National M-Pro League Schedule Released: Group Stage Starts 2 November, Grand Finals on 12 December Details

Cade Esports has released the schedule and structure for the National M-Pro League, and the group stage will open on 2 November, with the Grand Finals set for 12 December.

The league was first announced on 29 September with a ₦3,000,000 prize pool and an original start date of 9 October. The new calendar puts the opening matches on 2 to 5 November, when 42 teams will be split into four groups and play three maps. The top six teams from each group will advance, which means 24 teams will move into the quarter-finals.

The quarter-finals run on 9 and 10 November. The 24 teams will be placed into two groups and play six maps, with the top six from each group moving on to the semi-finals. The Last Chance Qualifier follows on 12 November, where 12 teams will battle over six maps for the remaining semi-final places.

The semi-finals come on 16, 17 and 18 November. Eighteen teams will play a round-robin format over three days, with six maps each day, and only the top 12 will make it to the Grand Finals. That format rewards consistency, because a team cannot rely on one big day to survive.

The Grand Finals are on 12 December. The 12 finalists will play eight maps, and at the end of it the champion will be crowned.

For teams, the group draw is the next thing to watch. A video released on AFC's official channel about 24 hours earlier explains how the group draw works on the website, so participants should check it before the opening day. The league is backed by partners including GameEvo Esports, Esports Africa News, AFC, Bayse and Trace.

Stay with Lead Access Network for more updates as the National M-Pro League gets under way.