New Counter-strike: Global Offensive league is the shooter's biggest yet

Counter-strike fans are invited to participate in the largest, most lucrative Global Offensive league yet organised.

The new Counter-strike league is the product of a partnership between venerable eSports organisation ESL and the ESEA, one of the most important competitive Counter-strike communities.

Between them, the two companies have pledged to offer $1 million in prizes, as well as offering full travel sponsorship for all event finals, for the 2015 season. The pair hope to be able to offer even greater prize money in future seasons.

ESL ESEA Pro League, as it is called, will kick off on May 4, starting with weekly online matches. The season will initially play out in two divisions of 12 teams each, split by region, leading to a four day global championships event final where the top North American and European teams will compete for the crown.

"ESL started out with Counter-Strike more than fifteen years ago. Now, many years later, we are extremely excited to be in a position where we can take the industry to the next level with the first regular $500,000 Counter-Strike league together with ESEA," ESL managing director Ralf Reichert said.

"ESEA is where the pros play, it's been that way for more than a decade, and combining our league expertise, a million dollars, and ESL's exceptional production quality represents a major milestone for everyone who loves Counter-Strike," ESEA president and CEO Eric Thunberg added.