Today the ESL has revealed the prize distribution for the long awaited 3rd season of their UK Pro Series, sponsored by Intel and Dell. Despite a reduction in prize money from last season, the winnings available are still not to be sniffed at.

The winners of the CS:S tournament will be looking at a prize of €3,600, with the runners-up receiving €1,800 and the rest of the cash to be split between the 3rd and 4th placed finishers. Any prospective CS 1.6 entrants are looking at a 1st place finish earning them €2,000, with 2nd, 3rd and 4th placed teams getting €850, €500 and €250 respectively. The win bonuses for the tournaments are €60 for CS:S and half that for CS 1.6.

Quake Live and Trackmania Nations Forever have been handed an identical prize distribution, with the victors cashing in on €400, second place getting €200 and 3rd and 4th receiving €100 and €60 respectively. The win bonus on offer for these competitions is €5 for Quake Live and, €5, €3 or €2 for Trackmania, depending on where you finish in each match.

I’ll leave any debate over whether the distribution is fair or not to others, but a surely encouraging sign for the CS:S community is that their tournament has a larger prize fund than 1.6. This contrasts sharply with the massive potential rewards available for those competing in 1.6 on the international stage.

For full details visit the UK EPS website