Cloud9 secure second consecutive iBUYPOWER Spring Invitational title
Last night Cloud9 secured their second consecutive title as Champions of the iBUYPOWER Spring Invitational, defeating OpTic Gaming in the grand final of the tournament. Over the entirety of the tournament the team conceded but a single map in the semi-finals against Luminosity Gaming, producing an impressive overall performance.
SK Gaming and Renegades join WESA
Popular Brazilian and Australian organisations, SK Gaming and Renegades have opted to join WESA, a regulatory body aimed at improving the CS:GO scene through its "profesionalisation, introduction of player representation, standardised regulation and revenue share". So far nine prominent multi-gaming organisations constitute the board, along with ESL, a popular tournament organisers within the eSports industry.
FaZe Clan receive direct invite to ESL One: Cologne 2017
With ESL One: Cologne 2017 three months away, ESL are gradually announcing invites to the LAN finals of the event, taking place at the familiar Laxness Arena in Cologne, Germany. FaZe Clan are one of the teams to receive a direct invite to the prestigious LAN finals. Last year the team finished 9th-12th place, however with a refreshed roster expectations for the team are through the roof.
CS:GO Update: Item certificates, upgraded lobby search
In the most recent CS:GO update, Valve introduced a feature that will ease the lives of many traders and skin enthusiasts across the world. So called item certificates have been implemented, allowing players to see specific details of their weapon skins without using third-party software/websites. Adding to the quality of life improvements, Valve have introduced an optimised version of the lobby search algorithm, where users will now be paired with teammates from closer destinations than prior, providing more relevant results for both players from the same country and those living next to borders.
Crown part ways with CS:GO roster
August 2016 saw Crowns secure a CS:GO roster spearheaded by the likes of Mattias "bENNY" Rosback and David "Jayzwalkingz" Kempner. Despite initial success, the roster was unable to produce up to expectations in the long run, leading to the decision of disbandment. Management from the organisation expressed the following:
We have been with the team in their ups and downs, joined in their joy and as well sadness. Today, we unfortunately had to release them from their contracts. With great courage, the players expressed their goal to become one of the leading teams in the world, even though it did not happen under Crowns, the story is not over yet. What we have to remember is that these are young players in the beginning of their career, with much left to show us. We wish them best of luck and hope to see them in new constellations in the future.”
