How MSSA selects esports titles.

Gamers in action at MSSA's 2017 SA National Championships.

Selecting esports titles is always an emotive issue.

With gamers having strong likes and dislikes, gamers always want their favourites to be given preferential treatment.

Thus, MSSA had to apply its mind at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on 3 December 2017 to see which esport game titles would be played in 2018.

Member  clubs  had  proposed no fewer than 29 titles from which the AGM had  to make its final selection. No doubt, prior to the meeting, a great deal of horse-trading took place.

However, it should be noted that MSSA only ever selects 10 titles to be played at Provincial and National Championships. Priority is given to the esports titles that are played at IESF's World Championships in order to assist MSSA deliver a national team.

Even though only 10 titles are so selected, that does not mean that the other titles cannot be held at MSSA events.

Any approved title may be played at an official MSSA Regional Championships. In fact, it is at such Regional Championships that the popularity of various esports titles is tested in order to evaluate whether such titles should, in future, be included in MSSA's Provincial and National Championships.

The full rules on how titles are selected are as follows:

Schedule 3: SELECTION OF TITLES FOR PROVINCIAL AND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

1. The periods (titles) selected shall be decided upon by the Annual General Meeting.
2. Not more that ten (10) titles shall be selected every year from nominations received.
3. The titles played at the most recent IESF World Championships shall automatically be selected.
4. The remaining titles may then be selected.
5. Should IESF introduce new titles into its World Championships which have not been selected by MSSA, then the least popular game in its genre (excluding titles that are being played at IESF’s World Championships) shall immediately fall away in favour of the new title.
6. The popularity of a period (title) shall be based on attendance at MSSA events.
7. Should IESF introduce new titles into its World Championships which have not been selected by MSSA, and no MSSA event have been held in such period (title) then the Board of Control shall decide which period (title) falls away in such genre (excluding titles that are being played at IESF’s World Championships).
8. Should IESF introduce new titles into its World Championships which have not been selected by MSSA, and there are no other periods (titles) within its genre, then the least popular game (excluding titles that are being played at IESF’s World Championships) shall immediately fall away in favour of the new title.
9. For any period to be nominated, such period (title) shall have been played at any two Regional Events at which there were at least three teams per event.

Also read:

• Titles selected for all Premier online and LAN championships for the 2018 year.
• Titles selected for all school online and LAN championships and leagues for the 2018 year.