The final stages before the UK Premiership’s LAN are taking place, and the playoffs for the 2nd division have been drawn. The top four teams from this bracket will meet with the bottom four from this season’s premiership (Nuclear Storm, PMC, Luminary, Radix) for a spot in the next season. Floating around in the playoff bracket are several well known names in the scene, and many other hopeful up and comers.

Killer Gaming have made two minor changes to their upcoming second season. They have reduced the size of the tournament, dropping the second division and choosing to just have the one division with all teams in it.

This time last week I was enthusiastically talking about how, mathematically, the MDL could be home for up to five UK sides next season. I had no hope or belief it would happen, but still find myself disappointed that it won’t. While I had drawn up a ‘best case scenario’ plan for what could happen, it seems the opposite has happened since. The MDL can see three UK teams next season maximum, I’ll discuss who could have made it, and who should make it. With the last matches that could affect playoffs today, I’ll look at who could have made it, and who can make it.

This is the first team that could have made it, and I really hoped they would have, since [...]

After the final matchday last Wednesday, the remaining teams finished their eighth matches, concluding the group stage of the Spring ESL Premiership. Six of the ten teams advance to playoffs, where they will contend to join the two top place finishers in the LAN finals, with (a now increased) £13000 prize purse, and a slot in the Mountain Dew league up for grabs.