Esports

Virtual Ronaldo Goal Is Impressive, Even By Video Game Standards

Sports commentators will sometimes refer to athletes having “video game stats,” numbers so impressive they seem to be produced in a virtual realm rather than the mortal. But even inside the polygon-and-pixel world of FIFA 18, some goals are purely transcendent. In this morning’s round of 16 matches at the FIFA 18 Global Series for…

Giant PUBG Stage Looks Like Battle Royale Meets Hollywood Squares

This weekend at DreamHack Austin, many squads will face off in PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. And they’ll be doing it on a fantastically massive stage that highlights the theatrics and action of a 64-player, 16-team battle royale. Yesterday was an exhibition, where challengers could take on noted PUBG streamers Dr. Disrespect and Shroud. Today and tomorrow, 16…

The World Next Door Turns Magical Brawls Into Puzzles

The match-3 puzzle concept seems simple enough, but its a foundation that can build into a lot of different ideas, even a cooking competition or a fighting game. It’s that malleable mold that forms Rose City Games’ The World Next Door, an upcoming indie puzzle-battle game that looks pretty friggin’ sweet. Part narrative visual novel,…

The Weekend In Esports: Texas Flood

The gamers are floodin’ down to Texas, and hopefully the power lines don’t go down (again). DreamHack Austin is this weekend, where a number of tournaments including Rainbow Six Siege, Counter-Strike, StarCraft II, and several fighting games are taking place. Yours truly is down there just for today, so if you see a haggard old…

DragonBall FighterZ Adds A God And A Goku, And Gets Even Better

Two new fighters joined the Dragon Ball FighterZ cast this week, and both are fusions of characters already in the game. Vegito and Zamasu clearly indicate that the gameplay and design in DBFZ is getting more elaborate; they’re both hard to play and fun as hell. (Some spoilers follow for Dragon Ball Super. If you…

Here’s A Textbook Wall Bang, Which Is Totally Not A Sex Thing

Call of Duty World League matches move fast, especially in a mode like Hardpoint, which involves instantaneous respawns for both teams. With waves of enemies pouring at each other in constant droves, it’s easy to blow past the more impressive shots that pros pull off—like wall bangs, which require some ingenuity and planning. Every Call…

Dragon Ball FighterZ Gave Us A Rare Look At What Neutral Play Feels Like

The biggest news in the Dragon Ball FighterZ world this weekend was Dominique “SonicFox” McLean finally defeating rival Goichi “GO1” Kishida, but the rest of Combo Breaker was pretty thrilling too. One tense standoff in particular served as a perfect example of a confusing fighting game concept known as ‘neutral.’ Neutral is hard to parse…

Dragon Ball FighterZ Star Finally Beats His Longtime Rival

Dominique “SonicFox” McLean has won titles in a number of games, but in Dragon Ball FighterZ, he found his challenge in Goichi “Go1″ Kishida. After losing to Goichi in several tournament and exhibition sets, McLean finally got his tournament win last night in a heated grand finals at Combo Breaker 2018. Taking the stage in…

Super Street Fighter II Turbo player “Killer Miller” proposed to the tournament’s winner “eltrouble,” only to discover that the latter had been carrying around a ring in his backpack for the same purpose. Our congratulations to the happy couple.

Dallas Fuel Is Playing Its Best Overwatch Yet, Despite No Hope For Playoffs

The Dallas Fuel cannot, mathematically, make the playoffs of the Overwatch League’s inaugural season. After three stages of disappointing placements, it just isn’t in the cards. Despite that, a new coach and a newfound team confidence are putting them over top competitors. The Fuel can’t make the playoffs, but they’re kicking ass anyways. We’re two…

Dynamic Tekken Rematch Proves That Adaptability Is Key

One of the best parts about a series of bouts between two talented fighters is seeing how they adapt. When a player has to scrap it and step outside their comfort zone, that’s where contenders are made. And it’s exactly what Hoa “Anakin” Luu did in a tense Tekken 7 loser’s bracket match-up today. Jeannail…

Dragon Ball FighterZ Player Stages Comeback From Sliver Of Health

You can have a sliver of health, but it’s landing that final blow that matters most. In the winner’s side of phase 2 pools for Dragon Ball FighterZ at Combo Breaker 2018, Dawn “Yohosie” Hosie was tied 1-1 in rounds against SQ. Her signature Gotenks had done some real damage to SQ’s lineup, with the…

Street Fighter Showcase Is A Trip Down Memory Lane

Last night, some of Street Fighter’s old guard assembled to play an exhibition tournament that took the players and viewers through the timeline of the series. It was both ridiculous and nostalgic, and a nice reminder of the legacy of these games and the people that play them. Five on-site auction entrants at Combo Breaker…

When You Find The Good Button

Fighters in games like Tekken 7 can have a wide arsenal of attacks, with different angles, weights, and recovery time. But when you get the chance to mash that good button, ol’ reliable, you make the most of it. At least, that’s what Mr. Whooppee did when he trapped Rickstah’s Akuma in a barrage of…

The Weekend In Esports: No Coast, No Kings

The Memorial Day slugfest is back for 2018, as Combo Breaker is underway in Illinois this weekend. This tournament, for me at least, marks the start of the big fighting game tournament rush leading up to Evo. Between this weekend and the big one in August, there are going to be plenty of majors with…

Dragon Ball FighterZ Up-And-Comer Is The ‘Trash Mom’ Of Gotenks

A month ago at Wednesday Night Fights, a local weekly tournament in southern California, Dawn “Yohosie” Hosie was matched against a player who goes by RazorX. His Adult Gohan lineup was a familiar sight, but Hosie’s lead-off fighter was Gotenks, who used to be one of Dragon Ball FighterZ’s more obscure characters. It’s a fighter…

You Can Conjure Corners Out Of Thin Air In BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle

The corner is a vital spot in fighting games. Players at the edge of the stage can’t go backwards, eliminating evasive tactics, and more damaging combos are only possible with the opponent’s back against the wall. Competitive players in the BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle beta have found a new quirk ahead of the game’s May…

Dota Pro Sneaks Behind Enemy Lines To End The Game

The ultimate objective in Dota 2 is to destroy your enemy’s ancient, the massive structure at the heart of their base. Do that and you win. When Evil Geniuses went on a potentially game-ending push into Fnatic’s base today, Jacky “EternalEnvy” Mao of Fnatic responded by going straight for the game-winner. Evil Geniuses were behind…

The Umeshoryu Is The Gutsiest Move In Fighting Games

Daigo Umehara has built a legacy on fearless calls, and he added one more to his story at Stunfest in Rennes, France last weekend. Down on life and with his back against the wall, the fighting game legend shot off a clutch Flash Kick to catch his opponent off guard and steal a victory with…

Street Fighter Footsies Explained In Two Minutes

Street Fighter V pro Justin Wong placed first in the Canada Cup Master Series tournament with the new character Falke, described by some pros as “the worst character in the game.” The reason Wong can succeed with Falke is due to his expert defensive play, particularly when it comes to engaging in the back-and-forth duet…