Industry

CS:GO

WESA: The Silent Boogeyman of CS:GO

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The world of esports is often described as a Wild West: a chaotic and lawless frontier, lacking regulation and protections, but full of profit for those willing to take the risk. Enter WESA, the "World Esports Association" serving as self-appointed...
Esports crowds are big, but they're not done growing.

2017 Mid-Year Esports Industry Predictions: What’s Next?

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  We're more than halfway through 2017, and the esports industry is booming. The traditional sports league paradigm is coming into fashion, investor interest is through the roof, and public awareness increases by the second. Undoubtedly, the changes to come will be...
The road to TI8 will be long and full of Majors, Minors, and other tournaments.

Major Changes: Evaluating Valve’s New Tournament Structure

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The International 2017 is only weeks away, and Valve has treated us to an entire overhaul of the Majors, with the new system launching right after TI7 ends. The 2017 - 2018 competitive season will be unlike anything we've...
League of Legends vs. Overwatch. Which game has built a better esports infrastructure?

Cultivating Esports: League of Legends vs. Overwatch

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  A year ago, esports pundits were pondering the possible fall of League of Legends at the hands of a surging Overwatch scene which featured unprecedented hype and early growth. These days, some of the top Overwatch players are starting...
Brawlhalla is, from everything we've seen, the best fighting game of 2017.

Brawlhalla Early Access Preview: Smashing Success

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Welcome to Esports Edition's early access preview of Brawlhalla, the fighting game that stole our hearts at PAX East 2017. The game has a remarkable amount of polish and depth for a game that’s still in beta, and the...
No Man's Sky was, to put it lightly, a massive disappointment, but players held the developers accountable for their promises.

2017 Is the Year of Game Developer Accountability

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Over the past year, something interesting has happened to the gaming industry. It's not an entirely new phenomenon, but it's certainly more important than it ever has been before. We, as players and consumers, have found ways to actually...
Screenshot from 2GD Studio's TI4 EU Hub, featuring Draskyl and 2GD.

Dota 2 Hub Streams: Friend Simulator 2.0

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Bring back any fond memories? The famous GD Studio TI4 hub is actually what got me into Dota. I had a friend convince me to check it out by promising me there were kittens. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0PxOBp6Az4 Indeed, there were kittens. After watching the stream...
Blizzard's adjustments to pity timers and legendary drop rates in Hearthstone card packs are a welcome change for many players, myself included.

How Does Hearthstone’s Pity Timer Work?

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Some amazing news is coming to Hearthstone about card packs. Here's the deal: Hearthstone, at least in its current state, has simply become too expensive for new players to begin playing. Even veterans have been feeling the heat. Journey to Un'Goro...
Blizzard's Open Division for Overwatch is meant to be a place where aspiring professionals can prove their worth.

Overwatch: Blizzard’s Open Division Is Way Too Casual

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If I asked you how many professional Overwatch players there are in the world, how many would you say? Several hundred? A thousand, maybe? Blizzard recently announced their new "Open Division," an official Overwatch league that allegedly lets aspiring professional players have a shot...
CS:GO

ESL and YouTube: Healthy Competition or Bad Business?

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When it comes to watching esports competitions online, many people turn to Amazon’s popular streaming platform, Twitch. It's the largest streaming service among Western audiences, with 9.7 million daily active users. For many in the esports industry, livestreamed video...
Elitism is a common sight in multiplayer gaming, and League of Legends, Dota, and Hearthstone are some of the worst offenders.

Elitism in Esports: Check Your Ego at the Door

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If you’ve ever played any competitive game online, you’ve probably experienced more than your fair share of elitism. Someone doesn’t like something you did, so they call you a “bronze scrub" or ask if you're "boosted." Or you get...
Valve's Dota 2 Majors are some of the most highly anticipated LAN events of the year, but these tournaments are making life--and business--increasingly difficult for third-party tournament organizers.

Valve Majors Are Killing Third Party Dota Tournaments

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The unfortunate repercussions of Valve's Dota 2 Major system on the livelihood of third-party tournaments isn't a new topic. In fact, we wrote an article about it last year. But lots of things have changed since we commented on it in...