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Esports
Evil Geniuses Fall In A Sweep At Former Dota 2 Major
This weekend was another shot for the new look of Evil Geniuses to prove itself. While the team’s run up to the grand finals seemed steady, a devastating three-and-done series showed the lineup hasn’t found its footing yet. Since the shuffle that brought on Rasmus “Misery” Filipsen as the new captain and cut long-time offlaner…
By Eric Van Allen Published January 21, 2018 -
Esports
Splatoon Player Clinches Win With The Most Satisfying Dunk
Most players might just use Splatoon 2‘s high-flying super jump to get back into the action after you’ve respawned. Saffron Rice’s DNerd found a different use: to sink the game-winning clam. During yesterday’s Splatoon 2 tournament at Genesis 5, Saffron was down in a game of Clam Blitz that had gone into overtime. Their opponents,…
By Eric Van Allen Published January 21, 2018 -
Esports
Doublelift Gets Revenge In North American League Opener
A long-time veteran of the North American League of Legends scene, Yiliang “Doublelift” Peng wrote at the start of this year that one of his goals was to beat his former teammates on Team SoloMid. He didn’t have to wait long. The 2018 North American League Championship Series started with a hyped-up grudge match between…
By Eric Van Allen Published January 20, 2018 -
Esports
The Competitive Smash 4 Scene Is Anxiously Awaiting Nintendo’s Next Big Move
The last few years have been pivotal in establishing Super Smash Bros. For Wii U as its own game, separate from its everlasting older sibling Melee. The Smash 4 scene has grown, developed major personalities and storylines, and saw its Evo grand finals live on cable television. Now all eyes are on Nintendo for what’s…
By Eric Van Allen Published January 20, 2018 -
EsportsWhen All Else Fails, Rush The Nexus
Today’s match between the Unicorns of Love and Splyce in the European League Championship Series was looking like it might go on for ages, until both teams decided to ignore procedure and dive straight for the nexus. Known as a “base race,” both teams tried to rush in and destroy the other’s nexus, the ultimate objective…
By Eric Van Allen Published January 20, 2018 -
Esports
The Weekend In Esports: League Of Legends‘ Spring Season Returns
Things are picking up as the Overwatch League continues with its second week, Hearthstone’s World Championship wraps up in Amsterdam, and League of Legends returns for the spring season. The Shanghai Dragons and Dallas Fuel are the only two teams remaining in OWL without a victory to their name, while the latter has already been…
By Ethan Gach Published January 20, 2018 -
Esports
Longest Game In Pro League of Legends History Shatters Records
Last night’s match between the Jin Air Green Wings and world championship runner-up SKT T1 was not a quick or quiet affair. The best-of-three went the full series, culminating in a 94-minute finale that was both maddening and fascinating. SKT T1, often lauded as one of the best teams in the game, found a tough…
By Eric Van Allen Published January 20, 2018 -
Esports
South Korean Overwatch Team Lunatic-Hai Disbands
Lunatic-Hai announced yesterday that it would be disbanding and leaving the Overwatch competitive scene. In a statement (h/t InvenGlobal) the team says it was “difficult to face the radical changes within and outside Overwatch.” “We couldn’t be certain of consistent investment for the organization and the business,” wrote director Tae-Su Kim. “And we couldn’t bring…
By Eric Van Allen Published January 20, 2018 -
Esports
Overwatch Pro Suspended For Saying Gay Rival Would Enjoy Sucking A ‘Fat Cock’ [UPDATE]
Dallas Fuel player Félix “xQc” Lengyel has found himself in hot water once again, this time for directing an insensitive insult at a player for the Houston Outlaws, shortly after the Outlaws swept Fuel 4-0 yesterday afternoon. Lengyel has been suspended and fined. During a stream yesterday evening, Lengyel took issue with Outlaws tank Austin…
By Nathan Grayson Published January 19, 2018 -
Esports
Report: Dota Team Told Player He Was Cut During Pizza Party
After qualifying for a Dota 2 major, international esports team Fnatic suddenly dumped their offlane player Khoo “Ohaiyo” Chong Xin for Saahil “Universe” Arora, reportedly during a pizza dinner. The official announcement came January 13, when Fnatic confirmed that the former Evil Geniuses offlane player Arora would be joining the team, taking Ohaiyo’s role in…
By Eric Van Allen Published January 19, 2018 -
Esports
Overwatch Pro Loves Mercy Despite His Teammates Who Can’t Stand Her
There is at least one Overwatch pro who enjoys the character Mercy, even with her many controversial makeovers. Mikias “Snow” Yohannes, support player for Boston Uprising, stands by the controversial healer. “I think I would be the only support player that will tell you I actually enjoy playing Mercy,” he told Compete. What’s more, all…
By Maddy Myers Published January 19, 2018 -
Esports
Nearly Half Of All Overwatch League Matches So Far Have Been 4-0 Sweeps
Of last night’s three Overwatch League matches, two were complete blowouts that left no doubt as to which team was leaps, bounds, and jetpack boosts ahead of the other. The evening’s first match was a showdown between my dear orange-clad boys in SF Shock and the also-orange (but a worse orange) Philadelphia Fusion. The match…
By Nathan Grayson Published January 18, 2018 -
Esports
Overwatch League’s Dallas Fuel Lets Players Be Themselves, Even When That Causes Trouble
Last month, Overwatch pro Félix “xQc” Lengyel found himself apologizing profusely into a video camera from atop an accidental throne of cardboard boxes. It was not his finest hour, but in some ways, it’s just part of the job. Dallas Fuel is the closest thing to a star-studded lineup you’ll find in Blizzard’s fresh-from-the-incubation-tube Overwatch…
By Nathan Grayson Published January 17, 2018 -
Esports
The Death And Resurrection Of The Fighting Game Community’s Most Beloved Message Board
The last few weeks have been a turbulent time for Shoryuken, the world’s leading fighting game website, and full disclosure, my former employer. After the outlet’s owners announced plans to shutter their message boards, the competitive community was sent into a frenzy, worried what the move meant for the future of genre discussion. And while…
By Ian Walker Published January 17, 2018 -
Esports
Regulators In The Philippines Continue To Tighten The Screws On Esports
Competitive gaming in the Philippines was dealt another serious blow after the recent signing of a resolution by the country’s Games and Amusement Board (GAB). In addition to mandatory drug testing for THC and methamphetamines, the resolution will require esports events to ensure all participants are officially licensed by the state as well as share…
By Ian Walker Published January 17, 2018 -
Esports
Teenage Overwatch League Player’s Dad Pulled Him Out Of School So He Could Go Pro
Overwatch pro Lucas “Mendokusaii” Hakansson wasn’t expecting to drop out of school. The plan, originally, was for him to take a year off—not all that uncommon in his homeland of Sweden—to see if he could get good enough to go pro. One day, though, Hakansson’s dad Henrik met with the school’s administrators. “He didn’t ask…
By Nathan Grayson Published January 16, 2018 -
Esports
Overwatch Players Are Imitating Their Favorite League Stars
Everybody I know who plays Overwatch’s pistol-slinging cowboy McCree is coveting the digital skin worn by Do-hyeon “Pine” Kim, the world class McCree pro who stole everybody’s heart last week in his debut Overwatch League match. It’s a dreary blue skin repping New York’s Excelsior team but wearing it is aspirational. If I dress like…
By Cecilia D'Anastasio Published January 16, 2018 -
Esports
Smash 4‘s Top Player Is Taking A Break From Competition
The same day as he was revealed as the top ranked player in the Panda Global rankings, Gonzalo “ZeRo” Barrios announced he would no longer be competing in Super Smash Bros. For Wii U… for now. In a letter posted on Barrios’ Twitter, the number-one player in Smash 4 said he has lost his passion…
By Eric Van Allen Published January 13, 2018 -
Esports
The Weekend In Esports: Wrapping Up The Overwatch League’s First Week
OWL got off to a cracking start last Wednesday and hasn’t slowed down since. In addition to introducing esports to a larger audience and sparking important conversations about diversity and team management, there were also a bunch of really great games. Hopefully the quality continues today as the league’s last three matches of the inaugeral…
By Ethan Gach Published January 13, 2018