/THE CORONAVIRUS FORCES WESG TO CANCEL CS:GO APAC FINALS
World Electronic Sports Games (WESG) just announced in an official statement that the 2020 APAC Finals have been canceled. This event was to take place in Macau and run from February 16 through the 18. However, due to the increased threat of the Wuhan virus (a.k.a. the coronavirus), concerns were sufficient to cancel the event.
What’s the Wuhan virus: The virus, which originated in the city of Wuhan, China, is spreading through the Asian region. It has infected more than 600 people and led to the deaths of at least 18, now threatening to become a worldwide problem. Currently South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Japan, and the United States have confirmed cases of people infected by the coronavirus.
Why cancel the event: As the epidemic spreads, WESG believes that not even esports events would be safe from the virus. They’re attempting to limit international travel for both players and attendees in order to help control the spread of the coronavirus. Now that the event is canceled, 16 teams will have to adjust their schedules. While a replacement event has yet to be rescheduled, WESG does plan on holding the finals at another place and time.
Stay healthy and stay safe out there, gamers. Even a tournament isn’t worth the risk of dying.
/JEFF KAPLAN ADDRESSES OVERWATCH HERO BAN RUMORS
Overwatch developer Jeff Kaplan finally spoke out regarding the topic of hero ban rumors, and he is against it. While he understands that many people want hero bans, he believes it’s not the best solution. If anything, he’s “reluctant to add hero bans,” but they aren’t entirely against the idea in the future.
Reasons for bans: When Kaplan is given reasons for why players want hero bans, he attributes it to three main reasons: 1) the metagame is stale, 2) the game is unbalanced, and 3) people simply don’t like playing against certain heroes. But a hero ban isn’t likely to solve this problem, in his opinion. If players are given the option to ban heroes, then people will eventually ban the same heroes every game and the game’s meta will remain stale. If anything, he thinks “hero bans might actually make the problem worse.”
Alternatives to banning: Kaplan then went into some solutions that the Overwatch team is working on. One such thing is faster match times, because “the sting of defeat is much less if the match took less time.” The hope is to speed up queue times and increase the number of games players can play.
While this isn’t the best solution, it’s a step in some direction.
/100 THIEVES JUST ANNOUNCED ITS NEW HEADQUARTERS IN NA
Matthew “Nadeshot” Haag, owner of 100 Thieves, just revealed its biggest esports headquarters in North America, the 100T Cash App Compound. This 15,000 square foot facility will be used for a variety of functions, including business development for the team, training areas, streaming spaces for content creators, fashion design, and even a retail space.
Why the name: For those wondering why the weird name for the facility, this comes from the title sponsor, Cash App. But 100 Thieves claims this partnership entails far more than just a name on a building. The deal is reported to cover the HQ, the esports teams, its content, and the jersey.
Other accomplishments: In 2019, 100 Thieves was named one of the top 10 most valuable esports brands by Forbes after only two years of existence. This comes largely due to their rabid fanbase created by Nadeshot, his content creators, and the organizations esports superstars. 100 Thieves built the fastest-growing YouTube channel in esports for 2018 and 2019 in addition to launching the #1 and #2 podcasts on the iTunes gaming charts, led by The CouRage & Nadeshot Show.
Still… that’s the name they’re going with for the facility? Okay, their funeral…
We just had our latest MAINGEAR gaming backpack giveaway drawing! The lucky winner is Trevor from Milwaukee. Congrats for winning and we’re grateful for everyone’s support!
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/BJERGSEN’S RISE TO SUCCESS
North American superstar mid-laner Søren “Bjergsen” Bjerg recently did a video presented by Riot Games and Honda where he talks about his journey to success.
Humble beginnings: He introduces himself as someone who began as a “nobody,” the story of every professional. He started playing for TSM with little experience and found the transition from Denmark to North America difficult. Folks saw him as an up-and-coming talent, but he didn’t think he accomplished much to deserve that classification.
Highs and lows: After leading TSM through eight straight LCS finals, he is now more than a veteran in the field. He tried to emulate the work ethic many see come from Korean teams, playing 10-14 hours a day and giving sleep little priority. If anything, it made him play worse. In the Spring Playoff Quarterfinals, TSM lost to Clutch Gaming, which was the first time TSM had ever been defeated in the Quarterfinals.
Current plans: Though Bjergsen admitted that he’s considered leaving TSM, the team has ultimately worked things out with him. Everything is good and he’s ready for the next year. He recently signed a two-year extension to stay with the team, making him the longest-tenured player in its history. He’s also been offered a sport to become part-owner of TSM.
Will 2020 be the year of Bjergsen? Time will tell. But the video will not.
/MORE PLAYER NEWS
Congratulations again to Trevor from Milwaukee for winning our backpack drawing!
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To start, you’ll get three entries in the drawing.
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