The Mountain Dew League is back for another year

Esports giant ESL has announced that it has teamed up with Mountain Dew to renew the third year of the Mountain Dew League (otherwise known as MDL), a league aiming to give smaller teams a chance of participating in ESL's major CS:GO Pro League tournament.

This year will have a few new features, however, including the Next Big Caster program, which works to give up-and-coming shoutcasters (commentators) a chance to shine. Anyone can apply and audition, and if you're selected you can cast North American MDL matches this year, with fans able to vote for their favourite members of the casting crew at the end of the year. What's more is that if they're chosen the caster gets to cast with professionals and maybe even qualify for the caster rotation for the Esports Entertainment Association (ESEA).

Another new feature is the All-Star Match, a battle that pits standout players from each season against one another and again gives fans the chance to vote, this time for their favourite players. These competitors then fight it out for prize money in their own match as part of a highlights package for the MDL.

The third year will be split into three seasons, and in the first two the top teams from North America and Europe will gain an automatic place in the next season's ESL Pro League. If you're interested in watching, you'll be pleased to know that the competition for season five starts today, and you can find all the information on the MDL website.

"From fueling gamers to providing exclusive content, training and experiences, Dew has been part of the gaming world for over a decade," said Stephanie Danzi, Senior Brand Manager at Mountain Dew. "With our partners at ESL we are excited to launch a third season of Mountain Dew League, featuring even more opportunities for amateur gamers to go pro."

"Mountain Dew has been an incredibly collaborative partner and we are very excited to extend our partnership," added Paul Brewer, Vice President of Global Sponsorships at ESL. "MDL has uniquely been a gateway to professionalism for esports athletes and proves to be a great example of how non-endemic brands can reach the esports audience in a meaningful, impactful and organic way."

With the Mountain Dew League looking to promote smaller teams and players of a lower level, it's great to see it return and give not only players but also casters the chance to shine and take to the big stage. Are you pleased to hear it has been renewed?