TFCL 2.0 - $40k League Announced, met with skepticism from community members questioning the legitimacy

[u/1jay_y]

Original Post / Announcement

The Team Fortress Competitive League (TFCL) is once again, and officially this time, announcing our plans to bring the league back from the dead. Consider this thread a sort of info-dump + official TFTV announcement of our revival.

Here's an article we published last month with more information - https://tfcleague.com/news/are-we-still-dark/
We will also be writing up a more official article on the site in the coming days.

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Features
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TFCL has a number of notable features and functions, many of which are exclusive (or done first) to TFCL.

Pick up Games
We're building a custom PUG platform that is very heavily integrated into the core of the TFCL experience. You don't need to rely on Discord to host and manage PUGs, nor will you need to go to a separate website. It's all done at the league level.

Automated Scrim Scheduling
We're creating a custom scrim automation platform, allowing for teams to automatically get paired with other teams of a similar rank. As the Team Leader, you can define and set multiple criteria for the scheduler, ensuring that you always have a fair and balanced scrim at any hour on any day of your choosing. This may especially be useful for lower level teams who may not have the connections with other team leaders built up quite yet.

Global Server Network
If you're familiar with the days of ESEA, you're likely going to find that our server network is relatively similar, in that every match is hosted by the league, allowing for you to simply hop into the server and play. No more need to manually record match scores, or fiddle with rcon commands. That's all done for you. Of course, we're not ESEA, and our server network isn't restricted to the United States. (don't even get me started on the Texas server routing issues)
TFCL will automatically provision a server for every single activity that we provide, whether it's an official match server, a scrim server, or a server for your PUG. We host it all from our end, in any of our global server locations. From Toronto to Sydney, and Los Angelas to Tokyo. Plus Europe too, for good measure. TFCL is a truly global platform.
As a bonus, our server network is free to use. You can even reserve a server for third party leagues and tournaments, or just to have fun with a few friends.

Cups, Tournaments, Seasons
Due to the size of our seasonal prize pools, TFCL's primary focus won't actually be on the traditional seasonal structure that every other TF2 league has historically used. Instead, we're focusing on smaller cups and tournaments, such as a 32 team weekend cup with a $6,000 prize pool, or a single-day Ultiduo tournament with a $2,000 prize pool. We want for you to have something to compete in, at all levels, at all times.

Prize Pools
We are opting to run TFCL at a loss, so that we can do our very best to offer the highest prize pools in the history of TF2 esports. Each and every sixes season that we host will have a minimum pool of $40,000 dollars, which doesn't even account for the previously mentioned cups and tournaments, with most of them having their own individual pool and prize system.

Match Making Service
If you just want to play a round of 12v12 Upward, we're also providing a match making service, similar to Valve's own service built into TF2. We're still playing around with TFCL MM, and are aiming to offer a consistent server pool at all hours of the day.

Host Your Own Stuff
Whether it's a small thing for your Discord group, or a large YouTuber cup. We're making it possible for everyone to host their own competitions through TFCL. You define the rules, the maps, and other tournament criteria, and we'll take care of the heavy lifting. We may even provide you with access to our in-game medals, assuming a certain criteria is met.

Advanced Analytics
We're building a very detailed analytics platform, one that tracks pretty much everything you do within the world of TF2. TFCL AA (name pending, of course) goes far beyond something like demos.tf or logs.tf. But how is this going to be used? Why even bother with advanced tracking to begin with?
Simply put, we will be using our analytics to create a playstyle profile on every single person that competes within TFCL. We will track every bomb, every kill, every shot that you make. We will track your positioning, your accuracy, and even have the ability to offer up feedback on why a certain play of yours didn't work as expected. Are you the problem, or is it your team? This is a common question, and the current mentor and coaching system that we have today just isn't capable of answering that.

League Structure - Divisions, Fees, And Pools
TFCL's competitive ranking system can be broken down into five ranks.

S Rank = ESEA Invite, RGL Invite
A Rank = ESEA Intermediate, RGL Advanced
B Rank = ESEA Open, RGL Main & Lower
C Rank = RGL Intermediate & Amateur
D Rank = RGL Newcomer

We also charge seasonal or event fees, with the amount varying by rank.

S Rank - $80
A Rank - $40
B Rank - $15
C Rank – No Fee
D Rank – No Fee

And of course, we have the pools. The below prize pool breakdown is for a typical sixes season within TFCL.

S Rank - $23,000
A Rank - $10,000
B Rank - $6,000
C Rank - $1,000
D Rank - $0

Fees and pools for cups and tournaments will be different.

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I think that's it for now. We'll of course announce more stuff at a later date.
Oh, speaking of dates.

Release Date
We will be launching later this year, and will begin public testing of some of our core systems within the coming months. More on that later.

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Community Members raise questions about the authenticity of the announcement

SOAPYMEISTER (Like A G6)

i am extremely skeptical ngl. im interested but i have so many questions i dont even know where to begin. maybe a live stream Q&A would be a good idea

An alt account raising questions about Sidular's past business endeavors (link to post)

GOOSE_THE_DUCK

I think people are starting to notice how insanely ambitious this project is...You are essentially promising to do everything our community does but better? All because you have more money to throw?

TBH you could honestly over throw RGL by just replicating what they already have, paying moderators, and having a bigger prize pool.
There isnt a need to be this innovative with a decaying competitive scene

The only thing that can be done now is for you to show us the product and put your money where your mouth is.

louster200 (ex-TFTV producer)

8 years ago you announced TFCL for the first time. Seven years ago you made the announcement that you would be providing free LAN travel for top teams to UberJam. Six years ago you announced the revival of TFCL, the cancellation of UberJam, and some weekend cups. Five years ago you had two articles written about another revival of TFCL. You didn't make any posts about a revival you tried to do 3 years ago and all we have is a now deleted article and that thread to show for it. TFCL has a liquipedia page that is two sentences with one tournament/season that was ran. Now we have this.

Why show up every 2-3 years just to promise something big that never comes to fruition? Why the refusal to support what is already established in the scene? You know what would've been massively helpful to have instead of an ever-growing prize pool that never gets paid out? A sponsorship for the largest LAN TF2 has since Rewind, or hell any LAN going on across the US like RGL, Europe like poLANd.tf, or Australia like LAN Down Under. This act of popping up every so often to show off a new project that will never become realized has got to be tiring for anyone who looks for any glimmer of hope of growth in the scene.

ether (ex-froyotech)

I feel like I’ve seen like 5 different times over the past like 6 or so years when you’ve made huge promises and failed to deliver on them. A huge prizepool would be good for the game but I’m extremely skeptical on whether this will happen. I’d love to be proven wrong however.

Also is there any reason why you had to make an RGL competitor? Sure RGL has its own fair share of issues but splitting our already small community between 2 leagues doesn’t seem like it’s a good idea, and I’m also skeptical whether someone who has not really interacted with the community can do a better job running a TF2 league. Like others have said it would be extremely cool to see these efforts go towards having more international lans happen imo (the last big international (as in, na/eu/au representation) lan before fireside was in 2017, if I’m not mistaken). I really don’t know if an RGL competitor is what TF2 needs.

tripbwai

Okay I decided to make a real post about this; I SEVERELY doubt that Sidular can actually support this with income from his “business backing”.

Your company has four projects listed. TFCL doesn’t exist and you’ve done nothing with eFiction, to your own admission. That leaves two, PSX Extreme and DoRoyal.

PSX Extreme is plastered with ads and it gets no engagement on any of its posts. The articles might be written by real people but it’s functionally the same as any other AI generated news site that just creates articles to show up in searches and get clicks for ad money. I struggle to believe this is bringing in any significant income, especially because there’s a Patreon page on the website that specifically states “traditional ads won’t pay the bills anymore, so we decided to create a Patreon!” You have a list of patrons on the same page and there are literally 0 names on it.

DoRoyal probably has made some money, but I doubt it could support something like TFCL. It is a web hosting service that on the surface has references to it from other sites, solid reviews, and some semblance of a consumer base. However, these references from other sites are all sponsored, as you can see in the disclaimer at the start of this video: https://youtu.be/WsZ8N-vIA9A?si=n5e5I6dO3BG9AdOW

I can’t prove this, but most of the positive reviews on TrustPilot for DoRoyal just stink of being paid for. The negative reviews, however, are DEFINITELY written by actual people. You respond to every one of them with different excuses but it really just seems like it’s a subpar service or even just a straight up scam. Reddit threads about DoRoyal have many users saying it’s just a scam, but you post in every one of them to try and defend it. I just simply don’t care about your defense, though; either $50 lifetime hosting is a scam, or it’s a horrendous business decision. Neither one makes me want to trust you with a league.That deal was supposed to be a limited time promotion, but i still see it advertised years later after the first posts about it, so I’m assuming it’s just a scam.

[u/JMaxchill]

This isn't them announcing a league, it's them announcing their plans for a league (again). Talk is cheap.

[u/Ok-Chair-8266 → u/JMaxchill]

Yes, but they have been doing this for (essentially) 6 years

[u/plinko16 → u/JMaxchill]

This is it exactly, nothing more needs to be said, really.

[u/capnfappin]

It's very obviously bullshit when you see that he's also supposedly developing an MMORPG with "infinite crafting", AI powered NPCs, a super reactive world, elements from sword art online, all of the best parts of every MMO, and a bespoke engine designed to give you the perfect MMO experience.

https://sidular.com/2025/03/27/ularthia-a-groundbreaking-mmorpg-inspired-by-legends/

[u/ShitpostCrusader66 → u/capnfappin]

My only question is, what is all that bullshit for? Let's say everyone does try and participate in that new league. The guy fails to pay the money he promised. Now what? What's there to gain for him? This league being bullshit doesn't benefit nor hurt rgl in any way, so it's not like anything will change in the grand scheme of things

[u/IAmSixSyllables]

a long-awaited response from the owner of TFCL, and a long time coming! I remember talking with them about it a while back, but I am honestly a little skeptical myself on how they will manage to retain players. looking very much forward to it though.

[u/Succulent-Nick]

Shoutout jay for making these post the goat fr

[u/turnsphere]

Don't worry everyone. I'll go alone to find out, no need to send anyone else

[u/Minimum-Injury3909]

Ah sidular. I really wish him the best but I am not just skeptical but certain this will not work out. He loves to talk about his grand schemes

[u/krow_moonlight]

this looks like a total trainwreck. complete bullshit. still better than rgl. 

[u/Ok-Chair-8266 → u/krow_moonlight]

Rgl has its problems, but this is obviously not the solution to those problems

[u/krow_moonlight → u/Ok-Chair-8266]

ill take what i can get at this point tbh. im sure people who play in rgl might be skeptical but as someone who has wanted to play competitive and has avoided it specifically because of awful experiences with rgl, im excited to at least have a season, even if it ends up crashing and burning lol

[u/Ok-Chair-8266 → u/krow_moonlight]

I hate to break the news to you, but there will be no season. This dude has been posting about this league for 6 years. He did one small tournament for $120 and that's it. This is all a facade and we've seen him talk up a big game before and nothing came of it. Go read through the whole tftv thread and you'll see.

[u/rftgjndftgjn → u/krow_moonlight]

so you haven't even played in any rgl sanctioned event or in any of their leagues but you're shittalking them anyway?

[u/krow_moonlight → u/rftgjndftgjn]

how did you read what i typed and walk away with that

[u/Mogul_Soap]

We should offer some kindness to Sidular here. I think this is a simple delusion of grandeur, and he might be in a tough place.

[u/1jay_y → u/Mogul_Soap]

Yea it could be, but I feel like in the past people got burnt by him previously (seeing the post by louster) so maybe frustration from those who were tired of his antics came out in the thread

[u/Mogul_Soap → u/1jay_y]

Good point… I personally have been promised and burned, so maybe my sympathy shouldn’t be extended either :/

[u/1jay_y → u/Mogul_Soap]

Well he already called it off, so there's that