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Esports
Dota 2‘s Brutal Co-op Campaign Might End Some Friendships
Siltbreaker, a cooperative Dota 2 campaign event, launched its first act yesterday, and it’s been driving my Dota group mad. Between the exponential difficulty spikes, impossible bosses and wave after wave of enemies, it plays less like a jolly ol’ game of Dota and more like a genuine raid. A comic handles most of the…
By Eric Van Allen Published June 9, 2017 -
EsportsWhat Makes Hooks So Damn Good In Competitive Video Games
The hook is a simple but effective tool in games: a chain, thrown accurately, pulling enemies back to their likely doom. But in the realm of competitive games, hooks seem almost ubiquitous. The reason why a hook is a near-necessity for any competitive game, is simple: They’re the biggest moments in games, boiled down to…
By Eric Van Allen Published June 9, 2017 -
Esports
Overwatch Pro Suspended After Griefing And Streaming Anime Porn
Daniel “Dafran” Francesca is an extremely skilled DPS player for Selfless, one of the best pro Overwatch teams out there. He’s also an unapologetic griefer and troll, and his antics have finally come back to bite him. Today, both Blizzard and Dafran’s own team have suspended him from play. This means he’s no longer allowed…
By Nathan Grayson Published June 8, 2017 -
Esports
UK Politician Visits Gaming Store, Discusses Esports While Customers Play Tekken
Ahead of the UK’s general election today, Welsh politician Kevin Brennan visited local gaming store Talk & Surf for a quick chat about esports and competitive games. Not the kind of last-minute campaigning you’d expect. Brennan, who has been Cardiff West’s member of Parliament since 2001 and is up for reelection today, delivered his talking…
By Maddy Myers Published June 8, 2017 -
Esports
Overwatch Ranks You Lower Than It Should So You Feel Better About Yourself
Overwatch’s 5th Competitive season debuted last week, and in its wake, players are finding themselves demoralized and embarrassed. Skill ratings, Overwatch’s measure of how good you are, have plummeted about 200 points across the board since the end of last season. And, of course, adamant players are flooding Overwatch forums with protestations that these numbers…
By Cecilia D'Anastasio Published June 7, 2017 -
EsportsStreet Fighter Veteran Mocks Idea Of Selling Out By Selling T-Shirt
The fighting game community has mixed feelings about the term “esports.” For the FGC, the term has come to connote corporate influence and sponsorships. Mike Ross, Street Fighter veteran and co-founder of fighting game-centric YouTube channel Cross Counter TV, addressed the controversy this week in a bizarre video titled “Mike Ross Breaks His Silence About…
By Maddy Myers Published June 7, 2017 -
EsportsOverwatch Still Isn’t Ready To Be A Top Esport
Over the weekend, Blizzard hosted the first round of qualifiers for Overwatch’s Contenders series, aka the minor league to the upcoming Overwatch League’s majors. There was some solid action, a couple surprising upsets, and a lot of Winston dancing. I don’t think Overwatch is ready to be a top esport yet, though. Don’t get me…
By Nathan Grayson Published June 5, 2017 -
Esports
A Pro Counter-Strike Match Suspended 30 Feet In The Air By A Crane
Typically, esports stages don’t get much more elaborate than a big screen, some colorful lights, and maybe a smoke machine for effect. Over the weekend, Republic Of Gamers decided to one-up everybody with a “stage” suspended from vertigo-inducing heights. As part of its “Extreme Gaming” event (via PCGamesN), ROG hosted a Counter-Strike exhibition match between…
By Nathan Grayson Published June 5, 2017 -
Esports
Smash Pro’s Tournament Victory Speech Calls Out Nintendo
Juan “Hungrybox” Debiedma had just come off a long tournament run of beating some of the best in Super Smash Bros. Melee when he took to the stage for a winner’s interview. Debiedma used the opportunity to hold an impassioned rally for the grassroots that makes Smash happen, with choice words for a “certain company.”…
By Eric Van Allen Published June 5, 2017 -
EsportsEither I’m Paranoid Or Mario Kart 8 Deluxe‘s AI Is Cheating
There’s no question that the Mario Kart’s AI is a big cheater. Anyone who plays the game has probably noticed how the computer-controlled racers tend to catch up to you no matter what and always have an item in hand during the race’s final moments. But what advantages, exactly, do the robot racers get in…
By Maddy Myers Published June 5, 2017 -
Esports
Overwatch Stream Shows Tournament Through Eyes Of A Pro
There are plenty of esports tournaments on this weekend, but one Overwatch pro is taking his viewers on a trip through a tournament from his perspective—a rare insight into the thoughts and play of competitive Overwatch players. The qualifiers for Overwatch Contenders are taking place this weekend, and popular player and streamer Brandon “A_Seagull” Larned…
By Eric Van Allen Published June 4, 2017 -
Esports
Rocket League Pro Dekes His Way Into World Championship Finals
Even in an arena with rocket-powered cars, players find ways to pull off incredible football-like maneuvers. Of the teams attending the Rocket League Season 3 World Championship Series this weekend, NRG has been one to watch. The top seed from North America, NRG executes full-on plays and works really well together, like in yesterday’s game…
By Eric Van Allen Published June 4, 2017 -
Esports
French Commentator Gets Hyped Up Over Trackmania Run
Take one part time-trial racing, two parts technical mastery and a pinch of puzzle solving, and you’re close to encapsulating Trackmania. This weekend, qualifiers for the 2017 Trackmania Cup are taking place, and it’s like watching Formula 1 racers attempt to solve a physics-based Rubik’s cube with their cars. Right now, some of the best…
By Eric Van Allen Published June 3, 2017 -
Esports
The FIFA Goal That Just Wouldn’t Go In
Some days, it can seem like every force in the universe is against you. This FIFA player must have done something in a past life, as for thirty straight seconds, as he lands the most improbable non-goal possible in FIFA 17 MrMaskTV, a FIFA Twitch streamer, posted this clip earlier today, where a simple kick…
By Eric Van Allen Published June 3, 2017 -
Esports
Spammers Beat Hammers In Overwatch At TaKeOver 2
Pocket strategies can come in handy when you’re in a situation like Misfits, who in yesterday’s TaKeOver 2 matches needed a win against Hammers Esports. When the Misfits came out of the Hollywood spawn on offense with a wall of shields and explosives, it certainly caught Hammers by surprise. Sometimes referred to as a “spam”…
By Eric Van Allen Published June 3, 2017
