FACEIT launch "2.0" update with UI, anti-smurfing, FPL improvements

ESL FACEIT Group have released their "2.0" update for the FACEIT website and application, seeing a number of quality-of-life and feature improvements added to the platform. The major changes FACEIT have focused on in their announcement include an improved UI and user experience, improved detection and punishment of "Smurf" accounts, an improved matchmaking experience, and changes to the FACEIT Pro League (FPL).

The main change all new users will experience is a revamped UI powered by the React JavaScript library which EFG claim will lead to a more reactive website with overall better performance. The FACEIT website had previously been effectively unchanged for a number of years, with the homepage becoming a bit of a mess due to the addition of ESEA leagues, more tournaments, and integrations with EFG's other products, with the new AI aiming to address this with a more modern sidebar and overall organization changes.

The next major change has seen FACEIT attempt to focus on the issue of smurfs on the platform, requiring players to commit to one account while having a two strike policy for players who attempt to make a smurf account. With that, FACEIT have also pushed improved reporting tools for smurf accounts that are handled outside of the normal issue ticketing system FACEIT uses.

On the FPL front, FACEIT have introduced changes to the pro ladder by changing the schedule for the weekly ladder, introducing a $197,000 prizepool, and introducing a simplified path for non-FPL players to play in FPL by giving the ten players in each region with the highest ELO the opportunity to play in that week. In an unannounced change, FACEIT have also seemingly cleaned out the FPL player list, limiting it to active pros in top 35 teams.

The full blog post about changes to the FACEIT platform can be found below.