Esports Archives - Page 29 of 98

The Weekend In Esports: Smite And Paladins Crown Champions

The new year is off to a big start in the world of competitive gaming thanks to both the Smite and Paladins World Championships going on right now. In addition to both of those tournaments, there’s also some StarCraft II play in Europe and Korea as well as a descent Dota 2 tournament in Captain’s…

By Ethan Gach Published January 6, 2018

Esports

Blizzard Can’t Leave Mercy Alone

All of the support players in Overwatch League will have a tough time during the first competitive season, slated to start next Wednesday night, and it’s all because of the character Mercy. The angelic healer has undergone multiple makeovers in the past few months, all with the intent to balance her most controversial ability: the…

By Maddy Myers Published January 5, 2018

Esports

Valve Removes Tournament’s Major Status Because It Will Require Drug Testing

The upcoming Galaxy Battles Dota 2 tournament will no longer be a major because local regulators in the Philippines are requiring drug testing for the players. Developer Valve confirmed to Compete that it was rescinding major status due to government policies requiring drug testing: “Players were going to be subjected to drug testing and screening…

By Eric Van Allen Published January 5, 2018

Esports

Smash‘s Beloved Feminist Icon Is Not Trolling, Mostly

Kayla “Mew2Queen” Mackay was one of five players who won a fan vote to play Super Smash Bros. Melee in Genesis 5, a major tournament in Oakland, and the first to receive full funding. For Mackay, who plays as Marth, it should have been a huge moment. But in response to her nomination, Melee players…

By Cecilia D'Anastasio Published January 5, 2018

Esports

How Not To Stop Your Nerdy Child From Becoming A Pro Gamer

Pro gaming has yet to become normalized enough for the parents of America to feel proud of their offspring for pursuing it professionally. At least, not until those children defy all expectations and start making hundreds of thousands of dollars in tournament winnings. Parents of pro gamers told the Wall Street Journal all the tactics…

By Maddy Myers Published January 4, 2018

Esports

Riot Games Unbans Tyler1, A Player It Once Called A ‘Genuine Jerk’

Riot Games confirmed to Compete that it has lifted the indefinite ban on Twitch League of Legends streamer Tyler1. Initial news of the ban came from Tyler1’s Twitter account, where he said that, “AFTER 613 DAYS OF INTENSE REHAB I AM FINALLY UNBANNED FROM LEAGUE OF LEGENDS.” Tyler1—a talented player who specializes in playing as…

By Eric Van Allen Published January 4, 2018

Esports

Two Japanese Guilty Gear Stars Shit-Talked Their Way Back Into The Spotlight

Fighting game veteran Daigo Umehara hosted a series of high-level exhibitions earlier this week as part of his new Kemonomichi event series, and one matchup became the perfect opportunity for two stars with personal grudges to settle their differences in Guilty Gear Xrd Rev 2 While trash talk is a regular part of the fighting…

By Ian Walker Published January 4, 2018

Esports

A Pocket Of Passionate Players Is The Only Thing Keeping Competitive ARMS Alive

While the Switch as a platform is thriving, ARMS is its redheaded stepchild. In its first two weeks, it peaked at the 13th most popular game on the eShop. Despite being a less popular Nintendo exclusive, some competitors are keeping the fighting spirit alive months after most moved on to other games. ARMS is a…

By Eric Van Allen Published January 4, 2018

Esports

League of Legends Player Hits Level 300 After Days Of Crushing Bots

Since Riot Games reworked accounts to level infinitely in League of Legends, there has been something of a race as players climb higher and higher. The leader just passed level 300 today. His method? Destroying dozens of bots. Playing under the name “Nolife Raphael,” he was locked in a race for the first to level…

By Eric Van Allen Published December 31, 2017

Esports

Rocket League Player Argues With Tournament Over Plane Ticket To Scotland

The upcoming Twelve Titans Rocket League tournament will pit 12 players against each other in a winner-take-all one-on-one brawl. Isaiah Sharrieff was set to be one of those players who would play in the tournament in Scotland—until he revealed on Twitter that he had already played his first round and won’t fly to Scotland. In…

By Eric Van Allen Published December 31, 2017

Esports

Turbo Mode Makes A Game Of Dota 2 Less Of A Commitment

I have something of a Dota 2 habit. Every week, I find time to play at least a few hours of the game—frequently, if not a game a day. But part of my frustration with Dota 2 has always been the time commitment it requires, as games can take upwards of 40 to 50 minutes…

By Eric Van Allen Published December 31, 2017

Esports

Police Kill 28-Year-Old After ‘Swatting’ Call [Update]

A 28-year-old man was shot and killed by a Wichita police officer after a reported hostage situation call last night. At a press conference this afternoon, Wichita police said it was a false call meant to draw SWAT officers to the scene, an act known as “swatting.” It appears to have been linked to an…

By Eric Van Allen Published December 29, 2017

Esports

Maddy’s Top 10 Games Of 2017

Every game on this list served as a balm for the depression cave that I lived inside throughout 2017. I’m pretty sure these games happen to be good even if you’re not depressed, since most of them popped up on my coworkers’ own best-of lists, but I had such a dire need for escapism this…

By Maddy Myers Published December 28, 2017

Esports

Melee Pro Beats Yoshi Target-Breaking Record By Fraction Of A Second

Masaya “aMSa” Chikamoto is considered the best Yoshi player in the world, and for good reason. He has impressive wins over some of the best in Super Smash Bros. Melee on the lil’ dinosaur, and now, he holds a world record in busting targets as his signature character. aMSa was streaming world record attempts on…

By Eric Van Allen Published December 24, 2017

Esports

Catherine Players Explain What The Remake Means For Its Competitive Scene

Earlier this week, Atlus announced a remake of its cult-classic puzzle game Catherine. It was an exciting moment for fans of the stylish adult thriller. But amid the list of new features, there was one bullet point that meant the world to a small section of the community: the competitive Catherine crowd. Catherine is a…

By Eric Van Allen Published December 23, 2017

Esports

An Inside Look At PUBG‘s Second Big Tournament

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is wildly fun to watch, as its victory in the multi-million-player bloodbath that is Twitch has proven, but can it make the transition onto the big stage? I went to IEM Oakland in November to find out. The tournament was in turns thrilling, slow-moving, and hard to follow. With 80 players crowded into…

By Nathan Grayson Published December 22, 2017

Esports

Eric’s Top 10 Games Of 2017

In 2017, I played a lot of games, but only 10 could make the cut for this blog. Culling the herd to just 10 was heartbreaking and required intense soul-searching. In no particular order, the best games I played in 2017: Battle Chef Brigade It’s exciting enough that a competitive cooking show game got made,…

By Eric Van Allen Published December 21, 2017

Esports

Xavier Woods’ Most Successful Tag Team Effort Last Weekend Was At A Windjammers Tournament

Xavier Woods and his WWE tag team may have failed to regain the tag titles in the squared circle at last weekend’s Clash of Champions, but Woods fared much better a few days before in some 2-on-2 Windjammers competition. The superstar jumped into the Northeast Championship fighting game tournament and, with his trademark hype levels,…

By Ian Walker Published December 21, 2017

Esports

Tier Lists Are Full Of Shit

Almost no one played as Blanka in Street Fighter IV. This is because the low-tier green Brazilian is weird, doesn’t play like any other character in the game, and is widely considered not to be very powerful. Nonetheless, Street Fighter V is adding Blanka into the game this January after two years without him. I…

By Maddy Myers Published December 20, 2017

Esports

Overwatch League Players Keep Getting In Trouble

Overwatch is still young as far as sports go, but if you’re a professional player of anything, whether that means basketball or Russian knight fighting, you’re gonna be held to a higher standard than most. Overwatch League’s players are having trouble with that. There’s still about a month left until Blizzard kicks off the first…

By Nathan Grayson Published December 19, 2017