Update: FPL reduces player pool to ~100; vanity becomes Mentor

FACEIT have announced a host of changes to FPL in North America, most notably consisting of the addition of Anthony "vanity" Malaspina as an FPL Mentor, the reduction of the total player pool to somewhere around 100, and a return to a weekly payout structure for the top eight players on the leaderboard.

Also read: FACEIT introduce FPL Cups and other changes

The total number of members in FPL, which included FPL staff, NA players, and EU guests, has been reduced from a total of 257 to ~127, seeing to the removal of all of the EU members as well as many inactive and lesser-skilled players. Although FACEIT stated in their blog post that they had reduced the total number of players to 86, Dust2.us has learned that the player count is higher in actuality, a result of the circuit retaining the Complexity and MIBR members despite them currently residing in Europe.

Additionally, a handful of players have received invites due to their league experience and recommendation from professional players, including members of RBG and paiN.

Also read: Triumph win Mythic League FPL Cup 1

The list of new players in the hub includes:

The new additions will have the opportunity to prove themselves against higher-level competition, which is now the primary composition of players in FPL. They will also have the support and help of vanity should they need it, with the Chaos in-game leader now occupying the role of FPL Mentor for the North American side of the circuit to mirror his European counterpart, Sergey "lmbt" Bezhanov. 

In a statement on the FPL blog post, vanity said the following regarding his new role:

I’m ecstatic to play a larger part of the revamped FPL. I have faith that the changes they are making will prove beneficial, they consulted a handful of pros which is exciting to see and something we’ve been missing. I hope i’m able to make an impact on a few of the newer and lesser experienced players and help make the NA scene a little bit better.

Also read: FACEIT announce list of organizers for FPL Cups

Finally, FACEIT have once again changed the prizing structure, returning to a weekly payout system. The top eight players on the leaderboard will split a prize pool of $5,000 per week, staying consistent with the amount paid out per month in Europe ($20,000). They have also imposed a conduct policy that applies both inside and outside of FPL matches, as well as updated overtime rules to reflect what is used in league play and added a cooldown period for demotions and promotions.

The weekly prize distribution for the hub will now look as follows:

1. $1,500
2. $1,000
3. $700
4. $600
5. $400
6. $400
7. $200
8. $200

FPL matches are expected to get underway later tonight, with players already voicing their approval of the changes that have been made.

UPDATE: A previous version of this article stated that Fernando "chuti" Luis Planchart and Koby "kobruh" Higgs had qualified for FPL through FPL-C. A FACEIT staff member has since contacted Dust2.us stating that the team have decided not to move up players for this month due to a low match count.

Also read: Pillars of Sand: PUG platforms and the erosion of North America's foundation