 1 and three pre-qualified teams who dropped from the Promotion Tournament compete in a six week series earning cash prizes and points based on their finish.
- Play-In 2
Another set of top 20 teams are pulled from the Ranked 5s Team Ladder. After a best-of-one showdown, five more teams advance into Challenger Series 2.
- Challenger Series #2
The top five teams from Play-In 2 and top three from Challenger Series 1 battle in another series bracket earning cash prizes and more points.
- Challenger Playoffs
Top six teams with the highest points across both series are seeded into a playoff bracket. The playoffs hold a similar structure to the LCS playoffs. The winner is crowned the series champion and additionally, the top three teams advance into the Promotion Tournament.
- Promotion Tournament
The bottom three teams of the LCS and the top three of Challenger Playoffs duke it out for a spot in the LCS with the LCS teams choosing their Challenger opponent. Winners of this tournament proceed into the LCS and losers are guaranteed a spot in the next Challenger Series.
Tournament Information[]
Prize Pool[]
| Place | Prize | Team | |
| Spring Playoffs | Summer Playoffs | ||
 1st
|
$ 16,000 |  Cloud9 Eclipse
|
 H2k-Gaming
|
 2nd
|
$ 10,000 |  Ninjas in Pyjamas
|
 SK Gaming Prime
|
 3rd
|
$ 8,000 |  Denial eSports EU
|
 Unicorns of Love
|
 4th
|
$ 3,000 |  Reason Gaming
|
Ninjas in Pyjamas
|
| 5th/6th | $ 1,250 |  Team Coast Gold
|
Reason Gaming
|
 mousesports
|
 Gamers2
| ||
Series Points[]
| 2014 Season Challenger Series | |||||||||
| Place | Spring Season | Total | Place | Summer Season | Total | ||||
| Team | CS #1 | CS #2 | Team | CS #1 | CS #2 | ||||
| 1. | Ninjas in Pyjamas
|
7 | 12 | 19 | 1. | Ninjas in Pyjamas
|
7 | 10 | 17 |
| 2. | Cloud9 Eclipse
|
9 | 2 | 11 | 2. | H2k-Gaming
|
9 | 7 | 16 |
| 3. | Denial eSports EU1&2
|
1 | 10 | 11 | 3. | Gamers2
|
5 | 8 | 13 |
| 4. | Reason Gaming
|
- | 8 | 8 | 4. | SK Gaming Prime
|
1 | 12 | 13 |
| 5. | mousesports3
|
5 | 2 | 7 | 5. | Reason Gaming
|
4 | - | 4 |
| 5. | Team Coast Gold
|
- | 7 | 7 | 6. |  Playing Ducks4
|
1 | 2 | 3 |
| 7. |  Tick Trick and Duck
|
4 | - | 4 | 7. | Unicorns of Love
|
1 | 2 | 3 |
| 8. | Gamers2
|
- | 2 | 2 | 8. |  4everzenzyg
|
- | 2 | 2 |
| 8. |  Steve Bakes Cookies
|
- | 2 | 2 | 8. |  Millenium Spirit5
|
- | 2 | 2 |
| 10. |  EYES ON U
|
1 | - | 1 | 10. | Denial eSports EU
|
1 | - | 1 |
| 10. | SK Gaming Prime
|
1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | |
| 10. |  Storm Games Clan
|
1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | |
| Place | Points | |
| Series #1 | Series #2 | |
| 1. | 9 | 12 |
| 2. | 7 | 10 |
| 3. | 5 | 8 |
| 4. | 4 | 7 |
| 5.-8. | 1 | 2 |
| Note: | denotes the minimum possible points that teams will gain in either a current tournament or future tournament for which they have qualified. |
| Note: | signifies that the team has been promoted to LCS. |
- 1 Departed acquired the roster of Pulse eSports prior to the Spring Challenger Series #2.
- 2 Denial eSports.Europe acquired the roster of Departed prior the finals of Spring Challenger Series #2
- 3 MeetYourMakers left the organization and were acquired by mousesports prior to the Spring Challenger Series #2
- 4 Playing Ducks acquired the roster of Shantao macht Wau following Summer Challenger Series #1.
- 5 Millenium Spirit acquired the roster of GG Call Nash following Challenger Series #2.
Participants[]
| Spring Season | |||||||
| Challenger Series #1 | Challenger Series #2 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cloud9 Eclipse
|
EYES ON U
|
Cloud9 Eclipse
|
Ninjas in Pyjamas
| ||||
 Lublin Shore
|
Ninjas in Pyjamas
|
mousesports
|
Gamers2
| ||||
 Pulse Esports
|
SK Gaming Prime
|
Team Coast Gold
|
Denial eSports EU
| ||||
| Storm Games Clan
|
Tick Trick and Duck
|
Reason Gaming
|
Steve Bakes Cookies
| ||||
| Summer Season | |||||||
| Challenger Series #1 | Challenger Series #2 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denial eSports EU
|
Gamers2
|
H2k-Gaming
|
Gamers2
| ||||
| H2k-Gaming
|
Reason Gaming
|
Ninjas in Pyjamas
|
SK Gaming Prime
| ||||
| Ninjas in Pyjamas
|
Shantao macht wau
|
 GG Call Nash
|
Playing Ducks
| ||||
| SK Gaming Prime
|
Unicorns of Love
|
4everzenzyg
|
Unicorns of Love
| ||||