FROM THE WORLD OF ESPORTS
As I start writing, I realize the names here haven’t changed since last time, only the tournaments. One month ago I talked about Taeja’s win over MC at Assembly Summer but there he is again, having an outing in Spain and pocketing even more money after a two-day competition in Valencia.
“But, Nydra, he mostly played foreigners. That’s NOT a real challenge.” I agree, he only beat Stephano, eliminated Sase, Bly and tournament sensation Targa before coming back from 0-2 against goddamn ForGG in the final, successfully defending the title of “current best terran in the world”, a crown we should all agree he deservedly carries.
Like I said, names don’t change here as in early September, the WCS champion of Korea conquered TSL 4, a tournament that had become very poor on foreigners by the last few rounds. Yet, as impressive a feat as it was, Creator’s victory could neither overshadow his previous one nor Thorzain’s in TSL 3.
Why is that, we ask, mainly to put some more fluff to this article. Was it because with the end of JonnyREcco all storylines that the community cared about were cut? Was it because all the Koreans that remained still hadn’t made grand names for themselves, although already well on the way? Or it was all about Creator’s effortless run that never presented him with a real challenge?
Maybe it’s all of the above, although they are not to say TSL 4 was not a great tournament. It’s just that TSL 3 was something else…
I’m guessing you need more than that but, really, why would you? Stephano came to Stockholm for the WCS Europe continentals, his hair curly and his luggage lagging behind. He opened the tournament with “not giving a f**k” into “win with Gangnam Style” build order, banked $24,000 and went wherever he goes after a tournament victory.
If we’re to throw in a cheap and mildly distasteful jab, we would say that at least the Stockholm police already knows him from the last time he was there.
Want to hear a joke about an elephant and a god? MC certainly doesn’t as he had to become one of GosuGamers’ most read and discussed news the hard way.
Losing to Flash in the OSL was enough to get people talking the coming KeSPAocalypse as if SC2’s winningest player loses to a guy (bonjwa or not) that until recently practiced two games at once, what is to happen to the rest?
Here is where I step in to calm everybody down and point out the fact that it was just one Bo1 game and a BoX might’ve looked completely different. Not that it makes it all easier for MC, though, as he’s playing Flying next, once again summoned to defend the ESF pride against KeSPA.
IN PEOPLE'S MOUTHS
On September 21st, twenty eSports representatives gathered in Feria Valencia to talk about the future of the industry. Team managers, tournament organizers, game developers and heads of streaming/hosting companies took part in the first of its kind eSports congress that covered topics such as the need of an international governing body, brands and marketing, the eSports media and how to promote the industry.
All videos from the congress can and should be checked out by the passionate eSports supporters. Learn why IPL’s David Ting thinks it’s still too early to establish the FIFA of eSports and why Blizzard are not excluding a free-to-play StarCraft 2 multiplayer as an option.
This has been speculated for a long time but at the time of the newspost in question there was already no doubt that the French powerhouse will transfer to US-based Evil Geniuses, albeit official announcement was still lacking.
Answered to some extent were also all the questions about how much “dirty” money do EG actually have. With a rumored monthly salary of $8,000 Stephano and many more players who surely are not there just for the chuckles and the energy drinks, one can imagine how deep SirScoots’ pockets are. Not that he tries to hide it in the first place.
Aaaaand it’s gone. And everybody that does not play terran celebrated that HotS beta patch by setting paper models of the Warhoud on fire while worshiping a poorly hand-drawn painting of a Carrier (then again, this could be just my neighborhood).
Regardless of the type of festivities, a great deal of love was given to Blizzard that day as in a single motion they eliminated the most hated unit of the beta and brought back the beloved protoss warship, which despite seeing play every second February 30th still carried a spirit of nostalgia.
At the end of the day, however, there’s at least one sad terran user squatting in the dark, asking “One new unit and an upgrade? Is that it?”
Enough fun, time to get serious and not in the pleasant way.
September 19th was nothing but a sad day for eSports as due to political conflicts between China and Japan about the Diaoyu Islands (called Senkaku Islands by Japan), the Anime Comics and Games fair had to close, leaving IEM Guangzhou without a venue, thus forcing a cancellation of the tournament
Thus far, there is no information about where exactly IEM will be going next but details from the ESL offices should not be too far away.
Just a few days ago, push came to shove for yet another tournament, namely the MLG vs Proleague invitational, whose purpose was, as the name clearly indicates, putting MLG foreigners and Koreans against KeSPA players.
Five days ago, however, it was reported that the ESF players have decided to withdraw from the tournament and although no official information was give at that point, a quote by FXOBoSs made it to community boards saying "it was most likely because the ESF teams only got 8 invites and KESPA got 24." Not until later was it pointed out that BoSs' words were taken out of context and, in fact, there has been no coordinated move by all ESF teams against the MvP league and the cancellation of the invites was mostly due to "conflicting schedules, prioritizing other events, not enough prize pool, etc".
MvP invitations were handed out to Koreans from non-ESF players so that the tournament could resume intact.
FROM THE GOSUGAMERS OVEN
This month, our lovely child "Replays of the Week" grew even taller and more handsome. To supplement Hattfatt's write-ups and humor of unidentified quality, we contacted two amazing up-and-coming casters - Cyniko and Wyrd - who helped us bring ROTW to VODs. Full list of all ROTW editions, in both video and text, can be found just below.
Tokens of appreciation like cookies, cakes and Bentleys are welcome.
Previously on "VODs of the Week":
Edition #1
Edition #2
Previously on "Replays of the Week":
August 20-26
August 26 - September 2
September 2-9
September 9-16
September 16-23
Just a few days after the HotS beta started we sat on our well-shaped and not at all lazy asses to bring you our first impressions of the upcoming expansion. As an introductory feature, the article presents the most general changes to the gameplay such as the collapsible rocks mechanics, the brand new map pool and all the other gameplay improvements, whose impactfulness is yet to be established.
Brought by Procyonlotor, this review of the Protoss continued our Heart of the Swarm coverage by exploring all the new units, their power and applicability, how they fit in race's playstyle and how said playstyle will be changed once the expansion ships.
- "We’ve tried to use the Tempest as often as possible, but it’s been difficult to ascertain how useful it actually is. Its massive range cannot be underestimated, but its damage is underwhelming. Unless you are attacking a mineral line from far away, you can’t expect to do much damage with just one or two. You need an entire fleet of them to make an enemy hesitate to approach.
The proper timing, strategy and unit synergy useful to or with the Tempest are yet to be discovered, but they will be known soon enough."
With a siege unit, a new caster and an upgrade that can actually make Hydras usable, the Zergs did seem to get the best gifts in Heart of the Swarm. After Viper-draggin Colossi into a sea of Swarm Hosts and Hydra we definitely had to agree: swarm's biggest flaws were patched most efficiently.
- "If Zergs in Wings of Liberty lack something it is that one mid-game unit that can decisively break enemies after they’ve made the costly mistake of losing a big battle. Zergs generally choose to throw in an extra expansion and delay the end of the game further instead of going for the throat, as a Tank-centric defense or a Colossus/Sentry ball will usually be more cost efficient against Roaches, often to the point of coming ahead even when down in supply. Knowing that their mid-tier push will likely be crushed, Zergs prefer to lay back, tech to Hive and close the game with Brood Lords. While this is by no means a bad thing, it’s a stylistical flaw that strips Zerg of certain dynamics. "
Charmed by how cute WCS Europe ended up being, Nydra sits pen in hand to retell the stories from the continental finals and then comes in here to promote himself quite narcissistically. As there is a masterfully done photoshop of Vortix as the Gladiator it's all fine, it's all forgiven.
- "Yet all would’ve been incomplete without the wicked twist of fate, turning man against his brother. Royal-roaders, triumphant underdogs or slump-breakers are all fun eSports scenarios but a brotherly showdown at the end of the mile beats them anywhere, any day. "
Just like I wrote last month, the monthly tournament preview by KOKOStern is here to hype you all beyond return and list all the stories sources for the next 30 days.
With the first StarCraft 2 OSL coming to an end with Asia's best gathering for the last WCS Continental final, I can't imagine that stories will be lacking.
![[Op-Ed] Women in competitive gaming – why are there so few?](https://static.gosugamers.net/8f/c9/2c/df69cf93db41c27a46978529e01614f38e0bfb80888132ac95fd3f89fb.jpg?w=1600)
