Assembly Winter confirm Team Fortress 2 in their roster of pro gaming tournaments for 2011.

We’re not exactly spoiled for choice when it comes to LANs in European Team Fortress 2, but we try and make the most of it and have on occasion managed to deliver something genuinely spectacular. The i41 debacle proved we have the potential within our community to make a spectacle of ourselves, but the less said about that the better.

Although we barely managed to scrape together eight teams last time in Newbury, this coming February in Helsinki eight will be the maximum number of participants at the invite only Assembly Winter 2011 Pro Team Fortress 2 tournament. Oh yes! It’s that time of year again folks.

You’ll be able to catch a glimpse of my beaming red face on the cold streets of Helsinki on the weekend 11th-13th February; the cold weather really does not agree with the Irish complexion. I’ll be covering more Team Fortress 2 action that you can shake a stick at live and direct and on location in the Kappelitehdas.

Prize Breakdown

The tournament organisers are currently taking application until December 30th, with the top eight teams being selected to compete in front of the typically raucous crowd. Furthermore, the prize purse for Team Fortress 2 has been announced with €3110 up for grabs which the rainmen amongst you will recognise as the exact same figure as last year.

1st Place €1700 
2nd Place €850 
3rd Place €560

Sure it’s barely even half of the monster €6250 bankroll we saw at Assembly’s 2010 Summer event, but Assembly Winter is traditionally the smaller affair and to be frank I’m just glad the all-conquering Starcraft II didn’t take a bite out of our pie!

Preliminary Attendees

My good friends, hearsay and conjecture, have put together a list of teams who are currently giving the impression that they are definitely maybe going to probably attend, but don’t quote me on this one…