#ELEAGUE Major 2018

[thebonfiresblog]

The Man Who Could Play Anything

Shroud, born Michael Grzesiek, is a name synonymous with excellence in the gaming community. His journey from a professional esports player to a leading streamer has significantly influenced the gaming industry, leaving an indelible mark on both competitive gaming and content creation. This essay explores the multifaceted impact of Shroud, detailing his accomplishments, community engagement, and contributions to game development.

Shroud’s influence extends to the gaming community’s perception of new titles. His endorsement or criticism can sway public opinion, affecting a game’s reception upon release. As a result, many developers recognize the importance of engaging with influential figures like Shroud when developing their games.

Shroud's streams feature a variety of games, including Valorant, PUBG, Apex Legends, and, of course, CS:GO. His gameplay highlights, tutorials, and entertaining commentary not only captivate viewers but also educate aspiring gamers. Many players look to Shroud for inspiration and guidance, adopting his techniques to improve their skills. This ability to influence and educate the gaming community is one of Shroud's most significant contributions.

Shroud’s professional gaming career began in 2014 when he joined CompLexity Gaming. However, it was his transition to Cloud9 in 2015 that catapulted him to prominence.

Shroud quickly established himself as one of the top players in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO)

Shroud's most notable achievement came in 2017 when he was part of the Cloud9 team that won the ELEAGUE Major 2017. This victory not only elevated Cloud9's status in the esports scene but also showcased Shroud's talent on a global stage, solidifying his reputation as one of the best FPS players in the world. After retiring from professional gaming in 2018, Shroud made a seamless transition to full-time streaming on Twitch. This move proved to be a pivotal moment in his career. Shroud's demeanor, combined with his remarkable legacy, quickly attracted a massive audience. Within a short period, he amassed over 10 million followers on Twitch, making him one of the platform's most popular streamers. 

A cornerstone of Shroud's impact is his dedication to building a community around gaming. Shroud maintains strong engagement with his fans through social media platforms and live streams. He creates an inclusive environment where viewers feel connected to him and each other. This sense of belonging encourages more people to participate in gaming, fostering a diverse and vibrant community.

Shroud also actively participates in charity events, using his platform to raise funds for various causes. These charity streams not only highlight the positive potential of gaming but also set a precedent for other streamers and gamers to follow. His philanthropic efforts demonstrate that gaming can serve as a powerful tool for social good, inspiring others to give back to the community.

Shroud has made a significant impact in the gaming world through his professional gaming career, successful transition to streaming, contributions to game development, community engagement, and industry recognition. His journey showcases the changing landscape of gaming careers and demonstrates the potential for success in different areas of the industry. Shroud's influence will undoubtedly motivate future generations of gamers, proving that passion, commitment, and talent can result in remarkable accomplishments within the gaming community.

[thetoxicgamer]

Every CS:GO Major champion ranked from worst to best

Not every champion is made equally. There is still a thin divide between good teams that just so happened to win a Major and the best of the best, even if you have to be pretty strong to even qualify for a CS:GO Major, much less win one. There have been 19 CS:GO Majors and 15 different champions. Ranking all these teams that accomplished the greatest feat in CS:GO esports was as entertaining as it was painstakingly difficult. Many arguments and rearrangements later, we have it: the ranking of every CS:GO Major champion, from worst to best. 15) Jame, qikert, FL1T, n0rb3r7, fame (Outsiders) The battle for last place was so fierce, we rearranged the bottom three multiple times before arriving at the conclusion that Outsiders is the worst-ever CS:GO Major champion. Four of the five members of this squad have never been in HLTV’s Top 20. This isn’t the end of the world by itself, but IEM Rio 2022 is the only trophy this lineup has ever won, and the only one three of the five members have won in their entire career. Outsiders becoming Major champions is the definition of lightning in a bottle, and for that, they sit at the bottom of our list. 14) JW, flusha, pronax, znajder, Devilwalk (fnatic) It pains us to have three legends of the game so far down, but the fact of the matter is that the Fnatic that won DreamHack Winter 2013 wasn’t a very good team. This is the only lineup besides Outsiders whose only title came at a Major. While undeniably a cool feat, it isn’t very convincing for a ranking like ours. The separating factor that kept fnatic from being dead last is individual skill, of which JW and flusha had plenty, even back then. 13) Skadoodle, RUSH, autimatic, tarik, Stewie2K (Cloud9) Love them or hate them, Cloud9 had the most memorable CS:GO Major win ever, and no one can take that away from the Americans. Memorable is not what we’re ranking, though, and a great champion Cloud9 was not. This roster fell apart immediately after winning ELEAGUE Major 2018, and none of the players found much success either before or after that magical week in Boston. Tarik’s dubious record of being the only CS:GO Major MVP to never appear in HLTV’s Top 20 doesn’t help C9’s cause, either. 12) Zeus, AdreN, HObbit, Dosia, mou (Gambit) Though usually crammed together with the flukey Major champions, we’re of the opinion that this Gambit lineup is the first truly great one to appear in our countdown. Zeus played in three Major finals and won many trophies with NAVI, AdreN played in one more Major final and also won some trophies after Gambit, Dosia was one of the best players in the early CS:GO days, and HObbit enjoyed an amazing career resurgence in his second stint with Gambit. The only factor stopping the lineup that won PGL Major Krakow from being higher on our list is Zeus’ love for NAVI, which prematurely cut Gambit’s solid run with three total titles. 11) Happy, NBK, kioShiMa, shox, SmithZz (LDLC) If Gambit didn’t convince you we’re firmly in greatness territory, the DreamHack Winter 2014 champions should. The French scene was as strong as it was chaotic in the first few years of CS:GO. For what it’s worth, all the shuffling of star power won France two Majors. Both winning lineups include the core of Happy, NBK, and kioShiMa, and both had very similar success, but one achieved just a little bit more to earn a spot in our top 10. Happy, NBK, kioShiMa, shox, and SmithZz won six tournaments in 10 months of playing together. Each player has made at least one HLTV Top 20, each has won at least 12 titles in their career. This is an immensely successful, star-studded lineup, and it’s not even in the top 10 of CS:GO champions. That’s the kind of competition we’re having here. 10) Happy, NBK, kioShiMa, kennyS, apEX (Envy) We’re already familiar with the majority of the lineup that went on to win DreamHack Open Cluj-Napoca. The new faces are kennyS, who is top five all-time in MVP awards, and apEX, who accumulated over 20 trophies during his career—not exactly a downgrade from shox and SmithZz. This new lineup reached a Major final in its second tournament together—ESL One Cologne 2015, which makes them the first entry on our list that appeared in multiple CS:GO Major finals. Whether that’s a good thing is up to the reader. While that additional final appearance helped Envy to jump above LDLC, it also makes the Frenchmen the worst CS:GO Major multi-finalists, by a long shot. 9) ZywOo, apEX, dupreeh, Magisk, Spinx (Vitality) ZywOo caught the last train out of “Best player to never win a CS:GO Major” station by winning the last-ever such event. ZywOo’s individual greatness is reason enough to place Vitality in our top 10, but this is far from a hard carry. Magisk, dupreeh, and apEX had eight Major titles between them before ever playing a round with ZywOo. Spinx lacked that veteran pedigree before joining forces with the stars, but it was his arrival that propelled Vitality to three top-tier titles, culminating with a Major win in ZywOo and apEX’s home country at the BLAST Paris Major. ZywOo and apEX from Vitality lifting the BLAST Paris Major trophy, apEX holding the French flag in his left hand. 8) Twistzz, ropz, karrigan, rain, broky (FaZe) Karrigan is a magnet for great lineups, yet it is this one that finally got the legendary Danish IGL the Major title that had eluded him for nearly a decade. FaZe won the first three tournaments they participated in after the final piece of the puzzle, ropz, joined at the start of 2022. One of these three victories was at PGL Major Antwerp. A fourth trophy further down the line completed FaZe’s Intel Grand Slam and cemented this lineup’s legacy as one of the best to ever do it. 7) Xyp9x, dupreeh, device, gla1ve, Kjaerbye (Astralis) The Kjaerbye era Astralis is often glossed over due to Astralis’ future greatness, but we’ll give it all the shine it deserves right here. Though we call it the Kjaerbye era, it is actually gla1ve who joined last and it was that roster move that changed the team’s fortunes. This Astralis lineup finished top four in the first 10 events it attended, winning three of them. Among these wins was what was at the time the greatest CS:GO Major final ever at ELEAGUE Major 2017. Even the myth that Astralis fell off toward the end of this roster’s run isn’t entirely true. They slowed down a bit, sure, but if they didn’t, we’d be talking about them much later on this list. Overall, this lineup achieved 14 top-four placements in 19 tournaments, a remarkable display of consistency that gives Astralis a mini-title in our ranking—the title of best CS:GO Major champion that has never played in another Major final. 6) Snax, byali, pashaBiceps, NEO, TaZ (Virtus.pro) We all love the Virtus Plow, and their longevity alone almost got them into the top five. This lineup played together for over four years, won a dozen trophies and was always capable of knocking the favorites out of any event. They also narrowly missed out on becoming two-time champions in a crushingly close encounter with Astralis at ELEAGUE 2017. We’re beginning to run out of slots, and there are better, more successful lineups that won a Major, so we couldn’t push VP any higher, but No. 6 is more than respectable for the EMS Katowice 2014 champions. 5) Perfecto, s1mple, electronic, Boombl4, b1t (NAVI) Take what Astralis did after gla1ve joined, amp it up to 11, and you’ll get this NAVI lineup. The CIS giants weren’t just finishing in the top four of events, they were winning them. NAVI won six times and was runner-up once in its first seven tournaments with this roster. Thankfully, that second place did not come at PGL Major Stockholm, because s1mple would have probably believed he was cursed by a cosmic entity at this point. Similarly to ZywOo, s1mple by himself could drag any lineup to success, but neither superstar had enjoyed so much winning with any other lineup. NAVI completed the Intel Grand Slam and was one win away at PGL Antwerp from becoming back-to-back Major champions. That was their last tournament together. Had they won it, they would have more than likely broken into the top three. As it is, NAVI has to settle for top five. 4) FalleN, coldzera, fer, TACO, fnx (Luminosity/SK) Luminosity exploded onto the scene in 2016, won its first-ever title at the MLG Columbus Major, then followed it with two more trophies before switching to SK days before ESL One Cologne 2016, where they became only the second back-to-back Major winner in CS:GO history. This core’s winning formula was not lost with fnx’s benching and subsequent departure, but we don’t give bonus points for other rosters’ accomplishments, even if only one player was changed, so right outside the top three of CS:GO Major champions is where the Brazilians stand in our book. 3) GeT_RiGhT, f0rest, Xizt, friberg, Fifflaren (Ninjas in Pyjamas) It’s difficult to explain to someone who didn’t follow the scene at the time just how dominant Ninjas in Pyjamas were in the first 12 months of CS:GO. This team was averaging more than a title per month from September 2012 to September 2013, but there was one problem—there weren’t any Majors in that timeframe. The first ever Major was played in November 2013, where NiP were upset by the second-worst CS:GO Major champion ever. Then they lost in the final again at EMS Katowice. Had NiP not won ESL One Cologne 2014, they would have been on top of another ranking—the best team to never win a CS:GO Major. We’d bet they’re much happier to be the mere third-greatest team to win one instead. 2) JW, flusha, pronax, olofmeister, KRIMZ (fnatic) It’s funny how changing two players can take you from the second-worst to the second-best CS:GO Major champion. Snatching LGB stars KRIMZ and olofmeister was the best thing fnatic ever did, as this lineup accumulated a dozen trophies over its 18-month run and took over from NiP as the premier CS:GO team. The crowning jewels in this second Swedish dynasty’s crown were the successive Majors they won—ESL One Katowice and ESL One Cologne 2015. The latter would be this lineup’s final title before swapping pronax for dennis and winning five events in five attempts to begin their new era. We don’t need those additional titles to rank fnatic second, it will break our own rules, but it’s always fun to reminisce about this period in CS:GO history, so there you go. JW from fnatic holding the ESL One Cologne 2015 trophy while confetti is falling on the stage.Image via ESL 1) Xyp9x, dupreeh, device, gla1ve, Magisk (Astralis) We struggled mightily with most placements, but one thing we knew from the start was who would be No. 1. Astralis with Magisk is the greatest team to ever touch CS:GO, period. They won a staggering 20 trophies together, the most for any single lineup. Part of this unmatched run were not one, not two, but three Major titles in a row—FACEIT London, IEM Katowice, and Starladder Berlin. Point made, case closed—Astralis is the best team to ever win a CS:GO Major. Any sort of list is destined to make someone unhappy, but that’s the last feeling we want to leave you with. If your favorite team seems like it was hard done by yours truly, we offer the best highlights from every CS:GO Major as a means of truce. Read the full article

[rjbailey]

(via Cloud9 Heads to the E-League Major: Boston 2018 - YouTube)

[zymeofficial]

Side note, he got that weird name by typing randomly on the keyboard 😉

This magical clutch master took part in ELEAGUE Major Atlanta 2017 and placed 1st by dominating the tournament.

In the 7th season of ESL Pro League, Xyp9x again placed first by a ratio of 3:1 and took 1st place in season 8.

In 2018, Xyp9x took part in 6 tournaments and in 2019-2020 he played in 3 tournaments, taking first in all of them.

In 2018, he earned around $2 million dollars from 6 different tournaments. And again in 2019 and 2020, he earned around $1.35 million dollars.

From the earning perspective, Xyp9x is the most successful CS:GO player of all time.

In 2020, his net worth is around $1,771,621 dollars. His team earned $500,000 dollars from the ELEAGUE Major Atlanta 2017.

He Won the most Majors tied with his teammates dev1ce, dupreeh and gla1ve, with four; ELEAGUE Atlanta 2017, FACEIT London 2018, IEM Katowice 2019, and StarLadder Berlin 2019.

He Is one of 6 players to attend all Majors.

[btackt]

Cloud9 Rampages Through the ELEAGUE Boston Major

Relive the crazy rollercoaster C9 took to win the Major. Get your hot CS:GO news here.

Cloud9 burst into the ELEAGUE Qualifier in Atlanta, Georgia on January 12th, tearing their way through to a 3-0 first-round qualification for the main event group stage. After beating EnVy (16 – 11), Sprout (16 – 5), and mousesports (16 – 5), Cloud9 felt confident going into the New Legends Stage the following weekend. Cloud9 started off the group stage with a disheartening, but forgivable loss…

[heronetworkgg]

ELEAGUE Major 2018: Un cuento americano - Gran Final

ELEAGUE Major 2018: Un cuento americano - Gran Final

Acaba de finalizar el último día del ELEAGUE Major 2018 y con ello tenemos al nuevo campeón: Cloud9 llevándose la serie por 2-1 ante FaZe Clan.

Llegó el último día del ELEAGUE Major 2018 con una final increíble: 2 equipos que vinieron desde la Main Qualifier, 9 jugadores en el servidor que nunca habían vivido una Gran Final de un ”Major” y un Olof ”olofmeister” Kajbjer con la posibilidad de obtener 3 títulos de estas características en su biblioteca.

Como mencionamos anteriormente, ambas escuadras, FaZe Clan y Cloud9, llegaron a esta Gran Final desde la Main Qualifier. Por el lado de la escuadra europea, pasó esa fase con un Global de 3 victorias y 1 derrota mientras que los norteamericanos en lo más alto de la tabla con 3 victorias y ningún partido perdido.

Ya estando en el ”Legends Stage”, FaZe Clan se mete en los Playoffs con 3 conquistas y 0 derrotas. Mientras que Cloud9, luego de 2 partidos perdidos en las primeras 2 rondas, consigue sus 3 triunfos estando contra las cuerdas.

En la fase de Playoffs, o ”Champions Stage”, la escuadra europea obtuvo 2 victorias limpias en Cuartos de Final y Semifinal ante mousesports y Natus Vincere respectivamente, pero el conjunto norteamericano tuvo que dejar atrás a grandes potencias como G2 Esports y SK Gaming en Cuartos de Final y Semifinal. De esta forma llegaron ambos equipos a la Gran Final de esta tarde.

Adentrándonos al desarrollo de esta Gran Final, el primer mapa a jugar fue Mirage, pick de Cloud9. A pesar del buen comienzo del equipo estadounidense, de la mano de Tyler ”Skadoodle” Latham, en la primera mitad por 9-6, los europeos lograron, contra todo pronóstico y público, llevarse el encuentro por 16-14.

Con el Global 1-0 a favor de FaZe Clan, el segundo mapa llamó a la puerta en Overpass. Poco que comentar, Cloud9 estuvo siempre arriba del marcador y cerró el mapa por 16-10. De esta forma, colocaba las tablas en el Global por 1-1.

Último mapa, gracias a los Picks & Bans, de este ELEAGUE Major 2018 fue Inferno. Con una primer mitad por 8-7 a favor del conjunto europeo, Cloud9 forzó el OverTime en el último momento. En el tiempo extra, los norteamericanos tuvieron el punto de partido toda la segunda mitad pero FaZe Clan fuerza otro OverTime nuevamente contra todo pronóstico. Finalmente, Cloud9 logró sacar las 4 rondas y cerró el encuentro 22-19. De esta forma, se consagran campeones del ELEAGUE Major 2018.

Luego de esta Gran Final, así quedaron las posiciones y el $1000000USD de pricepool distribuído:

1. Cloud9  $500000USD + Legend Status 2. FaZe Clan $150000USD + Legend Status 3-4. Natus Vincere  $70000USD + Legend Status 3-4. SK Gaming  $70000USD + Legend Status 5-8. mousesports  $35000USD + Legend Status 5-8. Fnatic  $35000USD + Legend Status 5-8. Quantum Bellator Fire  $35000USD + Legend Status 5-8. G2 Esports  $35000USD + Legend Status 9-11. Vega Squadron  $8750USD  9-11. Gambit $8750USD  9-11. Space Soldiers  $8750USD  12-14. Astralis  $8750USD  12-14. Liquid  $8750USD  12-14. BIG  $8750USD  15-16. Virtus.pro  $8750USD  15-16. North  $8750USD 

  Por último, el MVP del torneo es Tarik ”tarik” Celik.

Cerramos la cobertura de este ELEAGUE Major 2018 que nos dejó tantas sorpresas, tantos disgustos pero, ante todo, muchísima diversión.

¿Qué te pareció esta Gran Final? ¿Cloud9 es el merecido campeón? Déjanos tu respuesta en los comentarios.

Fotos cortesía de HLTV.org.

[m-ultraarticles]

Stewie2K's settings, crosshair, and viewmodel for CS:GO - Dot Esports

One of NA’s finest.Stewie2K is one of the most well-known Counter-Strike and VALORANT players in North America.The 25-year-old cemented himself as one of the five North American players to come back against FaZe Clan in the final of the ELEAGUE Boston CS:GO Major 2018. Up to this day, it remains the only Major that was won by a North American squad, and with the BLAST.tv Paris CS:GO Major being…

[esportschimp]

FaZe Clan take PGL Antwerp Major after thrilling grand finals against NAVI

FaZe Clan take PGL Antwerp Major after thrilling grand finals against NAVI

Karrigan, Twistzz, ropz, Rain and Broky gave the first FaZe Clan. CS: Go Main title today at PGL Antwerp Major after a 2-0 win over Natus Vincere. The Star Quintet also became the first international team to win a Valve-sponsored event. CS: Go. This is a memorable win, especially for Carrigan and Rain, who were part of the FaZe team that won the 2018 ELEAGUE Boston Major Grand Final 15-9 in…

[blogdarkmatter]

Los Nominados a los Video Game Awards 2018

Este año God of War y Red Dead Redemption 2 son los juegos con más nominaciones, seguidos de Spider-Man y Assassin’s Creed Odyssey.

Definitivamente no hay muchas sorpresas dentro de las nominaciones aunque seguro que no a todos les parecerán justas o correctas. ¿Cuál de tus juegos favoritos no está entre los nominados? ¿Quién crees que se lleve el premio al Juego del Año?

Recuerda que los Game Awards se transmitirán el 6 de Diciembre a partir de las 7:30 PM (Hora del centro de México) y podrás verlos a través de YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Mixer, Steam TV, PlayStation 4, Xbox Live y otros medios aún por confirmar.

A continuación puedes ver la lista completa: 

Game of the Year

Recognizing a game that delivers the absolute best experience across all creative and technical fields.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey (Ubisoft Quebec / Ubisoft)

Celeste (Matt Makes Games)

God of War (SIE Santa Monica Studio / Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Marvel’s Spider-Man (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Monster Hunter: World (Capcom)

Red Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar Games)

Best Ongoing Game

Awarded to a game for outstanding development of ongoing content that evolves the player experience over time.

Destiny 2: Forsaken (Bungie / Activision)

Fortnite (Epic Games)

No Man’s Sky (Hello Games)

Overwatch (Blizzard Entertainment)

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege (Ubisoft Montreal / Ubisoft)

Best Game Direction

Awarded to a game studio for outstanding creative vision and innovation in game direction and design.

A Way Out (Hazelight Studios / Electronic Arts)

Detroit: Become Human (Quantic Dream / Sony Interactive Entertainment)

God of War (SIE Santa Monica Studio / Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Marvel’s Spider-Man (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Red Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar Games)

Best Narrative

For outstanding storytelling and narrative development in a game.

Detroit: Become Human (Quantic Dream / Sony Interactive Entertainment)

God of War (SIE Santa Monica Studio / Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Life is Strange 2: Episode 1 (Dontnod Entertainment / Square Enix)

Marvel’s Spider-Man (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Red Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar Games)

Best Art Direction

For outstanding creative and/or technical achievement in artistic design and animation.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey (Ubisoft Quebec / Ubisoft)

God of War (SIE Santa Monica Studio / Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Octopath Traveler (Square Enix / Acquire / Nintendo)

Red Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar Games)

Return of the Obra Dinn (3909 LLC)

Best Score / Music: Presented by Spotify

For outstanding music, inclusive of score, original song and/or licensed soundtrack.

Celeste (Matt Makes Games) – Lena Raine

God of War (SIE Santa Monica Studio / Sony Interactive Entertainment) – Bear McCreary

Marvel’s Spider-Man (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment) – John Paesano

Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom (Level-5 / Bandai Namco Entertainment) – Joe Hisaishi

Octopath Traveler (Square Enix / Acquire / Nintendo) – Yasunori Nishiki

Red Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar Games) – Woody Jackson

Best Audio Design: Presented by Dolby

Recognizing the best in-game audio and sound design.

Call of Duty: Black Ops IIII (Treyarch / Activision)

Forza Horizon 4 (Playground Games / Turn 10 Studios / Microsoft Studios)

God of War (SIE Santa Monica Studio / Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Marvel’s Spider-Man (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Red Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar Games)

Best Performance

Awarded to an individual for voice-over acting, motion and/or performance capture.

Bryan Dechart as Connor in Detroit: Become Human

Christopher Judge as Kratos in God of War

Melissanthi Mahut as Kassandra in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

Roger Clark as Arthur Morgan in Red Dead Redemption 2

Yuri Lowenthal as Peter Parker in Marvel’s Spider-Man

Games for Impact

For a thought provoking game with a profound pro-social meaning or message.

11-11: Memories Retold (Digixart / Aardman Animations / Bandai Namco Entertainment)

Celeste (Matt Makes Games)

Florence (Mountains)

Life is Strange 2: Episode 1 (Dontnod Entertainment / Square Enix)

The Missing: J.J. Macfield and the Island of Memories (White Owls / Arc System Works)

Best Independent Game

For outstanding creative and technical achievement in a game made outside the traditional publisher system.

Celeste (Matt Makes Games)

Dead Cells (Motion Twin)

Into the Breach (Subset Games)

Return of the Obra Dinn (3909 LLC)

The Messenger (Sabotage Studio)

Best Mobile Game

For the best game playable on a dedicated mobile device.

Donut County (Ben Esposito / Annapurna Interactive)

Florence (Mountains)

Fortnite (Epic Games)

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (Lightspeed & Quantum / Tencent Games)

Reigns: Game of Thrones (Nerial / Devolver Digital)

Best VR / AR Game

For the best game experience playable in virtual or augmented reality, irrespective of platform.

Astro Bot: Rescue Mission (SIE Japan Studio / Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Beat Saber (Beat Games)

Firewall: Zero Hour (First Contact Entertianment / Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Moss (Polyarc Games)

Tetris Effect (Resonair / Enhance Games)

Best Action Game

For the best game in the action genre focused on combat.

Call of Duty: Black Ops IIII (Treyarch / Activision)

Dead Cells (Motion Twin)

Destiny 2: Forsaken (Bungie / Activision)

Far Cry 5 (Ubisoft Montreal / Ubisoft)

Mega Man 11 (Capcom)

Best Action / Adventure Game

For the best action / adventure game, combining combat with traversal and puzzle solving.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey (Ubisoft Quebec / Ubisoft)

God of War (SIE Santa Monica Studio / Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Marvel’s Spider-Man (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Red Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar Games)

Shadow of the Tomb Raider (Eidos Montreal / Crystal Dynamics / Square Enix)

Best Role-Playing Game

For the best game designed with rich player character customization and progression, including massively multiplayer experiences.

Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age (Orca / Square Enix)

Monster Hunter: World (Capcom)

Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom (Level-5 / Bandai Namco Entertainment)

Octopath Traveler (Square Enix / Acquire / Nintendo)

Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire (Obsidian Entertainment / Versus Evil)

Best Fighting Game For the best game designed primarily around head-to-head combat.

BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle (Arc SYstem Works)

Dragon Ball FighterZ (Arc System Works / Bandai Namco Entertainment)

Soulcalibur VI (Bandai Namco Studios / Bandai Namco Entertainment)

Street Fighter V Arcade (Dimps / Capcom)

Best Family Game

For the best game appropriate for family play, irrespective of genre or platform.

Mario Tennis Aces (Camelot Software Planning / Nintendo)

Nintendo Labo (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo)

Overcooked! 2 (Ghost Town Games / Team17)

Starlink: Battle for Atlas (Ubisoft Toronto / Ubisoft)

Super Mario Party (NDCube / Nintendo)

Best Strategy Game

Best game focused on real time or turn-based strategy gameplay, irrespective of platform.

The Banner Saga 3 (Stoic Studio / Versus Evil)

Battletech (Harebrained Schemes / Paradox Interactive)

Frostpunk (11 bit studios)

Into the Breach (Subset Games)

Valkyria Chronicles 4 (Sega CS3 / Sega)

Best Sports / Racing Game

For the best traditional and non-traditional sports and racing game.

FIFA 19 (EA Vancouver / EA Sports)

Forza Horizon 4 (Playground Games / Turn 10 Studios / Microsoft Studios)

Mario Tennis Aces (Camelot Software Planning / Nintendo)

NBA 2K19 (Visual Concepts / 2K Sports)

Pro Evolution Soccer 2019 (PES Productions / Konami)

Best Multiplayer Game

For outstanding online multiplayer gameplay and design, including co-op and massively multiplayer experiences, irrespective of game genre.

Call of Duty: Black Ops IIII (Treyarch / Activision)

Destiny 2: Forsaken (Bugnie / Activision)

Fortnite (Epic Games)

Monster Hunter: World (Capcom)

Sea of Thieves (Rare / Microsoft Studios)

Best Student Game

Awarded the best student project created at the high school or college level.

Combat 2018 (Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences – Norway)

Dash Quasar (UC Santa Cruz)

JERA (Digipen Bilbao, Spain)

LIFF (ISTART Digital, France)

RE: Charge (MIT)

Best Debut Game

Recognizing a new independent studio that released its first game in 2017. Winner selected by fan voting.

Donut County (Ben Esposito / Annapurna Interactive)

Florence (Mountains)

Moss (Polyarc Games)

The Messenger (Sabotage Studio)

Yoku’s Island Express (Villa Gorilla)

Best eSports Game

For the game that has delivered the best overall eSports experience to players (inclusive of tournaments, community support and content updates), irrespective of genre or platform.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (Valve)

DOTA 2 (Valve)

Fortnite (Epic Games)

League of Legends (Riot Games)

Overwatch (Blizzard Entertainment)

Best eSports Player: Presented by Omen by HP

The eSports player judged to be the most outstanding performer in 2018, irrespective of game.

Dominique “SonicFox” McLean (Echo Fox)

Hajime “Tokido” Taniguchi

Jian “Uzi” Zi-Hao (Royal Never Give Up)

Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev (Natus Vincere)

Sung-hyeon “JJoNak” Bang (New York Excelsior)

Best eSports Team

The eSports team judged to be the most outstanding for performance in 2017, inclusive of multi-team organizations.

Astralis (Counter-Strike: Global Offensive)

Cloud9 (League of Legends)

Fnatic (League of Legends)

London Spitfire (Overwatch League)

OG (DOTA 2)

Best eSports Coach

Bok “Reapered” Han-gyu (Cloud9)

Cristian “ppasarel” Bănăseanu (OG)

Danny “zonic” Sørensen (Astralis)

Dylan Falco (Fnatic)

Jakob “YamatoCannon” Mebdi (Team Vitality)

Janko “YNk” Paunovic (MiBR)

Best eSports Event

ELEAGUE Major: Boston 2018

EVO 2018

League of Legends World Championship

Overwatch League Grand Finals

The International 2018

Best eSports Host

Alex “Goldenboy” Mendez

Alex “Machine” Richardson

Anders Blume

Eefje “Sjokz” Depoortere

Paul “RedEye” Chaloner

Best eSports Moment

C9 Comeback Win In Triple OT vs FAZE at ELEAGUE Major: Boston 2018

G2 Beating RNG at the League of Legends World Championship

KT vs. IG Base Race at the League of Legends World Championship

OG’s Massive Upset of LGD at the DOTA 2 Finals

SonicFox Side Switch Against Go1 in Dragon Ball FighterZ at EVO 2018

Content Creator of the Year

Dr. Lupo

Myth

Ninja

Pokimane

Willyrex

Favorite Moment of 2017

Ready for 2018’s show? Help us decide the top moment from 2017, pick your favorite below!

Carol Shaw (Industry Icon)

The Game Awards Orchestra (Performance)

Hideo Kojima and Guillermo del Toro (Moment)

Josef Fares (A Way Out)

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Game of the Year Award)

Ha sido un año muy interesante y con grandes juegos y esperamos grandes sorpresas durante el evento. ¿Qué anuncio te gustaría ver en los Game Awards 2018?

Source: The Game Awards

[phananh95-blog]

THE RISE OF AN ESPORTS PHENOMENON

With a global audience of roughly half a billion people, the eSports sector is an extraordinarily fast-growing digital enterprise. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is one of the basic games. With over 25 million copies sold, the Counter-Strike brand has a lengthy history and has grown into one of the most popular game franchises in eSports.

The first game in the Counter-Strike series was launched in 1999, and American game developer Valve Corporation purchased the rights to the game in 2000. Since then, the series has spawned three more major installments as well as a variety of spin-offs. In 2012, the game Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) was published.

The franchise's popularity expanded swiftly, thanks in part to its basic nature and in part to community-driven initiatives. Counter-Strike is a simple game to pick up. The core notion is that two teams of five players—terrorists and counter-terrorists—compete to place or defuse a bomb across a tiny terrain. The game has its own in-game currency, and players may earn money for their deeds. When superior weapons are more expensive, planning and collaboration can determine whether you win or lose.

Professional play began in 2012, and tournaments have expanded in popularity and scope since then. Professional teams from all over the world compete for prize pools of over $1,000,000. CS:GO 'Major' tournaments like ESL One and DreamHack happen just a few times a year, with professional teams from all over the world vying for prize pools of over $1,000,000. These tournaments are held in conjunction with 'Minor' events, in which the winners are awarded more than $250,000.

Thousands of people watch tournaments live, but millions more watch them via internet streaming sites like Twitch. CS:GO is undeniably one of the most popular eSports titles due to its ability to stream. Because of this accessibility, over 1.8 million fans tuned in to watch the ELEAGUE Major finals this year.

Professional teams, like conventional sports teams, are followed by large crowds, with teams from all around the world becoming symbols of the professional Counter-Strike scene. Fans of these teams show their support by attending live events, purchasing branded gear, and making online donations to the players' accounts. Because many of these well-known teams have such devoted fan bases, along with the competitive aspect of Counter-Strike, players quickly become superstars. Famous players may acquire hundreds of millions of views and millions of followers.

It should come as no surprise, however, that the world of eSports, like any other highly competitive sport involving star players reaping big cash prizes, has been roiled by controversy on several occasions.

 In the field of Counter-Strike, there have been numerous notable controversies. Members of the 'iBuyPower' squad were banned for life in 2015 after throwing a competitive game in order to profit from online betting by over $10,000. During live events, players are commonly spotted consuming energy drinks, but some have also been known to use medicines like Adderall and Propanolol, which are recommended to treat anxiety, to assist them stay cool under pressure.

Despite these concerns, the professional CS:GO industry continues to grow in popularity throughout the world; the next big competitions in September 2018 and February 2019 are expected to draw the greatest online viewership ever. With tens of millions of fans, tremendously talented teams, and national pride on the line, the game has grown into a business that matches more traditional athletic events.

Not just for players, but also for viewers, the future of CS:GO in eSports is quite promising. In the next years, eSports is projected to witness a large rise in investment as audiences develop. Streaming is only going to get more popular, and tournaments are only going to get bigger as they move into dedicated stadiums, one of which is set to open next year on the Las Vegas strip. Because of the industry's quick expansion, don't be shocked to see competitive CS:GO gaming on mainstream television channels or platforms like Netflix or Amazon in the near future.

Reference:

( THOMAS LLEWELLYN, 2018) https://blog.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/counter-strike-esports/

[thetoxicgamer]

DWG KIA Signs Peri As VALORANT Coach

The South Korean organization has signed Bum-gi “peri” Jung as the coach for its VALORANT squad. The 31-year-old has tons of experience on his back, having been an active player both in CS:GO and VALORANT. https://twitter.com/DWGKIA_Esports/status/1587732496166182912 Peri began his coaching career in December 2021, when he joined ESportsConnected in the new role. Previously, he played under the banners of NUTURN Gaming and PROPARTY. He made a name for himself in VALORANT at top-tier tournaments with the former, traveling to Reykjavik for Stage Two Masters, where he placed in the top three. Before transforming to VALORANT, peri competed in CS:GO and Counter-Strike, playing for South Korean teams like MVP PK. With the Korean organization, he was just one series away from qualifying for the ELEAGUE Major Boston in 2018. With the addition of peri, it looks like DWG KIA has their VALORANT roster ready for next year. The team loaned in Lakia and signed allow on July 13, completing the lineup. It remains to be seen whether the team will shake up the roster even more before the 2023 season begins. DWG KIA are one of the 10 teams competing in VCT 2023 Pacific. Like all the partnered teams, the Korean squad will start the year with the Kickoff Tournament, which begins on Feb. 14 in São Paulo. Read the full article

[clashroyaleleaguereport]

Clash Royale Team Spotlight: 100 Thieves

100 Thieves is a relatively new face to esports with a volatile history given their short lifespan. 100 Thieves was established in April 2016 by veteran Call of Duty champion Matt “NaDeshot” Haag, who originally wanted to create a clothing brand with the name. 100 Thieves’ initial focus was on Call of Duty, but when their inaugural team ultimately placed near last in their first tournament, the entire team was disbanded.

100 Thieves’ next esport of interest was Counter Strike: Global Offensive, where the organization planned to participate in the game’s 2018 ELEAGUE Major tournament. However, the organization officially disbanded the team before it ever competed. 100 Thieves claimed roster and visa issues had kept the team from coming together in the way that they’d hoped.

100 Thieves’ major success is their League of Legends team, which was fielded for the Spring 2018 North American League of Legends Championship series with help from the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

On April 3, 2018, 100 Thieves announced themselves as one of the first eight North American teams in the opening season of the Clash Royale League. On May 10, 2018, 100 Thieves announced they’d hired a new General Manager for their as-of-yet unannounced team.

I reached out to 100 Thieves for a statement, but they have not replied at this time.

Zachary out!

If you are a fan of esports, be sure to check out my other journalism blog, Overwatch League Report!

[zymeofficial]

He also used to play for Team Dignitas and Team SoloMid.He was sidelined during ESL One Cologne 2016 after developing appendicitis on July 6, 2016. Rasmussen’s esports career began professionally in 2012 with 3DMAX, he moved to Copenhagen Wolves and then über G33KZ in 2013 before joining Team Dignitas in 2014. In January 2015 he signed with Team SoloMid until December 2015 and in January 2016 he joined Astralis. Astralis, in December 2019, became the first esports team to launch an IPO and publicly list shares in the company for sale to investors. The current Astralis CS:GO line up consists of Nicolai “dev1ce” Reedtz, Peter “dupreeh” Rasmussen, Andreas “Xyp9x” Højsleth, Lukas “gla1ve” Rossander, Emil “Magisk” Reif, and coach Danny “zonic” Sørensen. On March 3rd 2019 the Astralis CS:GO team won the IEM Major in Katowice and on September 8th 2019 the team won the StarLadder Major in Berlin. In September 2018 they won the FACEIT Major in London and in January 2017 the ELEAGUE Major in Atlanta. Rasmussen is currently on the team as an Entry Fragger but he was the team’s Lurker in 2017 and is considered a core member of the line up. He frequently appears in HLTV’s best player rankings with his highest position 5th in 2018. Along with a number of his teammates he has won the greatest number of Major tournaments. As per Esports Earnings, to March 2020, Peter “dupreeh” Rothmann Rasmussen has won over $1,750,000 in prize winnings from 138 tournaments. By earnings he is ranked 4th in Denmark and 42nd in https://www.instagram.com/p/CRyoflvH7HC/?utm_medium=tumblr

[rjbailey]

A beginner's guide to the long-awaited ELEAGUE Boston Major dotesports.com

The ELEAGUE Major: Boston kicks off later this week, and it's the first international tournament of 2018—so buckle up and get ready to start a fun year of Counter-Strike.

From Jan. 12 to 28, ELEAGUE …

[heronetworkgg]

Faltan horas para que comiencen los Playoffs del ELEAGUE Major 2018

Faltan horas para que comiencen los Playoffs del ELEAGUE Major 2018

El día de mañana se jugarán los Playoffs, o ”Championship Stage”, del ELEAGUE Major 2018 y el día domingo conoceríamos al equipo campeón.

Luego de 8 días de ELEAGUE Major 2018, sumando el ”Challengers Stage” al ”Legends Stage”, ya estamos a punto de presenciar las fases finales y quedan pocos días para conocer al equipo campeón.

Repasemos los 8 equipos clasificados a estos Playoffs:

1-2. G2 2V-0D. 1-2. FaZe 2V-0D. 3-5. Natus Vincere 3V-1D. 3-5. SK  3V-1D. 3-5. Quantum Bellator Fire 3V-1D. 6-8. mousesports 3V-2D. 6-8. Cloud9 3V-2D. 6-8. Fnatic 3V-2D.

Luego de ver los equipos concursantes, estos son los partidos de Cuartos de Final:

Viernes 26 de enero

FaZe  – mousesports 12:00hs Natus Vincere  – Quantum Bellator Fire 14:30hs G2  – Cloud9 17:00hs

  Sábado 27 de enero

SK  – Fnatic 12:00hs

*Aclaración: El ganador entre FaZe y mousesports se enfrentaría en semifinales ante el ganador entre Natus Vincere y Quantum Bellator Fire. Mientras que, el gandor entre G2 y Cloud9 se enfrentaría en semifinales ante SK o Fnatic.

Dichas semifinales se jugarían el mismo sábado 27 de enero a partir de las 14:30hs mientras que la Gran Final el día domingo 28 de enero a las 16:00hs.

Por nuestra parte, continuaremos con la cobertura día a día del ELEAGUE Major 2018.  

¿Qué equipos crees que serán los que avanzarán a las semifinales? ¿Quién será el campeón? Déjanos tu respuesta en los comentarios.

Imágenes cortesía de HLTV.org.

[therealbswagg]

Playerunknown’s Battleground

Dota 2

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

Grand Theft Auto V

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege

Team Fortress 2

ARK: Survival Evolved

PAYDAY 2

Football Manager 2018

Warframe

Rust

Rocket League

A thought I was thinking about before looking at the above list - do we own our games anymore? 

To me, a short answer is - no. Not to portray gloom and doom, but this is very much the case. The above list has the top 12 played games at the time of writing this. 66% of the list can literally not be played without internet access. That’s 8 out of the list, but there’s more titles like GTA and Counterstrike where technically you can play without internet access but the majority of time played is online. Online play is is the reason for sustained relevance (Counter-Strike’s Eleague is live on Twitch as I write this.) Online play has changed the landscape of video games. I would argue for the better if we omit the abusive chat that comes with a lot of games. But, if your internet is janky or the developers are applying updates to the game you can’t play games like Overwatch or PUBG. At all. As in you can not access the main menu. These are games, in the case of Overwatch, that we pay premium price for. At the drop of a dime we can not be able to access.

You can be banned from your game for cheating/abusive communication - understandably so. But, the principle still holds true. You paid for a game that you really don’t own. If that is the cause, why aren’t games free to play across the board? There are games that are priced like a standard game but have free to play models anyway. So what is stopping us from not trying to have a foot on both sides and just plunge all in to one way.

How do you feel about this? Not REALLY owning our games is the norm now for the convenience of online play.

Do you solve this by adding single player experiences to these games or is that not a true solution? What do you think?