Japan League tournament organizer X-MOMENT yesterday announced the return of the national-level tournament for 2022, featuring 10 teams and a ¥37 million (US$322,000) prize pool.
The most striking of changes is the inclusion of Fnatic, who had been unable to participate in 2021 owing to its COVID-19 relocation struggles and the LAN-based nature of the league. It is currently unclear what roster it will field for 2022.
What’s the Japan League 2022 format?
The Japan League 2022 will see significant changes from its 2021 edition, where each team played 14 BO3 matches and was awarded points for any manner of wins or a 1-2 loss.
In 2022, the Japan League will feature three seasons, akin to the three stages in APAC North.
In Seasons 1 and 2 of the Japan League 2022, the bottom four teams will proceed to the Playoff Stage 1 alongside the top four from the lower-tier Japan Open.
Meanwhile, the top six in the Japan League will proceed to the Playoffs Stage 2 LAN, and will be joined by the top two teams from the Playoffs Stage 1.
The bottom five Japan League teams in the combined Seasons 1, 2, and 3 standings will then head to the Japan League Relegations, and will play against the top six teams from the Japan Open.
The top team in the Japan League 2022 after the 49 play days will be crowned Japan League victors.
All 10 Japan League teams will also proceed to the Japan Championship 2022, and will be joined by six “undecided” teams.
This year, each Japan League player will also be guaranteed an annual income of ¥3.5 million (US$30,400).
Which teams will be in the Japan League 2022?
The Japan League 2022 will expand to 10 teams in 2022, up from eight in 2021. After GUTS Gaming pulled out of Rainbow Six Siege earlier this year, it was announced that Fnatic will be joining the league.
The final two Japan League 2022 teams are yet to be decided, and a translated portion of the official announcement page initially stated that “information on the ninth team will be released soon”.
The announcement page also initially stated that a 10th team will be decided through a two-day tournament from Mar. 5 to 6, featuring the top-ranked teams (presumably from the 2021 Japan Championship).
However, updates to the page have since seen the information about the ninth and 10th teams removed.
When will the Japan League 2022 run?
The Japan League 2022 will kick off on Mar. 26, and will feature 49 play days until its conclusion on Nov. 27.
There will also be an in-person fan event on Mar. 20 at the Shinjuku Sumitomo Hall, where all the Japan League 2022 teams will be unveiled amongst other activities.
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