posted by SannnnnE,
For a decade developing players in North America seeking competition and improvement have fled to the sanctuary offered by regional in-house leagues. The North American Elite League (NEL) is one such league, and has groomed players like Arteezy and EternalEnvy in the past. We spoke to its creator Aaron Stern to help educate the rest of the world about what NEL entails. As far back as the WarCraft 3 days, North American players have long felt that their scene lacks the number of tournaments that the European and Chinese scenes can boast. With chances for competition thus lessened, North America's best players found refuge in-house leagues, player-created and player-driven initiatives to answer the lack of official tournaments.

Image courtesy of Neodota.com
Michael "ixmike88" Ghannam with Aaron Stern

Of these leagues, the longest-lasting is the North American Elite League (NEL), operated by us Michale "ixmike88" Ghannam and us Aaron Stern. NEL focues entirely on individual player development, as the league assigns each player a ranking pursuant to an ELO system, and then adjusts that ranking based on wins and losses. This focus upon the individual player, and a way to track player skill relative to others of a similar level, makes inhouse leagues an invaluable tool for pro teams trying to scout out and gain familiarity with upcoming talent.

NEL's success in training and developing players is particularly notable, for example, ca Jacky "EternalEnvY" Mao and ca Artour "Arteezy" Babaev first met and became friends in NEL, eu Kaipi was formed only a few short weeks later. More recently, pk Suma1l first made a name for himself in NEL and has now joined EG. In fact, NEL has become so successful in the North American region that they have since expanded into Europe and started the European Elite League. us Aaron Stern was kind enough to fill us in on the details.

NEL is an unusual league in that it's both player-formed and player-run. What prompted its formation and structure?


Inhouse leagues have been the centerpiece of NADotA for almost a decade. We're using the same formula we used in Warcraft III. Some people thought inhouse leagues wouldn't survive against matchmaking in Dota 2, but the players have shown there will always be a need for NEL.


NEL appears to be growing since its arrival back in Sept 2013. What makes NEL appealing to high skilled North American players?


NEL is an extremely competitive environment, but we let players do what they want. They can stream their games, they can run stupid strats, and they can talk shit. Above all, it's the highest level of competition available. There is no better place for a player to improve his individual skill.


The NEL grounds are known for finding talented players but they are also getting attention for its unique culture. The players take the league seriously while also maintaining the core concept of competetive gaming-- Having fun. As you can see by their disclaimer "North American inhouse leagues have a rich history with a distinctive culture. Many games include friendly trash talk between players and/or spectators. Trash talk can often be vulgar. NEL is not for children. Except Arteezy."
Image courtesy of Team Liquid


NEL has a good track record of player development, with names like Arteezy, Zai, and now Suma1l moving from in-house play to the pro scene. How does NEL help such talented players and those like them develop?


You become the best by playing against the best. The guys who truly want it fight through the flames and come out bleeding blue. There are a lot of pro players in NEL, so the newcomers who climb the ranks get playtime with the pros and have the chance to get noticed.


To run a player-based league, a certain minimum number of participants is required - and yet NEL only accepts players within a MMR minimum. How challenging has it been to balance these two factors?


It's one of our greatest challenges. Providing the best competition relies on the league being active, so we do need to maintain a minimum number of players.

Balancing the other end means keeping the competition at the skill level we want. Since the pros are some of our most active players the league changes based on season and schedule of other tournaments.


North American players seem to be much more vocal, and negative, when discussing their scene - particularly if compared to the European players. What do you think prompts this attitude?


I don't really think there's a difference in attitude. North American players might be more vocal and show their attitude, but everyone has issues. We might be more vocal because we've always had better oulets. DotA-Allstars.com was predominantly American, and since then we've had NADotA, reddit, and Team Liquid to foster discussion. Just think of where we'd be if reddit wasnt holding everyone back all these years!

Current NEL Rankings as of January 29th 2015 - Neodota

NEL's success at developing players is quite impressive, particularly since it's only been active in DOTA 2 for just over a year. Keep a close eye on the rankings as we continue to see players such as Universe & BananaSlamJamma at the top of the ranks. And, as the players play and develop, we'll definitely be buying a ticket and keeping a close eye on this breeding ground for North America's best and brightest DOTA 2 players.

Interested in joining NEL? Getting into NEL is not easy task as they call it an Elite league for a reason. But, your first step in joining is quite simple, is your MMR above 5.1k? If so, your next step is to get a player who is currently in NEL to "Vouch" for you. Once a player has been vouched for, the league admins will ensure he has an MMR above the required level. After that, you're in the league! But, once you're in the league you have to maintain a high skill level as players can be kicked from the league just as easily as they are invited.

What are your NEL experiences?

This article was written by us Jonathan "SannnnnE" Timmerman, joinDOTA's Writer. He's a 24 year old Calibration Technician by day and an avid Dota2 journalist at night. Working on his support skills and potential casting skills in his free time.Location: Minnesota, United Stats of AmericaFollow him on Twitter @nogenreneeded.

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