The official WCG Au website is now starting to update with qualifying event details for each state. State winners get trips to Sydney to compete in national finals with runners up getting invitations to compete at their own expense.

Check the events page at http://au.worldcybergames.org/events.asp to sign up for the qualifier in your area, or to register your interest if an event/game isn't available in your area yet. Qualifying events are state-of-origin so only sign up for events in your state.

Age limits and Counter-Strike
We are currently trying to resolve an issue surrounding the age limits to certain games at the US finals which impacts on what we will do for the Australian preliminaries.

***THIS IS NOT YET OFFICIAL AND MAY CHANGE SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE CONFIRMATION***

Counter-Strike: Condition Zero, Halo and Unreal Tournament 2004 all carry an ESRB Rating of MA17+ in the US. Although the ESRB ratings are guidelines rather than law, WCG have indicated they will adopt them meaning participants at the world finals in San Francisco must be at least 17 years old for those games carrying the MA17+ rating. Notes from Mum etc. cannot be used to get under this limit.

WCG HQ advise that they have secured permission to use a "teen" version of Condition Zero that reduces the restriction back to 15+ however, it is not clear exactly what this version is, nor that the rating is valid - it doesn't currently show on the ESRB database. Reports are that the "teen" version simply removes blood/gore from the game. We have asked for clarification on this and put forward a case to have Halo and UT treated in the same manner.

We are currently considering our position with regards any game which retains a MA17+ rating. Since we will not be able to send any underage winners to the US, it would be pointless having them compete for autoberth spots at the national finals as the potential would then exist to deny our next best player. It is most likely that we will restrict autoberth entries to players 17 and older - that is - a 16 year old player may participate in a state playoff, but will not be able to claim the autoberth should they win and, in that event, the autoberth will go to the next ranked 17+ player.

I repeat that whilst this seems to be the likely outcome, it has not been confirmed and so is not the official position of WCG Au at this time.