Esports News Network

Fortnite: FNCS Chapter 2 - Season 3 Qualifier 2 Results

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 05:38:49 GMT

FNCS Chapter 2 - Season 3 continued with another action-packed day of competitive Fortnite!

Players who did not punch their ticket to stage two yesterday needed to bounce back. Several notable players, including 100T MrSavage, NRG benjyfishy, FaZe Mongraal and TSM Khanada are just a handful who found success in the first qualifier. They have already endured nine hours of solo gameplay, which requires next-level mental endurance. Over 100 players have a guaranteed spot in the next round.

The second of four qualifiers provided more of the same. Players in six of the seven competitive Fortnite regions queued into a maximum of 20 matches with hopes of earning a qualification through to heats. Keep in mind that the Top-50 in NA East, NA West, Europe and Brazil secure their spot in stage two. Whereas the top-25 in Asia and Oceania will accomplish the same. Let’s take a look at who managed to qualify on day two.

Europe

NRG benjyfishy is on quite a roll in Chapter 2 - Season 3. He continued an impressive stretch of solo placements with a win in the second FNCS Qualifier. Across six games, benjyfishy racked up 23 eliminations and 38 points in total. As a result of his performance in the Grand Finals, Benjy secured his second stage two qualification in two days. It seems that the young NRG Esports competitor has figured out the meta this season.

OVA Noahreyli finished in second place with 54 points. Like benjyfishy, Noahreyli is having himself a solid season after taking second place in a Solo Cash Cup behind Benjy just two weeks ago. Noahreyli earned the most eliminations of any player in the Grand Finals with 25. Other notables to finish top-50 include 100T MrSavage, teeq, MCES Andilex, FaZe Mongraal, Liquid mitr0 and ATL LeTsHe.

NA East

Former duo partners Liquid STRETCH and Bugha populated the top of the leaderboard for the NA East region. However, STRETCH is beginning to separate himself as the best solo player with his second straight tournament win in less than a month. Last time, he took first in the DreamHack Online Open. After not qualifying yesterday, STRETCH rallied from 100th place in the semi-finals to first place in the Grand Finals. Overall, STRETCH accumulated 57 points with 16 eliminations and will make an appearance in heats later this month.

Fortnite World Cup Champion Bugha also achieved his first qualification in the second qualifier. He earned 54 points over six matches with 14 eliminations. Two-time FNCS Finalist Acorn finished in third place with 51 points and one Victory Royale. All 50 players shown above will move into stage two.

NA West

Fifteen-year-old Middi if XTRA Gaming took first place in the NA West region. His 68-point performance came about from 20 eliminations and no Victory Royales. It was a much-needed display from the young XTRA Gaming competitor, who did not finish inside the top-50 yesterday.

Fellow XTRA Gaming member Kenshi finished just behind Middi in second place. He earned 63 points, tying 100 Thieves’ Arkhram. However, Kenshi’s Victory Royale elevated him over Arkhram on the leaderboard. The top 50 players above will have a spot in stage two in a few weeks.

Brazil

Fortnite World Cup standout king dominated the second FNCS Qualifier with 67 points. His performance produced 14 eliminations and 2 Victory Royales. The young Argentinian will be one of the favorites as we move closer to the Grand Finals. Double Fortnite World Cup Qualifier FA Nicks took second place on day two with 61 points. All 50 players listed above will participate in stage two.

Oceania

Fifteen-year-old Australian player sunz took first place in the second Oceania FNCS Qualifier. In the Grand Finals, he managed 58 points with 17 eliminations and no Victory Royales. Sunz’s consistent top-30 finishes helped him accumulate plenty of placement points. He adds himself to the growing list of players who will find themselves in stage two later this month.

Also on that list are criser and muffinman2104 who respectively finished in second and third with 51 points. Looter, Sorif, Muz, worthy, volx, Jynx, Oatley and jahlyn have all qualified twice for stage two. Two qualifiers remain for the Oceania region.

Asia

CE jozya earned his second straight qualification and first qualifier victory on day two in the Asia region. After six games, jozya ended with 58 points in total. He won the opening match of session three and found himself in the winner’s circle. He will move into stage two, along with second-place and third-place finishers leyyner 44 and NSR Rainy.

Rainy, Riddle Wildhawk, BudewModest.cr, GW_Albedo and xEllthur have all qualified twice for heats later this month. The Asia FNCS qualifiers will continue with another 18 hours of gameplay next weekend.

Stay tuned for more coverage of the Fortnite Champion Series Chapter 2 - Season 3!

The post Fortnite: FNCS Chapter 2 - Season 3 Qualifier 2 Results appeared first on Esports News Network | ESTNN.

Dota 2: Why Is Spectre So Successful In This Patch?

Sun, 02 Aug 2020 19:43:13 GMT

Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why this hero is so popular.

Spectre has always been considered as one of the strongest Dota 2 heroes. Even though she is one of the worst laners in the game, once she gets a head start, she can easily rip through the enemies like a knife through butter.

However, before she gets to this stage, Spectre needs to farm a lot. Those of you who’ve played Dota 2 a few years ago probably remember when the hero used to be the go-to pick in every game. Back then, the meta game allowed her to get items that she could use to fight early on.

Although this was risky, it was well worth it. As you can imagine, once she got a good start, it was pretty much impossible to lose. However, if things went bad, recovering was also an issue because Spectre is not one of the fast farmers.

Now, the situation is more or less the same, with just a few exceptions. Having said that, let’s take a look at a few reasons why this is currently one of the heroes with the highest win rating. According to DotaBuiff, Spectre has more than 56% win rating, which is just impressive.

The hero is strong, even early on

Even though Spectre is notorious for its weak early game, the current meta allows the hero to be useful even during that time. As a result, people can pick Spectre whenever they want to and still perform reasonably well.

However, there are a few heroes that you need to avoid at all costs, such as Viper. Even though the green beast is not among the meta mid laners right now, the hero is capable of making Spectre’s life a living hell.

Once the laning stage is over, you should try to get many team-fight items. After all, they will allow you to assist your team. If everything goes according to plan, you will accumulate a decent amount of farm, which will allow you to transit into the late game really well.

The hero got buffed

One of the obvious reasons why Spectre is so successful nowadays is because of the recent buffs. In case you forgot, patch 7.27b changed the game completely by adding a lot of new things. Even though Spectre was among the heroes that got nerfed a lot, there was a pretty big buff as well.

Now, you can use Shadow Step even on Spell Immune units, which makes all the difference in the world. In other words, even if there is a certain hero that is really tricky to kill, there is no way for him to avoid a direct clash with Spectre.

Another significant buff was the added bonus damage to desolate. Even though it was slightly reduced in 7.27c, the extra damage makes a lot of difference at all stages of the game.

Lastly, let’s also not forget the fact that many of the items are now different. Luckily, those that most Spectre players go for are better, which also reflects on the popularity and the success of the hero.

Spectre is capable of winning games on her own

Another reason that is pretty obvious but many people seem to forget about it is that the hero is just really strong. As long as you get a good start, Spectre is one of those heroes that’s capable of winning games on her own.

Sure, it will take some time before this happens, but it eventually will, unless the enemy team wins before that. During the late game, there are not that many heroes who actually stand a chance against his alien. As you know, Spectre’s main strength is her durability. Similar to Medusa, she is basically capable of surviving the long team fights while also doing loads of damage.

The hero works well in most situations

The last reason why we think Spectre is so popular right now is because she just fits almost every lineup. When it comes down to pub games, players usually tend to participate in loads of team fights. As a result, you can often see heroes that have amazing team-fight abilities, such as Zeus, Nature’s Prophet, and so on.

As you’ve guessed, Spectre is also one of those heroes. Thanks to her ultimate, this hero is capable of participating in a lot of team fights, even early on. This gives her the opportunity to farm safely on the other side of the map and still be useful. Most other carries can’t really do that.

Thanks to her unique early game build, Spectre can even work in some pushing starts. However, there are definitely better options out there when it comes down to this start.

Final thoughts

It seems like this is one of those heroes that can reward you with a lot of MMR. As long as you know how to play with her properly, you can win your games easily. So, if you haven’t started playing this amazing hero, now is the time to change that.

The post Dota 2: Why Is Spectre So Successful In This Patch? appeared first on Esports News Network | ESTNN.

4 Things To Look Out For In Season 5 of Call of Duty Modern Warfare and Warzone

Sun, 02 Aug 2020 10:24:58 GMT

With a new season of Call of Duty Modern Warfare and Warzone come plenty of new weapons, operators and much more! Here’s 4 things to look out for in Season 5.

New Weapons

Season 5 will see two new weapons added to Modern Warfare and Warzone.

APC9 (SMG)

Firstly, the APC9. The APC9 is an SMG which can be seen in the hands of the closest and far right soldiers in this image. This weapon has been in the game code for around two seasons now, so we have been expecting to see this for a while. However, Season 5 seems to be the date which the APC9 will be added.

AN94 (AR)

Secondly, the AN94. The AN94 is an Assault Rifle which can be seen in the hands of the farthest away soldier in this image, or more closely in all operators in the image below. Additionally, the AN94 is also in the games code in a working state.

Weapon Inspect

Finally, we could see weapon inspections added into Modern Warfare and Warzone. This is something that many fans have been asking for, and with the ability to place stickers on your gun, not being able to inspect it means that sometimes you can't even see them. Yet again, this is something that has been in the game code for a long time and the animation has been leaked. So it is there, and could be coming in Season 5.

New Operators

Season 5 will see the addition of three new operators. These are members of the “Shadow Company” and therefore could be a new operator group. The above image shows the operators Rozlin “Roze” Helms, Marcus “Lerch” Ortega and Velikan. All three operators should be coming in Season 5, however we don't know which will be store bundles or included in the battle pass.

Warzone Map Changes

Finally, we are almost guaranteed to see some Warzone Map Changes in Season 5. It appears that the Stadium will be opened and become accessible in some way; while there may also be a train which runs around the map holding loot. While not of this is officially confirmed, it is leaked information and it is in the game files. With the Stadium opening, we could also see this included as a new Gunfight or Multiplayer map. Season 5 of Modern Warfare and Warzone is set to launch on August 5th at 2am EST.

The post 4 Things To Look Out For In Season 5 of Call of Duty Modern Warfare and Warzone appeared first on Esports News Network | ESTNN.

Fortnite: FNCS Chapter 2 - Season 3 Qualifier 1 Results

Sun, 02 Aug 2020 05:08:14 GMT

The fourth seasonal Fortnite Champion Series event is officially underway.

After trios, squads and duos, Epic Games made the bold decision to make solos the main focus in Chapter 2 - Season 3. This time around, the Fortnite developers put up a $5 million prize pool to cover both console and PC players across six of the seven competitive regions. Players entered today with the hopes of qualifying through to stage two, better known as heats.

The path to qualification would not be easy, however, considering players would have to endure nine hours of competitive Fortnite. Keep in mind that the top 50 players in Europe, Brazil, NA East, and NA West will reach stage two after session three. The top 25 competitors in Oceania, the Middle East and Oceania will accomplish the same. Let’s take a look at which players will be moving into the next stage after the first FNCS Chapter 2 - Season 3 Qualifier.

Europe

Rezon ay continued an impressive stretch of solo performances in the first European FNCS qualifier. He earned 21 eliminations and one Victory Royale across the six matches in session three. Rezon ay’s 62 points secured him a spot in heats, where he will hope to advance into the Grand Finals later this month. This first-place finish for the young German player marks his second in the last month after winning the Mongraal Cup in mid-July.

BL Henchman, also known as BL Hen, took second place with 47 points. His performance across six matches amounted to 13 eliminations and one Victory Royale. Hen will now compete in his second straight FNCS Finals after finishing Chapter 2 - Season 2’s FNCS Invitational in tenth place. Other notables inside the top-50 include DreamHack Anaheim Champion, 100T MrSavage, DreamHack Online Champion teeq, NRG benjyfishy, FaZe Mongraal and many others.

NA East

PGOD racked up 66 points and the victory in the first session of the first FNCS Qualifier. The Peru native compiled a tournament-leading 20 eliminations and one Victory Royale after six matches in the Grand Finals. This is PGOD’s second straight impressive showing in solo competitions, having placed 17th in the DreamHack Online Open last month. He outlasted some outstanding players, including BBG Bucke who took second place with 55 points.

Other notables to qualify through to heats on the first day of competition are TSM Khanada, 100T Ceice, NRG Edgey, NRG Clix, Liquid Cented, Liquid Riversan and FaZe Dubs. Players have three more qualifiers to accumulate series points or finish inside the top-50 to reach stage two.

NA West

Criizux took first place in NA West to the tune of 66 points. His effort in the Grand Finals yielded 21 eliminations and one Victory Royale. Criizux now has back-to-back top notch solo performances after placing eighth at the DreamHack Online Open. He beat out one of NA West’s best players in NRG EpikWhale narrowly.

EpikWhale finished in second place with 64 points. Despite earning a Victory Royale in the final match, he settled for the runner-up position. Some other notable who will be moving to heats include maken, Frapai, 4DRStorm and CLG Symetrical.

Brazil

Multiple time Solo Cash Cup winner and four-time FNCS Finalist SNG KING continued to dominate Brazil in the first qualifier. He earned 69 points across four matches with 17 eliminations and a whopping three Victory Royales. With two players at his heels, KING won the final game to clinch first place. He will look to continue his unprecedented success next with knowing that he will move into the next stage.

LOUD leleo finished with 67 points of his own in session three. He compiled the most eliminations of any other player with 23. He and the top-50 listed above will move into the second stage of Chapter 2 - Season 2 FNCS.

Oceania

Professional player Eshzzz and worthy jockeyed for position on the leaderboard throughout the Grand Finals for OCE. Eshzzz pulled away with a third-place finish in the final match. He earned 80 points overall, including 22 eliminations in six games and one Victory Royale. Oceanic standout worthy finished with 70 points. The top 25 players have punched their ticket through to the next round after one week of play.

Asia

Three-time FNCS Finalist T1 SinOoh earned a one-point victory in the day one Chapter 2 - Season 3 Qualifier. He managed 57 points across six matches, managing one Victory Royale and ten eliminations. SinOoh will now appear in his fourth straight FNCS heats and will be looking for his first significant victory later this month.

Stay tuned to ESTNN tomorrow to find out who else will qualify after the second FNCS qualifier!

The post Fortnite: FNCS Chapter 2 - Season 3 Qualifier 1 Results appeared first on Esports News Network | ESTNN.

Dota 2: Aghanim's Labyrinth Update Is Here, Ursa Receives Buffs

Sat, 01 Aug 2020 15:33:25 GMT

Here is what’s new in the latest update.

After it was released around a month and a half ago, Aghanim’s Labyrinth received multiple updates. Some of them nerfed a lot of the heroes, whereas other buffed them. Needless to say, this is also the case here.

Having said that, one of the heroes that receive the most buffs s Ursa Apart from that, it’s also worth mentioning that the Trials will be played on the highest level, which is known as Grand Magus.

The good thing here is that everyone can play on the Trials. In fact, it doesn’t even matter what your progression is in the Labyrinth. Nonetheless, if you haven’t played at all, it will be pretty hard to kill the boss this week, so keep that in mind.

Ursa

First, Earthschock’s bonus damage upgrade now does 100 damage, instead of 75, which will definitely have a big impact on the hero. On top of that, Ursa’s Cub now does 25% damage with its fury swipes, which means that the buff here is 5%.

Ursa’s Relentless stacks are no longer wiped when he recasts Overpower. Another change to Ursa is that the hero finally can’t be permanently Concealed.

Bug fixes for Sunday

As you know, each special event takes place on Sunday. As a result, the update changes a few important things that we should note. The first one is a bug where some passive skills didn’t update their values accordingly. Needless to say, this was really annoying, especially on some heroes.

Another thing that is also fixed is Weaver’s Swarm. Previously, the hero was able to reduce Swarm’s attack nearly to zero.

Apart from the few hero changes, there are also some adjustments to the different encounters. Similar to other updates, some of them have been slightly nerfed, whereas others buffed.

Encounters that have a lower difficulty:

The Malorkian Hammers
An Unwinnable Standoff
The Soothing Sounds of Sirens

Encounters that have a higher difficulty:

Rizzrick the Razorsaw
A Bad Trading Post
The Beastly Babies

If you want to participate in the upcoming Aghanim’s Trial, tune in this Sunday, on the second of August at 12 CEST. If you are on time, you will be able to choose a specific two-hour time window, during which you will be able to queue up and test your luck. Keep in mind that you can only do that once per week, so make sure you’re on time.

If you want to learn more, be sure to click on the FAQ section.

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Fortnite: Bugha Throwback Cup Complete Results

Sat, 01 Aug 2020 05:45:51 GMT

The competitive Fortnite landscape just saw another seven champions after the Bugha Throwback Cup wrapped up on Friday evening.

In honor of the Fortnite World Cup Champion, Bugha helped tournament organizers design a format and scoring system in his name. Duo World Cup Champions Aqua and Nyhrox earned the same privilege earlier this week.

Although Bugha did not win the NA East portion, all seven competitive Fortnite regions saw action. Chief among them all came from Bugha’s home region with Clix reigning supreme. With a prize pool of $100K USD, players had all the incentive to put forth a strong effort. Ahead of the fourth-ever Fortnite Champion Series, let’s see who came out on top in each region.

Europe

Polish player and two-time FNCS Finalist Kami triumphed in the European region after six matches of play. He accumulated 286 points overall with two second-place finishes and a sixth. Kami also tied for the second most eliminations with 17 behind only FaZe Mongraal. The young rising Polish player earned $14K USD and became the first-ever EU Bugha Throwback Cup Champion.

Journeyman professional player and Fortnite World Cup Solo Finalist k1nzell took second place with 269 points. He earned only ten eliminations across the six games in the Grand Finals. The Slovenian’s placement-heavy approach granted him the runner-up finish. K1nzell’s effort yielded him $6.5K in prize money.

Refsgaard rounded out the top three with 241 points. Other notable top-ten finishers include fan-favorite FaZe Mongraal, who took fifth place and DreamHack Winter Champion Merijn, who finished in eighth. All players who finished inside the top-ten earned some money.

NA East

With the help of former trio teammate FaZe Bizzle, NRG Clix completed one of his most impressive solo tournament performances. Over six matches, Clix managed 19 eliminations and four top-ten finishes to the tune of 325 points. As a result of his dominant performance, the NRG Esports competitor took home $8.75K USD. He bested the likes of FaZe Dubs, TSM Khanada, BBG Bucke and even the host SEN Bugha. It was quite the showing for one of Fortnite’s most talented players.

Former NA West player Liquid Cented compiled 288 points and added yet another exceptional NA East standing to his track record. He’s done exceptionally well in Chapter 2 - Season 3, especially after taking first in the Aqua and Nyhrox Cup with duo partner Edgey. This time around, Cented earned himself $4.1K USD.

Other notables inside the money include FaZe Dubs, Acorn, OwlFN, E11 Daxor and rising talent Whofishy. These are names to keep an eye out for in the upcoming FNCS competition.

NA West

NRG EpikWhale added another outstanding Fortnite tournament victory to his resume. He’s proved himself on both keyboard and controller time and time again. In the Grand Finals, EpikWhale accumulated 323 points across six matches. He got there with 15 eliminations and one Victory Royale. EpikWhale added another $3.5K USD to his career earnings as a result. He’ll be one of the favorites heading into the FNCS Chapter 2 - Season 3.

Daddy favs made yet another leaderboard appearance as well in the NA West region. He earned 291 points and the most eliminations of any players in the Grand Finals with 24. XTRA verT finished in third with 289 points. Other notables include perennial NA West contenders CLG symmetrical and TurtleTavern.

Brazil

A relatively unknown player named deafultt took first place over in the Brazil region with 269 points. Some of his noteworthy stats included nine eliminations and three top-ten finishes. His relatively conservative approach to the Bugha Throwback Cup won him $3.5K USD. Kitoz finished just ten points short of first with 259.

Oceania

RBK volx resumed his solo Oceanic dominance with a win in the Bugha Throwback Cup. He smashed his opponents with 318 points overall. His performance included a tournament-leading 22 eliminations and only one placement outside of the top 15. We’ve seen volx’s dominance in the past, and this display proves he still has what it takes in Chapter 2 - Season 3. He took home $2.5K USD in winnings.

Zoreh and District respectively finished in second and third place. Australian Open Summer Smash Champion Breso took fourth place with 246 points. Only the top-five in the Oceania reason earned prize money.

Asia

Fortnite World Cup Finalist Peterpan took first place in the Asia portion of the Bugha Throwback Cup. He earned 267 points across six games, including ten eliminations and no Victory Royales. The former T1 competitor earned himself $2.5K USD.

Middle East

Az2m racked up 322 points en route to his first noteworthy Fortnite tournament victory. He only needed ten eliminations and one Victory Royale to get the job done in the Middle East region. Wiz’s only victory took place in the tournament's final match, securing him $2.5K USD.

Stay tuned to ESTNN for coverage of the upcoming FNCS Chapter 2 - Season 3 all weekend long!

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League Of Legends: Riot Games Announces Plans For Worlds 2020

Sat, 01 Aug 2020 03:29:21 GMT

This year's World Championship is officially on.

Today, Riot Games and LoL Esports announced details about this year's League of Legends World Championship. Though this year's Mid-Season Invitational would have been an amazing event, it was unfortunately canceled. At first, some thought the show might not go on for Worlds this year, but Riot promised to hold it back in July. Now, they're delivering and showing us what the tournament will look like this year.

We're excited to celebrate the 2020 World Championship this September in China! #Worlds2020

See this video message from Riot Games CEO Nicolo Laurent and Global Head of Esports John Needham about our current plans: pic.twitter.com/c8trp4x8LD

— LoL Esports (@lolesports) August 1, 2020

First off, Worlds 2020 is set to start on September 25 and finish off with the Finals on October 31.

Secondly, the event will be held in Shanghai, China as originally planned. Unlike other years though, all of the event's stages will take place here. While fans may be disappointed, as the different venues let more people attend live, this is well worth it. It is a crucial step to keep the chance of containment low in the tumultuous COVID-19 world we live in. They'll work with multiple different health organizations to ensure the safety of players and staff and make sure the event can go on.

All of the games will be played in the Pudong Soccer Stadium, a massive facility home to the Shanghai SIPG F.C. The facility is a spectacle itself, so Riot and LoL Esports are hoping to allow spectators. At this time, however, that will be up to local guidelines and more information about it will be available as the date draws nearer.

To finish with the announcement, it stated that LoL Esports is committed to bringing a mind-blowing experience to fans online. Fans can expect more awesome visuals like the holographic Elder Dragon and the True Damage band to grace the stage at this year's World Championship.

The competition for Worlds 2020

10 years of Worlds & we're just getting started. Welcome to Worlds 2020. It's our time to Take Over. #Worlds2020 pic.twitter.com/wPY86hy5rk

— LoL Esports (@lolesports) August 1, 2020

On top of the broadcast itself, there's a lot to look forward to in terms of competition. The highlight is the rivalry between G2 Esports and FunPlus Phoenix, who made both made it to the 2019 Worlds Finals and where FPX emerged victorious. Neither team is quite on form, but both can definitely make it still. If they both do, all eyes will be on them in the hopes they get a rematch. It'll be especially hard for FPX though, as LPL is a highly competitive region. JD Gaming, Top Esports and Invictus Gaming will be difficult for them to push past.

Meanwhile, in North America, Cloud9 has turned heads this year and looks to be a decent threat with international promise. Their support, Philippe "Vulcan" Laflamme, commented that C9 is eager to take to the Worlds stage and is confident. The team showed they're willing to experiment, such as with the Sona-Lux bot lane they debuted, and has an aggressive style most NA teams don't when they go to Worlds. If anything, NA can at least hold some hope this year.

Other top contenders include the MAD Lions and Rogue from the LEC. Both have a lot of rookies and took the scene by storm. On the other side of the world, Gen.G Esports and DragonX are on top of the LCK, along with the almighty T1 (formerly SKT T1). All of these teams are fantastic and will make great potential competitors at this year's World Championship.

There's a ton of other talented teams and players that will be incredibly exciting to see in action. Overall, there's simply a lot to look forward to, especially since this is League's 10th anniversary. Stay tuned for more information about Worlds 2020 here at ESTNN!

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Apex Legends: Breaking Down TSM's Win With Wraith, Revenant, Crypto

Fri, 31 Jul 2020 16:27:28 GMT

Has TSM found the next Apex Legends composition involving Revenant, Crypto, and Wraith?

During the Esports Arena weekly event on Jul 30, TSM managed to find success using a rather unusual comp. TSM diverted away from their Wattson, Wraith and Pathfinder comp to Wraith, Revenant and Crypto. This low pick rate composition seems to be finding its way into victories now players are taking their time to learn and try new things. Apex Legends balancing continues to show that other comps are now possible with Season 5’s balance changes. With this result, let us look at what TSM did to make the comp work.

“stuck at the tri-tip grill crying...” ???????? @JetSetJamerson https://t.co/mrmfPyc0yV

— Esports Arena (@EsportsArena) July 30, 2020

Lack of respect?

Over the last ten months, Apex legends competition has been slightly stale. Wattson, Wraith and Pathfinder is the composition of the era, and the only time this changed was to rotate a tank or two. Gibraltar and Caustic could replace Wattson with their Season 4 buffs, but it was not much to redefine the meta.

However, Season 5 buffs are causing a much more contested metagame. Revenant’s pick increase seems to be redefining the game, alongside the minor buffs that Crypto received for dealing with Wattson. These two picks combined flatter each other well in this team comp for creating aggressive tactical plays. The only downside is they need another key ingredient with a Tank or Wraith depending on the playstyle.

Anyway, now that teams such as TSM are finding the recipe for success, other teams could be struggling to adapt. Those stuck playing the old proven formulae may not entirely respect this comp now teams know how to play it. So, this could be one of those meta struggles that teams face from time to time.

The comp’s strengths

With the context behind the success of this composition, it’s time to look at its strengths. In our ranked comps to try article, we outlined the tactical and aggressive playstyle Revenant fits well into. One of these was a more aggressive tactical style with the likes of Bloodhound, Crypto, Wraith. Well, TSM settled for Wraith, Revenant and Crypto. The unique thing about this is what teams can do when they combine their ultimates to become tank busters.

This comp plays like a flash in the pan. You are in a fight for ten seconds and are successful in that time frame. Knowing how to fight is the key for pulling this off. Synergising all these ultimates together will allow for the team to drop energy shields, defensive structures and more. When those are down, Wraith and Revenant can head knee dip into the muck the Crypto makes. Enemy teams will drop like flies when this works perfectly.

This composition is all about communication and landing those shots. Players will likely find more success using this ability to compete with the circle rather than playing the edge. Players will need to get stuck into the game, be proactive and communicate well to make the most of it. Swapping of Wraith for a Gibraltar serves better for hunkering down and controlling the edge of the circle.

Weaknesses

If communication and landing your abilities are vital to making this comp work, then a lack of skill in these departments is the weakness. Players that fail to coordinate these ultimates properly will find themselves in trouble.

A lack of ultimates up means the comp is somewhat 2D; there is no super movement available, no quick way to destroy shields and take sites, and no way to keep up the pressure through Death Totem. Therefore, these three Legends on their own are rather unflattering without the tools they need to succeed. This means that an apparent weakness is being pushed by other teams and ultimately dropping rather quickly.

Not too mention a direct counter to these picks are the likes of Gibraltar, Lifeline and other Legends that offer solid sustain when not pressured by this exact comp. Therefore, it’s something to take care of correctly or the very things you counter will hurt you back.

Mind games

There is one last thing to think about: mind games. Because players are beginning to understand that Crypto’s drone implies an incoming emp ultimate, players naturally expect the incoming push. However, TSM mind gamed one team in the Esports Arena event. TSM’s Jordan “Reps” Wolfe managed to completely bait out a Gibraltar ultimate which bunkered up in a building with his team.

Reps’ drone darted around a building TSM tracked a team to. The enemy team knew the drone was there, but they couldn’t push the drone because they’d expose themselves to cover fire. So, they expected that the drone would EMP and instigate the incoming assault. Gibraltar used his Orbital Strike to cover the building from the hypothetical push. However, TSM did not push the building, instead baiting the team to use their ultimates. Smart play like this is precisely the tactical thinking you need to create advantages with this composition.

Overall, this composition needs some great players to make it work. But TSM’s demonstration during this event is a sign of how good unconventional comps can become. TSM was not the only team trying out new things. The likes of Complexity are playing comps like Wraith, Gibraltar and Bloodhound. Various organizations are trying new things to see what compositions stick in a season that is redefining the game.

Image via Respawn Entertainment.

The post Apex Legends: Breaking Down TSM's Win With Wraith, Revenant, Crypto appeared first on Esports News Network | ESTNN.

Dota 2: The Closed Qualifiers For The OMEGA League European Region Start Tomorrow

Fri, 31 Jul 2020 14:07:57 GMT

Here's everything we need to know about these qualifiers.

One of the biggest tournament that’s about to take place soon is the OMEGA League. Here, we'll some of the best teams from Europe, America, and China fighting for a pretty big prize pool.

Even though all the regions in this event are really interesting, there is one that stands out. And is just so happens to be Europe. Needless to say, this has been the strongest Dota 2 region over the last couple of years. Almost all of the top teams in the tier one scene are from EU, which means that it will be really exciting to see how it will all pan out.

However, before the actual event takes place, we will have to watch the closed qualifiers.

Which teams will play?

⚡️OMEGA League: EU Closed Qualifiers⚡️

Tomorrow begins the European OMEGA League CQs. The two winners will be seeded directly into the Immortal Division with a prize pool of $500,000

Read more: https://t.co/LL38SzsivG #WePlayDota2 #WePlayOMEGA pic.twitter.com/M7nwCZZrAd

— WePlay! Dota2 | #WePlayOMEGA (@WePlayDota2_) July 31, 2020

The closed qualifiers for this tournament are different compared to most others. Instead of one big group, the teams here are split into four different groups. Let’s take a look and see which teams have the biggest chance at succeeding;

Group A — Team Empire, KHAN, Cyber Legacy, 5Comrades

The team that most people will be looking at here is Team Empire. Although the CIS powerhouse is not as good as it used to be, it still has what it takes to perform well against the best Dota 2 teams.

Group B — HellRaisers, Voldermort, Team 4, EXTREMUM

We think that HellRaisers is definitely the big favorite here. Unless they do a big mistake, they should be able to leave this group as winners.

Group C — B8, 5Men, Tempo, Motaci

Dendi’s squad is by far the most interesting team to watch here. Although Tempo is also pretty strong lately, we still feel like B8 is the better option.

Group D — Team Ukraine, Vikin.gg, E-corp, Cyberium.S

Vikin.gg is the obvious choice here because this team has been really good lately. Some of you might have forgotten, but this amazing squad won against some of the best teams in Europe in the last month.

Don’t forget to watch these amazing qualifiers, along with the entire event. As you know, two of the biggest organizations in the world, WePlay! and Epic Esports, have teamed up to deliver this tournament.

The post Dota 2: The Closed Qualifiers For The OMEGA League European Region Start Tomorrow appeared first on Esports News Network | ESTNN.

AOC Fails House Vote on U.S MIlitary Twitch Recruitment

Fri, 31 Jul 2020 10:18:06 GMT

U.S Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) has failed in her proposed move to stop the U.S Military from recruiting on Twitch.

Had the bill passed the House Committee on Appropriation Bill would have barred the U.S. military from using federal funds to have “a presence on Twitch.com or any video game, e-sports, or livestreaming platform.”

The amendment came after AOC criticized the U.S. military’s use of platforms such as Twitch to recruit young viewers into joining the military. The controversy started when the U.S. military’s official Twitch account ran “competitions” which it’s claimed were being used as recruitment tools. The account has also been aggressively banning users who bring up past U.S. war crimes.

After the vote had failed, AOC took to Twitter to highlight her frustration:

Imagine trying to explain to your colleagues who are members of Congress what Twitch is ????

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 30, 2020

“Imagine trying to explain to your colleagues who are members of Congress what Twitch is..." AOC began her thread on the social media platform. "When our legislative bodies aren’t sufficiently responsive to tech, then that means we don’t have the tools required to protect people." She continued. "This is partially why companies know way more about you than you may even be aware of - bc[sic] it’s legal, and Congress is struggling to keep up.”

The main takeaway from this is clear, people in charge of policy just don’t seem to get technology. AOC did at least take away some positives from the vote:

“The good news: a majority of the Dem party supported this amendment." AOC commented near the end of the thread. "That’s a really solid start for this being the first time this issue has been brought before Congress. We’ve made great strides since *that* Senate FB hearing, but we’ve got a lot of room to still improve!”

Twitch is on the radar

The only good that comes from this news is that the federal government is at least aware of the military’s controversial use of Twitch. As AOC notes, they’ve made strides since the Facebook hearing. And as people in charge become more exposed to the changing world, maybe things will start to change. Until then, however, it seems like the concept of Twitch — and how the military is using it — is mostly lost on them.

The post AOC Fails House Vote on U.S MIlitary Twitch Recruitment appeared first on Esports News Network | ESTNN.

League of Legends: Pantheon Support Guide

Fri, 31 Jul 2020 10:08:17 GMT

Let’s take a look at one of ‘cheesiest’ support champs, Pantheon, The Unbreakable Spear.

Pantheon support has regained popularity during season 10, and especially so during Summer Split in professional play. Mostly seen as a top lane bruiser, Pantheons point and click stun, ability to tank tower shots and solid burst DPS, has made him a surprise cheese pick in the bot lane.

The Pros

High Base Damage
Point-and-click Stun
Good Poke
Roam with Ult
Can take 2x Tower Shot With W
Level 1 Cheese

The Cons

Easy to Harras
High Early Mana Cost
Is an Assasins, so Lower Tanky Stats
Cannot Play v AP Laners due to Poke
Can be Countered by Enemy Hugging Tower

Pantheon Ability Overview

Passive — Mortal Will — Every 5th ability or AA will grant your passive. At 5 stacks each of Pantheons abilities are enhanced. Crucially your stun will cause you to land 3 quick basic attacks, getting you back to 5 stacks again faster. You’ll also gain 5 stacks after spawning in the fountain and when you use your ultimate.

Q — Comet Spear — Mainly used as a poking tool at early levels, and a way to close the gap or slow enemies as the game goes on. A quick tap of the Q will send out a short-ranged AD attack. Holding, then realising the Q will throw out a spear, if you have 5 stacks of your passive it will also massively slow the target.

W — Shield Vault — Pantheon leaps at the target, stunning them and landing a strike. If he has 5 stacks of his passive, he’ll land 3 hits. Your W is your entire reason for being a support. Easy to land, impossible to avoid, and a fairly short CD. Your W is also the best use of your Passive. Jump in with 5 stacks, then quickly get back up to 5 stacks to either slow the enemy with Q or land another W.

E — Aegis Assault — Blocks all attacks in the direction you are facing. The shield is key to allowing Pantheon to take tower hits, providing he is facing the tower. This is also a great tool for sustaining poke. Jump in with your W, land an auto and a Q then retreat with your E. Rinse and repeat if the enemy lane steps out of line.

R — Grand Starfall — Learning to fully utilize your ultimate is key to moving into the mid-game. Your damage will fall off, you won’t be carrying team fights with Pantheon support. Learning when to use your ultimate will come with practice. The key is learning to read the map, using it to cut off escape or just to jump into a fight quickly. Avoid using it as a fight-changing damage ultimate and you should be ok.

Cheat Sheet

Let’s get a cheat sheet on the go for those who just want the build, skill order, runes, and items at a glance.

Rune Pages

Conqueror Pantheon build

This is the standard page you’ll want to run with Pantheon support. It gives you good sustain with Conqueror and Triumph and giving you damage to add to your burst. The tanky bottom runes can be changed based on the comp. Domination is fairly standard for secondary, though you can dip into Resolve for some added tackiness. Still, Pantheon isn’t a tank, so it isn’t likely to help much.

Aftershock Pantheon Build

This is the standard tanky/lane phase build for Pantheon. Your E will proc aftershock and give you some solid defensive help. The resolve tree also scales well into late game and play into his late-game tank playstyle. Inspiration is used, like in our Sett guide to give you Hexflash to help land more dangerous stuns. Aftershock isn’t a big on Pantheon as it is on Sett, however, it does work if you need to be tankier.

Skill Order

Start W>Q>E then max Q>E>W. This is the only option for Pantheon support. Your W is a must at level 1, it will allow you to invade, defend invades and crucially, level 1 lane dominance. The Q will allow you to do huge damage at level 2 with your E at level 3 finishing off the full kit.

Q max is key because it’s your main poke, AA reset and main damage source. Your W will never gain increased stun duration, so putting points into E second will get the CD down of your escape tool and reduce the damage you take in team fights.

Always make sure to spec R at the appropriate levels.

Item Builds

These 3 items are key to your early build. In some cases, you will want Mercury Treads if the enemy team/bot lane has high CC, and Ninja Tabs if you come up against big AD damage. The rest is pretty much standard, you’ll need the early Lethality and ward clearing assistance that you’ll get from Umbral Glaive.

Dead Man’s Plate is mostly always taken, both the movement speed and tanky stats are nice after building early lethality. After that, you’ll want to look to get some tanky damaged items. Guardian if heavy AD, Maw if heavy AP and Edge of Night is a good alternative to Maw or taken alongside it if you come up against heavy AP. Black Cleaver if the enemy team has a big tank and you need to help your team breakthrough. An item not listed, but that should always be looked at is Executioners if the enemy team has healing.

Pantheon Support Counters

Pantheon, like most melee supports, does not like ranged supports. While most are just enchanters with decent range but lacking damage, Senna is in a league of her own. We’ve done a full guide talking about Senna, but her Glacial build is a near-guaranteed lane loss for Pantheon.

Other heavy AP poke champions are also going to be a nightmare for Pantheon. Pantheon is not a good blind pick, while he can be flexed into multiple lanes, he’s not currently (patch 10.16) in the meta, so most enemy teams will know you’re going support.

Ideally, look to pick Pantheon into other “tanky” melee supports, or against enemy ADCs with poor mobility, especially if you’re laning with an ADC that can CC the enemy laners.

Check out our other League of Legends Support guides here:
Sett - Senna

The post League of Legends: Pantheon Support Guide appeared first on Esports News Network | ESTNN.

CS:GO: Astralis Reportedly Targeting Bubzkji

Fri, 31 Jul 2020 00:58:18 GMT

Legendary Danish team Astralis is reportedly looking to add former MAD Lions rifler Lucas “Bubzkji” Andersen to its growing roster.

CS:GO powerhouse Astralis is looking to sign former MAD Lions star Lucas “Bubzkji” Andersen, according to a recent report from HLTV. Bubzkji has been without a team since June, as per a report from 1pv. The Astralis roster has grown to seven members since the additions of Jakob “JUGi” Hansen and Patrick “es3tag” Hansen earlier this year.

Bubzkji’s position on MAD Lions came into question earlier this summer. 1pv reported that the 22-year-old had been moved to the bench. During his time under the MAD Lions banner, Bubzkji reached the semi-finals of DreamHack Open Sevilla, DreamHack Open Leipzig, and later won the inaugural season of Flashpoint. The team has not competed since the news of Bubzkji’s benching.

Astralis Add More

Danish team Astralis began to grow their CS:GO roster this year. It began with the signings of former Heroic player Patrick “es3tag” Hansen and former North AWPer Jakob “JUGi” Hansen. These additions were followed by long-time members Lukas “gla1ve” Rossander and Andreas “Xyp9x” Højsleth stepping down from the active lineup, both due to medical reasons. As confirmed by Astralis AWPer Nicolai “device” Reedtz, Gla1ve will return to the team in August. Xyp9x’s return is still unclear.

Bubzkji’s addition would bring the Astralis roster up to eight members. It is currently unclear whether he would join as part of the active roster or as a back-up. The team is next expected to compete in ESL One Cologne 2020 Europe. This tournament is slated to begin on August 18.

The post CS:GO: Astralis Reportedly Targeting Bubzkji appeared first on Esports News Network | ESTNN.

Fortnite: Aqua And Nyhrox Throwback Cup Results

Thu, 30 Jul 2020 19:00:51 GMT

Fortnite’s first-ever Aqua and Nyhrox Throwback Cup concluded yesterday evening across six of the seven competitive regions.

Epic Games moved the European version of this tournament to next month for COOLER aqua, who is recovering from tendinitis. Unfortunately, the competitive Fortnite fandom has to wait for the reunion between the Fortnite World Cup Champions. NA East, NA West, Oceania, Brazil, Middle East and Asia all were able to complete their respective final rounds.

The tournament itself gave viewers an insight into duos in Chapter 2 - Season 3 from a competitive standpoint. Some notable duos qualified for the Grand Finals. Players had only six games to rack up as many points as possible. Let’s take a look at who came out on top of each region in the Aqua and Nhyrox Throwback Cup.

NA East

1st in Aqua and Nyhrox cup ($8750) pic.twitter.com/1WXzCJmDOa

— Liquid Cented (@Cented7) July 30, 2020

The former NA West duo of Liquid Cented and NRG Edgey shined in the Aqua and Nyhrox Throwback Cup Finals. This dominant duo placed inside the top-ten in all six matches the close out a noteworthy victory. Cented and Edgey combined for 196 points with 21 eliminations and finished with an average placement of 5.17. That sort of consistency breeds results as we have seen in the past. Both players split the $8.75K first prize.

The Sentinels duo of Animal and Aspect took second place with 156 points. They each pocketed just over $2K USD. BBG competitors Bucke and Kreo reunited for the Aqua and Nyhrox Throwback Cup, finishing in third place overall. See the full list of players who finished inside the money below:

NA West

1st ???? in Duo Throwback Cup ($3,500) pic.twitter.com/IKMPimlJUr

— 100T ARKHRAM (@Arkhram1x) July 30, 2020

100T Arkhram teamed with EP jacob this time around and took a sizable victory in the NA West Aqua and Nyhrox Throwback Cup. This victory marks 100T Arkhram’s second in the same week after winning the DreamHack Online Open featuring Fortnite this past weekend. He teamed up with the exceptional controller player jacob, earned 230 points and $3.5K USD. All in a days work for the young 100 Thieves competitor.

LittleXX and CLG Medusa6 finished in second place with 218 points. XTRA Kenshi and maken rounded out the top three with 194 points. See the full list of players who finished inside the money below:

Oceania

FIRST PLACE GOT BANNED FOR CHEATING HAHA

YOOOOINK pic.twitter.com/pA8ylgWCMM

— Fresh (@mrfreshasian) July 30, 2020

Oceanic players basil and curse had initially taken first-place for the OCE region. However, they were revealed as cheaters and thus lost their placement in the Grand Finals. As a result, Fresh and Squeaks triumphed with 188 points.

Brazil

BOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA @Seeyun5 JOGA DEMAIS IRMAOOOO ($3500) pic.twitter.com/nACTjTpUOe

— 9z Rustyk (@rustykbtw) July 30, 2020

Asia

スロウバックカップ＃１
RTください！！
相方 @Quor_fn pic.twitter.com/DCkWdJNFxo

— totot 峻 (@xN4cm) July 29, 2020

Middle East

Top 1 with the best @SAQR_7man 0 wins btw pic.twitter.com/JKo03GVasV

— heif (@heifiu) July 29, 2020

Stay tuned to ESTNN tomorrow and Friday for coverage of the Bugha Throwback Cup!

The post Fortnite: Aqua And Nyhrox Throwback Cup Results appeared first on Esports News Network | ESTNN.

Mitch Marner Joins Overactive Media Ownership Group

Thu, 30 Jul 2020 17:36:16 GMT

Toronto Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner has joined the ownership group of Canadian organization OverActive Media.

OverActive Media are owners of MAD Lions, the European League of Legends team and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive team. They also own Toronto Defiant in the Overwatch League and Toronto Ultra in the Call of Duty League. The “investor relationship” with Marner will see him become an important member of OverActive Media. He'll be the “latest ambassador and an important part of OverActive’s brand-building efforts.”

Chris Overholt, CEO and President of OverActive Media spoke in a press release:

"With roots in the city of Toronto, our entire organization is thrilled to welcome a hometown hero and hockey superstar like Mitch Marner to our investor family. Mitch's authenticity within the Call of Duty scene and his interest in growing the esports industry will be such great additions to our fanbase and to each of our franchises."

Marner commented on the development too:

“As a gamer, my investment is an opportunity to join one of the best global esports organizations and to help bridge the gap between hockey fans and esports. I’m looking forward to working with the players and the front office to introduce the Toronto Ultra and Toronto Defiant to a young audience of traditional sports fans."

Marner becomes another name in a list of traditional sports players to invest in an esports organization. Crucially, he already has a relationship with players from OverActive’s Toronto based Call of Duty League franchise. As such, he will become more involved and hands-on with their brand-building efforts.

In this unprecedented time, esports is making its presence more known. As a result, the links between esports and traditional sports are consistently growing stronger. Marner's joining of OverActive Media shows just how enticing this general cooperation is now.

The post Mitch Marner Joins Overactive Media Ownership Group appeared first on Esports News Network | ESTNN.

Dota 2: Misery And Piliedie Team Up Once Again

Thu, 30 Jul 2020 12:53:33 GMT

Rasmus “Misery” Filipsen is known for his attempts to form a competitive tier one team, we take a look at his newest offering alongside Johan “pieliedie” Astrom.

Over the last couple of years, Misery has had a few really promising teams but none of them was able to make it to the big stage.

Now, he's decided to team up with some of the former OG.Seed players in another attempt to break into the Tier 1 scene.

What happened with OG.Seed?

Those of you who’ve been following the Dota 2 scene for a while now probably remember that OG decided to introduce a second squad. However, due to the lack of good results, as well as tricky tournament regulations, OG.Seed ceased to exist.

Despite that, some of the best players from this team decided that they will try their luck yet again. This time, they will team up with two of the most experienced European Dota 2 players — Misery and pieliedie.

The newest European Dota 2 team is called 5men, and features the following players:

Marcus “Ace” Hoelgaard
Rasmus “Chessie” Blomdin
Andreas Per “Xibbe” Regnemalm
Rasmus “Misery” Filipsen
Johan “pieliedie” Astrom

Apart from the former OG.Seed players (Chessie and Xibbe), another really interesting name is Ace, This used to be one of the most promising carry players while he used to play for NiP. However, due to a lot of bad results, Peter “ppd” Dagger and his team-mates decided to disband.

We'll be able to see the team in action at the upcoming qualifiers for the OMEGA League. As you know, the EU and CIS qualifiers begin on the August 1. Those who manage to survive will get the chance to play in either the Immortal or the Divine brackets.

Stay tuned to ESTNN for more OMEGA League updates, as well as all the latest Dota 2 news.

The post Dota 2: Misery And Piliedie Team Up Once Again appeared first on Esports News Network | ESTNN.

Dota 2: Forev Leaves T1

Thu, 30 Jul 2020 11:02:00 GMT

After spending a year on the roster, T1 have decided it's time to part ways with Lee “Forever” Sang-don.

T1 is one of the most legendary League of Legends organizations in the world. Even though they decided to enter the Dota 2 scene around one year ago, their efforts to break into the DPC weren't quite as successful as many people expected them to be.

That’s why one year after it's Dota 2 team was announced, T1 decided it’s time to wave goodbye to Lee “Forev” Sang-don.

History

금일부로 T1 DOTA2에서 활동한 Forev 이상돈 선수와 상호협의하에 계약을 종료하게 되었습니다. 이상돈 선수의 새로운 도전을 응원합니다.

Today we part ways with Forev. We highly appreciate his contribution to the team and wish him all the best.#T1WIN #T1Fighting pic.twitter.com/heiTyjDYvK

— T1 (@T1) July 30, 2020

Forev has always been one of the strongest players in the world. He decided to join the organization on the first of August, 2019 and try to build a team that aimed at becoming the best in SEA.

As a result, there were several roster changes throughout the year. However, it seems like T1 just couldn’t find the recipe for success. They’ve won a few series here and there but they just couldn’t break into the tier one scene. Needless to say, T1 is not an organization that can be satisfied with that, which is why it’s time for changes.

So far, we have no idea whether what will happen with Forev or T1. The organization still has a lot of time to decide what it wants to do in the future. We really hope that we will see a new team that will be able to go up against the top squads in SEA.

Here's T1's current line up, after Forev's departure:

Galvin” Meracle” Kang Jian Wen
Muhammad “inYourdreaM” Rizky
Tri “Jhocam” Kuncoro
Wilson “Polson” Koh Chin Wei

It’s going to be really interesting to see who T1's new player will be. Replacing a legend with a reputation like Forev isn't going to be easy.

Don't forget to follow us on Twitter for all the latest Dota 2 news.

The post Dota 2: Forev Leaves T1 appeared first on Esports News Network | ESTNN.

CS:GO: Breaking down Natus Vincere’s Mirage; 7 features

Thu, 30 Jul 2020 09:22:20 GMT

We breakdown how Natus`Vincere play on Mirage with a close look at their last five matches before the summer break.

Na`Vi is one of the most discussed and controversial teams in professional CS:GO. We take a peek at what makes their strategy so formidable.

CT side

1. Aggression and stacks on pistol rounds

Natus`Vincere don’t like to play passive defaults on CT-pistol rounds. In the last four out of five matches, Na`Vi played either stack on one of the sites (2 times 3B, 1 time 3A), and once they went out in aggression in mid.

Only in one of the last five games, Na`Vi played passively, 2A - 1 mid - 2B.

2. Aggression on forcebuy rounds

We can see a similar pattern on forcebuy rounds: Natus`Vincere prefers to be active, instead of waiting for the opponents to reach one of the sites.
Overall, looking at their matches, Na`Vi will play passively on forcebuys less than 20% of the time.

3. Specific mid control on weapon rounds

We rarely see this among the tier-1 teams, but Natus`Vincere adhere to a clear structure regarding mid control. This is more a general trait of their play style than a strategic maneuver. Natus`Vincere have a habit of hard and very variable control of the mid: flash-peeks from different approaches, early AWP peeks, aggression at the beginning of the round — they make use of many available options.

But when Na`Vi are not going to fight for the mid, in most rounds, they'll probably fortify A-site. These can be different setups: 3A + 2B, or 3A + 1 mid/short + 1B. But over the last five matches, Na`Vi had less than three players on A-site in the mid-round. Only about 15% of weapon rounds.

4. Early S1mple’s peeks

S1mple, S1mple... an extremely aggressive sniper, which is very uncomfortable and unpleasant to play against, (and his flickshots are a separate topic.) As for the Mirage, you can often find S1mple at the beginning of the round on the short (through a jump from the window), or in the ladder room.

T side

5. Forcebuy rounds: don’t expect fast A-execute

An interesting fact; for the last 5 matches, Na`Vi have never ended a forcebuy round as a fast A-site push. We wanted to find a clearer behavior pattern, but there was nothing to catch on to. Na`Vi alternate fast and slow force rounds starting the round with mid control, or just go to a fast push of B-site. But Natus`Vincere haven't made a single fast A-site execute over the last five matches.

6. Flamie lives in palace

On Mirage, Egor “flamie” Vasilyev plays as A-lurker on T-side. Most often, he can be found in palace (only in 5% of rounds, flamie plays on the ramp). This is information that can be used in game: for example, having information on the presence of players on the mid (and Natus`Vincere usually occupy the mid as 3 players) for slow rounds, you can try to push the ramp and T-spawn.

Image: ESL

7. Na`Vi don’t push B-site without short in mid-late round

This is a small thing, but that’s important to know. There are teams that do not mind executing B-site only through apps even at the end of the round. There are teams that like to focus on B-splits with 3-4 players that go through short. Natus`Vincere never go full apps B-site execute without the presence on short in the mid-late round. Usually, they have 1 or 2 players that go through short.

It's worth nothing that Na`Vi have many moments while playing on Mirage that could be used against them by their opponents. Usually, tier-1 teams have fewer visible patterns to their play. That said these patterns are specific to Mirage — on other maps, Natus`Vincere's patterns and strategies are less obvious.

Feature Image Art: @UhWarrenLindsey

The post CS:GO: Breaking down Natus Vincere’s Mirage; 7 features appeared first on Esports News Network | ESTNN.

Fortnite: FNCS Chapter 2 - Season 3 NA East Players To Watch For

Thu, 30 Jul 2020 00:55:51 GMT

Professional Fortnite players are readying themselves for an intense FNCS tournament beginning this weekend.

For Chapter 2 - Season 3, the solo format will take center-stage with $5 million on the line. Although players are often resistant to play solos, it's hard to pass up the opportunity to further establish themselves as one of the best players. The DreamHack Online Open featuring Fortnite provided a good preview of what to expect from a competitive standpoint.

The NA East region, in particular, features some of the world's best players. Liquid STRETCH dominantly won the DreamHack tournament. Many other NA East players are looking to follow that same path with hopes of earning the ultimate Victory Royale. Today we are looking at some of the top talents in NA East ahead of the FNCS competition.

STRETCH

All eyes are on STRETCH ahead of the fourth seasonal Fortnite Champion Series tournament. He has improved immensely over his career, particularly in solos, despite not enjoying the format. STRETCH seems to have found his footing in Chapter 2 - Season 3. He just went out and won the NA East DreamHack Online Open convincingly. Sustainability is the ultimate question heading into the latest FNCS. These professional players will have to compete for nine hours on day one and nine hours on day two should they reach the Grand Finals both days. Eighteen hours of gameplay is enough to burn anyone out. We will have to wait and see if STRETCH can maintain a high level of play throughout the qualifiers.

Bugha

It's difficult to talk about any solo competition without mentioning the Fortnite World Cup Champion. Although he's gone through the ebbs and flows of Fortnite, Bugha remains one of the world's most talented players. Outside of the NA West DreamHack Online Open Semi-Finals, Bugha has not found the winners circle since November of 2019. Opting not to stream the upcoming FNCS might make or break his entire tournament. However, you can expect to see Bugha in the Grand Finals one way or another.

Khanada

One of Team SoloMid's most polarizing Fornite talents just so happens to be one of their best. For those unaware, Kannada established himself as an outstanding solo player quite some time ago. He has three Solo Cash Cup victories to his credit, which sets him apart from many other NA East players. Pair those successes with a fourth-place finish in the FNCS Invitational last season, and you have one of the best solo players in the world. Keep an eye out for Khanada as he seeks his first major tournament victory.

Bucke

On the heels of a storm surge scandal for the ages, Bucke is now with BBG and back into the competitive fold. From a solos standpoint, Bucke looks to be in better shape than ever. Since returning from his 30-day competitive ban, Bucke took fifth in the NA East DreamHack Online Open and followed up with a 54th on NA West. Talent has never been a question with Bucke, and it would be an insane redemption arc should he shine in the FNCS.

Kreo

Like duo partner Bucke, Kreo sidelined himself in Chapter 2 - Season 2 for violating the long-standing collusion rule. However, Kreo has proved himself several times over in solo competitions. He took fourth place back at the Fortnite World Cup and has done well in Cash Cups here and there. Chapter 2 - Season 3 will be his first crack at the FNCS since placing 13th back in Chapter 2 - Season 1. The storyline revolves around how Kreo will bounce back from two straight missed competitions. However, Kreo, Bucke and Khanada have been tearing up the trio competitions.

Dubs

FaZe Clan competitor Dubs has been on the upswing for the past couple of competitive Fortnite seasons. He performs consistently well in both Cash Cups and more reputable Fortnite tournaments. A few weeks ago, Dubs took second place in the NA East DreamHack Online Open behind Liquid Stretch. He recently endured a collusion suspension, causing him to miss the FNCS Invitational. Dubs will look to get back on track in the upcoming FNCS Chapter 2 - Season 3.

Riversan

In recent months, we saw NA West standouts NRG Edgey and Liquid Cented journey to NA East and find immediate success. Team Liquid's Riversan has also added himself to that list. Since joining the NA East, the Fortnite World Cup Finalist won three Daily Trio Cups with Slackes and illest. NA West did not provide Riversan with the competition or prize pool needed to prove himself. Now on zero ping, Riversan has all the incentive to dominate NA East and further establish himself as one of the best.

Ceice

Ceice of the 100 Thieves organization seems to be rounding back into form after two straight disappointing FNCS tournaments. He and former duo partner FaZe Bizzle failed to reach the Grand Finals in Chapter 2 - Season 2. He then followed that up with another miss in the FNCS Invitational Reboot Round. After the debut of Chapter 2 - Season 3, Ceice has found success in trios and solos. He recently took 17th in the DreamHack Online Open NA East Grand Finals and seems to be embracing solos despite most players' aversion to the format.

Unknown

After switching to keyboard and mouse exclusively, Unknown has been rather quiet with his competitive Fortnite results. He failed to reach the Grand Finals of DreamHack's first-ever Online Open tournament. There are many questions about where his game is ahead of Chapter 2 - Season 3's FNCS. A few clips here and there have shown precisely where Unknown is after venturing away from a controller. It's an intriguing storyline to see where the NRG Esports competitor will land. Will Unknown continue to w-key everyone he sees? We won't know until he FNCS Qualifiers play out beginning next weekend.

There's no shortage of intriguing players as we prepare for the first-ever strictly solo FNCS tournament, not including the Invitational. Other notable names to consider are Clix, Bizzle, ZexRow, Aspect, Edgey, Cented. Be sure to tune into the broadcast this weekend to find out who will rise to the occasion in this new season of competitive Fortnite.

Stay tuned to ESTNN for more Fortnite news and updates!

The post Fortnite: FNCS Chapter 2 - Season 3 NA East Players To Watch For appeared first on Esports News Network | ESTNN.

League Of Legends: LEC Announces New Partnership With NEOM, Sends Community Into Uproar

Thu, 30 Jul 2020 00:33:12 GMT

The LEC's latest development has many fans quite disappointed.

Today, the League of Legends European Championship (LEC) announced a new partnership with NEOM. For those who don't know, NEOM is a planned city development project that will implement technological advances on a massive scale for residents and serve as a futuristic city of sorts. As part of the ambitious project, NEOM "will be championing the development of esports across the world."

As a result of the partnership, they'll sponsor the Oracle Lens aspect of the live broadcast. So, similarly to other sponsored segments, their name and brand will be closely intertwined with the broadcast. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem. It'd be just another day and just another business deal. But that's not the case here.

The problem with the partnership

Unfortunately, there's a lot of problems with NEOM and the culture around it. The city is set to be built in Saudi Arabi, a country infamous for its sexist and homophobic laws, and is headed by the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman. Salman has a track record of autocratic rulership and has a number of horrible things attributed to him, including executions and human rights violations. To make matters worse, the area that the NEOM city will be built in was forcibly taken from the natives, with violence resorted to in cases.

https://t.co/eMjTI2LN2e

— Trevor Henry (@Quickshot) July 29, 2020

The LEC has built its brand as a fun, creative, inclusive place. Right now, they have their logo colored like an LGBTQ+ flag. But now their commitment to inclusivity and support of marginalized communities is under fire. Being partnered with people who have undoubtedly oppressed women and minority groups with no remorse is definitely in strict violation to the values and morals they pushed before.

Tried to find nice words to express my feelings of today's news. Couldn't.

This sucks
It sucks for the #LEC
It sucks for my friends who are casters
It sucks for those who are LGBT
It sucks for esports as a whole

Thought we were better than this

— Ovilee May (@OvileeMay) July 29, 2020

Throughout the course of the day, an incredible amount of fans, Rioters and broadcast members came forward to speak out against this partnership. Its a tragic day for many and they're all willing to speak out against this move. Two beloved members of the League of Legends scene and members of the LGBTQ+ community, Indiana "Froskurinn" Black and James "Stress" O'Leary, commented on the betrayal they felt on Twitter.

The league I cover is now promoting a country that would kill me just for existing. Feels great.

— James ‘Stress’ O’Leary (@StressCasts) July 29, 2020

This is disappointing because this is the LEC. It's my team, my product, my managers, my office.

My family. My home.

This isn't someone far away in HQ that I don't know. This is devastating because I know who made these choices and I feel silenced.

— Froskurinn (@Froskurinn) July 29, 2020

If you look on Twitter, more posts like these are easy to find. There's a lot of feelings of betrayal and frustration with the LEC for their shortsighted partnership. Thankfully, many with voices and larger platforms are supporting their friends and co-workers in the scene.

Lots of horrible things about this.

In particular, I feel terrible for everyone working on LEC who got blindsided.

It's awful to be forced into this position and the questions you confront. No matter what they chose to do, I support them and am proud to see them speaking up. https://t.co/p2dSgYUu1H

— Mark Zimmerman (@TheeMarkZ) July 29, 2020

Though this primarily concerns the LEC, it paints Riot Games as a whole in a bad light too. Within the past couple of years, they've been scrutinized for sexist behavior within the company and having a gravely inappropriate internal culture. This is another development that gives ammunition to the argument Riot simply isn't concerned with the values they say they are.

Update- LEC ends the partnership

It was a difficult day for many, but the outcry was heard loud and clear. On July 29 at around 9:35 PM EST, the LEC released a second announcement. In it, they said they already canceled the partnership and apologized to the community. This was an important step to make and made many people breathe a sigh of relief.

Director of Esports, EMEA Alberto Guerrero released the following statement in the announcement:

“As a company and as a league, we know that it’s important to recognize when we make mistakes and quickly work to correct them. After further reflection, while we remain steadfastly committed to all of our players and fans worldwide including those living in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, the LEC has ended its partnership with NEOM, effective immediately. In an effort to expand our esports ecosystem, we moved too quickly to cement this partnership and caused rifts in the very community we seek to grow. While we missed our own expectations in this instance, we’re committed to reexamining our internal structures to ensure this doesn't happen again.”

The post League Of Legends: LEC Announces New Partnership With NEOM, Sends Community Into Uproar appeared first on Esports News Network | ESTNN.

Exclusive Interview with T1 Valorant's Daniel "fRoD" Montaner

Wed, 29 Jul 2020 20:38:17 GMT

When Riot released the beta for Valorant, professional and casual gamers were immediately drawn to the tactical first-person shooter. Esports organizations began building rosters of Fortnite, CS: GO, and Overwatch professionals to dominate the new title. In addition to T1 picking up star-studded player talent, they also managed to acquire former Counter-Strike player and now coach, Daniel "fRoD" Montaner. ESTNN got the chance to sit down with fRoD and talk about everything from choosing Valorant as his next step to the mindset of training a top team in a new game.

From CS: Go to Valorant

What made you want to coach professional Valorant and why was T1 an attractive option for you?

"I was already coaching for a little over a year and a half in the Pro League in Counter-Strike and Braxton "Brax" Pierce was one of my players. I’ve known him for over 10 years, the same with Keven "AZK" Larivière. So when Won '"Wawa" Joon Choi, the GM, approached me to see if I wanted to join the project when I was just getting my foot in the door with Valorant as a whole, I jumped at the opportunity knowing that Brax and Kevin are there, Wawa is a really good guy and will help me build the team not just in my vision but also what T1’s vision is. For me, the question was more if I wanted to play in Valorant or coach in Valorant but knowing my mindset and grind was already in coaching I just transitioned to it a few months after Brax got in. I had this mindset and decided to stick with it."

Has that made training a little easier having worked with them for so long?

"It’s been really good, we’ve all been hard workers in the past so we aren’t strangers to that. The big thing is that this is a new game. There is a certain element of adding outside of practice play hours which is hard to make mandatory but is something we want to embody. As the game evolves, new agents and new maps come out we have to be aware of everything going on. Meta changes, agent changes, update patches, so many changes in Valorant. For us, the one thing that I say is that we are in our box and practice and achieve a goal. Outside of practice, we have to fine-tune ourselves individually to make sure we are the best individual coming into practice. From there on out we can try and maximize the team potential but without the individuals going out and maximizing what they can and practice for practice it's hard as a coach I try to lead by example and that's why I’m playing every day and streaming 3-4 hours before practice, use it as a warm-up to the warmup. Trying to be the sixth man for the guys, not on their level, but a coach in the sports sense of being a previous player and practicing and shooting hoops with the players."

Was there a big mentality switch getting CS: GO stars to play Valorant competitively?

"I would say that given the fact that we were coming into this trying to recruit talented players we had to keep our eyes out there. There is value in someone like me who coaches and plays the game as well and then Wawa who plays too. We have a lot of eyes on the floor to see who is out there and talent. I think we did a good job of scouting out players who are currently good like Austin "crashies" Roberts then picking someone from CS like food and giving him a tryout to see how he was at the game with the team and we committed to him and empowered him to become a better and stronger player. When ska was the final piece, even though we were talking to him and working on that for a little bit he came through in the end and confirmed he wanted to join. We all came from a strong work ethic in CS and previous teams, so for us, it's about seeing how much we can crank it up and spend time learning and improving on a day to day basis. It’s a constantly evolving game and it’s brand new so we have to stay on top of it."

A Fresh Competitive Scene

The T1 x Nerd Street Valorant Invitational was the first time the team played under the T1 name. What’s been your secret to keeping momentum and motivating the team?

"We are playing the game a lot and we have a lot of boots on the ground. Guys like myself and Victor "food" Wong that are playing a lot outside of practice so there's always new ideas that come into play. We pay attention and read a lot whether it be online -- Reddit or Twitter -- so we are always aware of changes. For example, if a developer said that Sage was going to be nerfed again, this is where I come in. The time we spend outside of the server in practice talking about ideas or how a new agent being introduced will affect the game. You know, if this new agent is an anchor-type, then it will replace other anchor type agents whether that be Cypher, Sage, or Sova. As long as we are having the right conversations regardless of if I’m right or wrong, at least the team is thinking. We are anticipating what meta changes may come because at the end of the day we’re practicing this week but we know that tournaments are happening the next week or week after. A new agent could come next week we don’t know yet, but if it does we have to be ready for it. For us, it’s about staying ahead of the curve and because we practice a lot we can always fit testing and tweaking into practice. Other than that, having comradery in the team allows us to criticize and critique each other while keeping good vibes."

Being prepared for the teams was something that AZK brought up in our interview. Unfortunately, T1 lost to Homeless but what did you guys learn from playing the unknown team?

"Even if they were unknown to some people, for us they were known because guys like Harrison "Psalm" Chang are competing in both Fortnite and Val. Rory "dephh" Jackson and Leonardo "Laski" Arroyo have been playing in Valorant since beta. What caught us off guard is how well they played and how much they adapted against us. When we started getting a good feel and figuring out what we could use against them, they started switching it up. They showed that they had veteran players and veteran minds on their team. Them playing fearlessly and us having an off day led to something that was not a pleasant ending for us. Unfortunately, the tournament was single-elimination, so if you lose against one team you are out. It is what it is and you learn from it. We lost on Friday so Saturday was not a day off because we didn’t earn that day off. We made sure everyone was watching all the matches and I did a VOD review. I wrote a novel basically going through bit by bit criticizing every single round to try and improve on it. On Sunday, it was back to watching the games and practicing and streaming a lot. Now, we’ve cranked up the practice schedule to be more efficient and to add in more practice time. Obviously, some people are upset but we want everyone to know that no one is more upset than us as a squad. We let a lot of people down by that performance so we want to do a better job next time."

Going forward, what is your training mentality like?

"We want to be a really dominant team and we want to achieve greatness, that's our goal. How we get there is going to be a difficult path and it's all about how we get there. No one can be perfect but we want to strive towards perfection. It's all about being hardworking and being critical to each other. The saying goes, a wise man knows that he knows nothing. You have to be wise and be a learner all the time. If you want to be the best, you have to learn from other players, learn new techniques, watch streams, be a student, a lot goes into it. We all as a squad just need to do a little more and hold each other accountable to achieve that level of greatness across the board."

Are there any teams you learned a lot from during the PaxArena Valorant Invitational?

"Yes and no, every team has their own special trades. Good players on good teams always have good ideas and you can pick up things. TSM you can pick up sniping skills and aggressive plays and then with Cloud9 you have Tyson "TenZ" Ngo on Jett. We are always picking up little things but at the end of the day, I want to create our own identity and forge our own path. Even though we may take ideas, I want them to be made our own and not anticipate anything and play our game. Setting the tone is something we did a poor job of against Homeless but we were trying. We were very aggressive and we tried to push them. They just made a lot of good plays and we made some poor decisions on some rounds that cost us but we are just trying to not be static."

What are your thoughts on the current map design and pool?

"I like all the maps. My own gripe is that there aren't enough. If you think about it, the grand finals are a BO5 but there are 4 maps. In some games, we have a BO3 with 4 maps, but if each team gets one ban, there are only two maps left. I like all the maps. I think they feel great but the game just needs more maps. We don’t have the ability to really not like a map, we have to be good on all maps. They will have more of them, we just need them to come out and everything will be so much better. In a BO5 final, seeing the same maps feels weird to watch. Teams have best maps and worst maps and that builds storylines."

The Future of Valorant Esports

What are your thoughts on the current structure of the Ignition Series Tournaments?

"I think it’s really good, I think it's nice that other TOs and organizations are hosting these events. Organically it is happening which is great and then Riot is assisting. I can only hope they continue to do stuff like this in the future and have more of these types of tournaments. It's really hard for an esport to grow without the assistance of the developer and it's comforting to know that the dev has the esports scene in mind from Day 0."

"My opinion on some of these Ignition Series events is that there could be some more uniformity in the tournaments. When it comes to scheduling or bracket structure, the ones that we played longer in were double elimination best of 3 tournaments. The single-elimination is fine, kind of sucks but there are always growing pains so I just hope they learn and adapt. People are very critical of Val but they are doing a great job with what’s available. There aren’t any spectator tools and only two slots in the match, it’s difficult to be a coach right now. We don’t get to watch our teams play live all the time there is a lot of visualization and with two-minute delays, it's very difficult. We manage and we work hard to do a better job but I think it's going great."

"I'm curious to see how it's going to look when Riot Games steps up and provides the structure, the tournaments, the LANs, even the prize pool. The prize money will get crazy once Riot gets more involved and the game starts growing. I’m just fortunate in that I haven't really seen many other games that come out with this many tournaments and this type of structure. It’s only been 2 months since the game came out and the game was very competitive at the beta. T1 picked me up as a coach during the beta and teams have been going all-in on this. I like the fact that the developer is doing what they can to match it. I’m really anxious to see what they have in store for the future."

The future of T1 Valorant is bright. The team has already seen success at their debut tournament, and have the foundation necessary to achieve greatness. FRoD's capability to push his players and encourage them to succeed individually, as well as a group, speaks volumes. T1 does not have any tournaments scheduled yet but expect them to show up ready to sweep the competition.

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