As fans eagerly await NA versus EU, and LCK vs. LPL vs. LMS at Rift Rivals, another Rift Rivals event is set to take place in Ho Chi Minh City on July the 3rd; though considerably less glamorous in scope, it features international underdog favourites Gigabyte Marines and fledging but struggling Japanese teams, as well …
Continue reading “What To Expect Coming Into Rift Rivals In Vietnam”
The long awaited update to Counter-Strike’s 13 year old Source engine is now just around the corner. This marks a fairly large milestone in Counter-Strike history even if the engine doesn’t make CS:GO a totally different game. It is nonetheless a milestone that separates two phases of the game apart. For this occasion, game changing …
Continue reading “Bleda"e;s Top 20 Pre-Source 2 CS:GO Players”
When we look at stories, the most interesting idea that crosses my mind, most of the time, is about the author. Unfortunately, esports isn’t some long epic poem written by an ancient people—it is a part of gaming history that is being shaped today. So, who better to sit and have an hour long conversation …
Continue reading “Fully Charged—a Mitch “Uber” Leslie Interview [Part 1]”
Entering the Summer Split, all eyes are on Cloud 9’s star mid laner Nicolaj “Jensen” Jensen. After forcing a game 5 against TSM in the Spring finals, the elusive NA crown was within his reach. The story was set—Jensen would beat Bjergsen in final, finally claim an NA title, and perhaps cement himself as NA’s …
For the last several months, mobile set-ups, able to easily target opponents' backlines— otherwise known as dive compositions—have been the driving force behind the metagame. In this article, I examine some of the most popular ones, analyzing how they work and evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of each, compared to the rest. 'True' dive set-ups …
One of the hottest topics in the North American scene is the subject of native mid laners being nearly nonexistent from the scene in the modern era. Since the birth of competitive League of Legends in NA, mid laners have been the face of teams with Andy “Reginald” Dinh and William “Scarra” Li leading both …
Continue reading “Why homegrown NA talent isn"e;t a viable solution”
While modern-day esports fans recognize Michael "winz" Bignet as a skilled and versatile Overwatch player—who is ready to play whatever position his team needs—his career as a professional player began more than a decade ago. In the distant 2004, he was already representing ‘against All authority’, a brand veteran fans will recognize as a once …
In every team sport, you have unsung heroes that build the core foundation of your team. Overwatch and esports, in general, are no different. Where a majority of the cameras and observers are glued to DPS stars with incredible aim, there is more to a team than meets the eye. Team EnVyuS has a plethora …
While modern-day esports fans recognize Michael "winz" Bignet as a skilled and versatile Overwatch player—who is ready to play whatever position his team needs—his career as a professional player began more than a decade ago. In the distant 2004, he was already representing ‘against All authority’, a brand veteran fans will recognize as a once …
Every community has its monsters. From the local chess club to the NBA finals, there will always be a personality who is viewed by many as unlikable while simultaneously driving interest in viewership. They’re the figures that people love to hate. Most cheer against them, few cheer for them. Either way, they’re an integral part …
Continue reading “David "e;Avilo"e; Blowe, a look into the mind of an esports villain”