Is there a chance for Blizzard to thrive in the esports scene in the near future? Many longtime fans of the company would sure hope so - however, after all the stunts they've pulled, it's hard to stay optimistic for the future of many beloved franchi
Blizzard, rather than come to a compromise to benefit all parties, chose instead to abandon KeSPA and partner with Global StarCraft League (GSL) . The decision was catastrophic from the start, as KeSPA prohibited its member teams from participating in any StarCraft II competitions. The best talent in the world was effectively prevented from playing in any tourname
San Francisco Shock star Jay "sinatraa" Won took over the _ Overwatch _ League in 2019. Remaining consistent through meta and rule changes, the 19-year-old damage player earned his spot on everyone’s _ Overwatch _ radar. The San Francisco Shock reached the Grand Final of each Overwatch League stage in Season 2, and won stage 2 over the Vancouver Titans. Once in the postseason play-offs, the Shock suffered an unexpected early loss to Atlanta Reign. Led by sinatraa, the team went on an incredible lower bracket run to the Grand Final. Their dominance continued in the Final, where Shock came out victorious with a 4-0 scoreline. Along with the _ Overwatch _ League, sinatraa aided Team USA in a victory at the _ Overwatch _ World Cup. Sinatraa was named the MVP of both the _ Overwatch _ League and the _ Overwatch _ World Cup. The standards the 19-year-old set this year will live on in _ Overwatch _ ’s esports hist
To no one’s surprise, the long-awaited release of Starcraft II launched with esports as an integral part of Blizzard’s marketing strategy, and yet, it never reached those same peaks as its predeces
There is perhaps one main reason that Starcraft II failed to reach the same monuments levels of popularity. First, there was conflict from the beginning in regards to the ownership of Intellectual Property Rights with the Korean e-Sports Association (KeSPA), and the corresponding ability to broadcast the g
Later on, Hextech Revolver adds +40 ability power, damaging an enemy Champion with a basic attack that shocks them for 50-125 bonus magic damage based on the level with a 40 second CD shared with other Hextech items, which Is nilah considered melee useful for augmenting overall dam
Though OG didn’t find consistent Dota 2 success throughout 2019, one player among their ranks powered them to victory at the biggest tournament of the year. Then-19-year-old Anathan "ana" Pham returned to OG in March after an extended hiatus. With ana back on the roster, OG began their climb back to peak form. They qualified for the MDL Disneyland Paris Major, and placed 5-6th at the main event. They then competed in ESL One Birmingham and the EPICENTER Major, placing 7-8th at both tournaments. The International 2019 arrived, and OG immediately exerted their dominance over their group stage opponents. To much surprise, ana played Io, traditionally a support hero, in the carry position. With that out-of-the-box pick, OG were able to top the group stage and secure a play-offs upper bracket berth. OG then took down Evil Geniuses, PSG.LGD, and Team Liquid to become the first team to ever win The International tw
As with all Champions, situational awareness is key. Placing Keenen in the top lane - or mid lane in some cases - is the best choice. The main reason for placing him in the top lane is that Kennen can easily harass bruisers from a distance and kite with his E ability, Lightning Rush, which is an active ability that turns him into a ball of lightning for up to two seconds. This damages enemies he passes through, and most importantly, doubles his base Move Speed (
Long-standing G2 Esports mid laner Luka "PerkZ" Perković took the _ League of Legends _ world by storm in 2019. Prior to this year's season, G2 announced their addition of former Fnatic mid laner Rasmus "Caps" Winther. As a result, PerkZ moved to the AD carry position. The risky move left many wondering where the team was headed, though G2 came out the other side even stronger than before. With PerkZ as their carry, G2 won LEC Spring after topping the regular season’s leaderboard. They next attended the Mid-Season Invitational, where they took down Korean powerhouse SK Telecom T1 and destroyed North American side Team Liquid to take the cr
Ashe is the leader of the Avarosan tribe. Known as the Iceborn warmother, Ashe uses the magic of her people to wield Avarosa's True Ice Bow. This bow allows her to apply frost to her enemies in order to slow them d
"The Heroes of the Storm team and I also have a unique opportunity to rethink things and reprioritize. Because now more than ever, our charge is to focus on taking care of you, our players, and to channel all our energy into keeping the game dynamic and fun. This means we’re still committed to regular hero reworks, themed events, and even new hero
The global esports industry has seen its activity, popularity, and revenue steadily grow in the past years, with a projected revenue stream in 2019 of $1.1 Billion . Despite some developing some of the most popular esports games - Overwatch and Starcraft among them - Blizzard seems to stumble time and time again when creating a meaningful esports division of its
