In the previous year, Indian teams competed in the Skyesports Masters 2023 tournament, where Gods Reign emerged as the champions after defeating their rivals Revenant 2-0 in the final. They won a prize money of $53,944, while the runner-up, Revenant, received $39,010. This year, the tournament has expanded to include international teams and the total prize pool has increased from $146,032 to $350,000.

The tournament is scheduled to take place between 8-14 April 2024, but the host city is yet to be determined. Direct invitations have been sent to Liquid, NIP, BIG, and ENCE teams. Additionally, two more teams will be invited to participate, making a total of 8 teams. The remaining two teams will be selected through the European and Indian qualifiers.

The Skyesports Masters 2024 tournament is an A-Tier event. The format and date of the European qualifier are yet to be announced. However, the Indian qualifier is scheduled for March 2024. The qualifiers consist of both open and closed rounds, with the eight remaining teams in the closed qualifiers competing for a spot in the tournament. The tournament will be held as a LAN event, while the open and closed qualifiers will be conducted online.

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Before the Chinese New Year on February 10th, teams will play 4 or 5 matches based on their schedules. Most teams have already completed their first two matches, with only OMG (Oh My God) playing against their opponents on Summoner’s Rift three times and JDG (JD Gaming) facing off once. Apart from these exceptions, some teams will engage in 5 matches before the Chinese New Year, while others will share the Rift in 4 encounters. Here’s a breakdown of the results and performances of LPL teams up to this point:

0 – 2

Rare Atom, didn’t have the desired start to the season. Despite making three changes to their roster after a 4 – 12 performance last season, they struggled especially with their new mid laner VicLa. With four maps played so far, Rare Atom failed to secure a victory in any of them. They seem to be unable to utilize the tools at their disposal. Rare Atom has four matches left before the Chinese New Year, and leveraging these opportunities may require significant changes to their team dynamics.

Going through a renewal process, Ultra Prime introduced four new players to their lineup, keeping only their AD Carry, Doggo, unchanged. Unlike Rare Atom, Ultra Prime didn’t present a disconnected performance. Displaying typical issues of a newly formed team, such as organizational and coordination shortcomings, Ultra Prime showcased potential. While progressing in playoffs might seem challenging, their improvement during the adaptation phase could significantly influence their future. Ultra Prime has five matches before the break, and these fixtures will undoubtedly put them to the test.

EDward Gaming (EDG), started the season with two new additions to their bottom lane. However, these changes didn’t seem to bring about significant improvements. The matches revealed struggles in maintaining their game discipline and sticking to their game plan, especially during the games where the gap between Fisher and JieJie widened. Despite entering playoffs with below-average game plans last season, EDG might face challenges in the battle for a playoff spot if they can’t address these issues. EDG is one of the teams playing five matches before the Chinese New Year.

1 – 2

Among the teams that completely revamped their roster, Oh My God (OMG) retained only their Support player, ppgod, and used Able, their AD Carry, sparingly. However, unlike other teams, OMG lost their top trio due to other teams acquiring those players. OMG, who finished last season impressively in the 5th position, couldn’t retain the trio responsible for that success. The newcomers, Cube, xiaofang, and Angel, haven’t lived up to expectations yet. While they dominated against Team WE in their first match, they struggled to execute their game plan in the following two matches. OMG has only two matches left before the Chinese New Year.

1 – 1

Being the first team in the 1 – 1 tier among the 9-team cluster, ThunderTalk Gaming made only one change in the support position compared to the previous season. They played like a mid-tier LPL team, showing competitiveness and discipline in their won match. However, they appeared helpless against Weibo Gaming, a team expected to be at a higher level. Despite being considered a strong candidate for the playoff race, ThunderTalk Gaming faces uncertainty regarding their deep playoff run. They will enter the Chinese New Year having played four matches.

Although Royal Never Give Up (RNG) started the season with a victory, they faced a complete breakdown against BLG. RNG is known for frequently encountering such issues before the Chinese New Year. The team struggled to synergize with their new bottom lane duo, Lwx and Ming. However, they signaled a potential resurgence after the break, hinting at a stronger presence in the upper echelons of LPL. RNG faces three crucial matches, defining their path in the playoffs.

Among the teams with a slow start, LGD Gaming strengthened their roster with a new top laner and two new AD Carries. Despite not finding what they are looking for in the bottom lane, Burdol’s transfer has been beneficial for LGD. Even in the lost matches, Burdol contributed significantly, challenging the opponent’s gameplay. LGD, with three more matches before the Chinese New Year, will determine how they utilize Burdol’s top lane performance.

Notable among the teams to watch, Team WE made three new transfers, keeping only their Jungler and Support from the previous season. Experiencing coordination issues typical of a new team in their first match, Team WE achieved valuable victories in the next two matches. Team WE has the potential to be a top-tier team during the season, causing problems for upper-tier opponents. Facing three expected top teams (FPX, NIP, LGD) before the break, Team WE can make the LPL Winter Season more intriguing with the victories they secure.

Unlike many teams, Invictus Gaming (iG) retained their roster from the previous season. However, they continue to exhibit the same flaws as the last season. While easily securing victories against lower-ranked teams, they struggle against higher-ranked opponents. iG remains a team that will be used as a reference to measure whether a team can enter the playoffs. iG will play three LPL matches before the Chinese New Year.

FunPlus Phoenix (FPX), started the season with two new Junglers and a new Support. Despite starting with Moyan in the jungle for the Anyone’s Legend match, they quickly transitioned to their other new transfer, milkyway, after Moyan’s underwhelming performance. FPX lost that map but looked much more organized with milkyway. New transfer Deokdam is filling the void left by Lwx since 2017. FPX is one of the teams with three matches left before the break.

Introducing an entirely new roster in the new LPL season, Anyone’s Legend managed to secure a victory against FPX in their initial matches. While they successfully clinched a win against FPX, they struggled to establish a game plan against Team WE, a team with a more cohesive strategy. It’s normal to witness such challenges from such a newly formed team. Anyone’s Legend, facing an upcoming series against stronger opponents (BLG, LGD, and Ultra Prime) before the break, will present how these encounters shape their season in both positive and negative ways.

Considered one of the ambitious teams in the LPL, Top Esports (TES) set its sights not only on winning the LPL but also on claiming the Worlds Championship. However, one of the major concerns for the team, even on paper, is inconsistency. Therefore, anticipating several surprising defeats during the regular season, TES began their journey with a loss against BLG, one of their active rivals. Yet, they rebounded with a victory against EDG. With two matches remaining against Rare Atom and Weibo Gaming before the break, TES has the opportunity to ease their path towards the championship. Throughout the season, expect to witness both impressive and less favorable performances from this team.

As the final team in the 1 – 1 tier, LNG Esports made a significant change by parting ways with Tarzan, among the world’s renowned junglers, who had not lived up to expectations in the last two seasons. They brought in Weiwei as the replacement. Despite their unexpected loss to TT Gaming, LNG regained their composure with a victory against OMG. However, a challenging fixture awaits them with matches against Weibo Gaming, JDG, and BLG before the break. Their performances in these tough encounters will determine the narrative of their season.

1 – 0

JD Gaming (JDG), kicked off the season with a highly anticipated match against Rare Atom, asserting their dominance and claiming victory. The team now faces a challenging schedule ahead. With two matches remaining before the break, JDG will strive to secure victories against formidable opponents, NIP and LNG. These matchups will be crucial for JDG, especially after their disappointing performance on the Worlds stage last season. The outcomes of these games will provide insights into how well JDG’s recent double-lane transfer adjustments will fare.

2 – 0

Bilibili Gaming (BLG), the first team with a perfect 2 – 0 record, began the new season with the middle lane addition, Knight, and the substitute support, LvMao. Starting with the challenging part of their schedule, BLG has handled it smoothly, meeting expectations. Now, with two seemingly easier matches (Anyone’s Legend and EDG) remaining for the second week, BLG will conclude the third week with an encounter against LNG before entering the Chinese New Year break undefeated.

Making changes to their top duo, Weibo Gaming remains a championship contender this season. Having played only two easier matches so far, Weibo emerged victorious without significant issues. The team is well-prepared for their challenging matchups against LNG, RNG, and TES in the remaining three matches before the break.

Despite being a newly formed squad, Ninjas in Pyjamas (NIP) stands out as a well-established unit working around a cohesive game plan. Facing two mid-tier teams, they secured victories without much difficulty. NIP has two matches left before the break, encountering LNG and OMG. If they come out of these matches unscathed, NIP will take a significant step towards the championship.

The FPX vs. Team WE match, scheduled for January 29th, will be available for viewing on LPL’s official YouTube and Twitch channels in English.

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With Team BDS maintaining their 5 – 1 score in the league, each team has three matches remaining before the winter playoffs. Before the matches scheduled for January 27th, 28th, and 29th in the third week, let’s review the performances displayed by the teams over the past two weeks:

0 – 6

The new entrant, Karmine Corp, seems to be struggling to find their plan in their first season. Despite obtaining what they wanted from the Bottom Lane duo of Upset and Targamas, it only provides them with a resistance force. They fail to convey the impression that they can win matches at any point in their matches or force their opponents to play in their own gameplay. They are clearly unable to secure what they desire from the Top Lane, Mid Lane, and Jungle. Their Mid Laner SAKEN, and Top Laner Cabochard, appeared completely disconnected from their Jungler, Bo. Bo, on the other hand, seems did not much improved since his time in Team Vitality.

1 – 5

Rogue embarked on the season with both a restructuring and changes in the form of Malrang – Markoon and Advienne – Zoelys. The team heavily relies on Malrang‘s decision-making and managerial style. Despite Larssen, known for delivering strong performances in the regular season, falling short of expectations, Rogue currently finds themselves second to last in the standings. While their victory against G2 showcased their potential danger when things go in their favor, it appears challenging for the team to find a consistent working gameplan.

2 – 4

GIANTX, one of the rebranded organizations in the league, stands out as a team with clearer game plans and intentions. Generally favoring a playstyle centered around Patrik, they secured a decisive victory in their initial matches with this strategy. However, in the subsequent four games where they employed the same plan, they failed to achieve victory. Despite easily securing a win in their first match when deviating from this plan, the team’s internal dynamics seem to be not fully established at this point.

3 – 3

Undergoing a complete overhaul in their roster, Team Vitality, has conveyed the impression of grappling with communication and team balance issues. This is expected from a new team and they adapted this real quick. In the first week, they demonstrated a noticeable lack of coordination, despite the absence of significant individual mistakes. However, with the three victories they secured in the second week, they exhibited progress in overcoming this challenge. Signaling that they won’t be an easy match for rival teams for the remainder of the season, Team Vitality appears poised to maintain their form both in the third week and in the winter playoffs.

MAD Lions KOI, reinforced its roster with 4 new players. Yet the team seems to maintain its core dynamics despite these changes. The team heavily relies on the performance of Elyoya, and in matches where they can provide a suitable environment for Elyoya, they secure victories comfortably. However, in adverse situations, they face the risk of defeat quite easily. The newly added players appear to have the potential to be among the best players worldwide if they can effectively execute Elyoya’s gameplay. Nevertheless, if Elyoya’s performance takes an undesirable turn, an impression arises that the team feels like it consists of everyday normal four players.

4 – 2

Signing with the ones that had part ways with from G2 plus Kaiser, Team Heretics boasts players with a high potential when looked at on paper. Although they have showcased this potential so far, it’s crucial not to forget that the team generally competes with squads considered to be beneath them. Facing three teams in the standings alongside them, Team Heretics suffered defeat in two out of these three matches. While they seem to handle teams ranked lower than them without much trouble, the key to success for the season appears to lie in maintaining stability and concentration, especially in matches where the pressure is high.

SK Gaming, strengthening its roster with a new Jungler and Mid Laner, appears as a highly valuable and consistent team. Throughout this process, SK Gaming has achieved incredible efficiency from both of its side lanes. We observed that any deviation in the efficiency from one of these lanes resulted in disruptions in their game plan. Positioned as one of the formidable teams for the playoffs, SK Gaming clearly demonstrated in their lost matches that if they want to claim the championship, the remaining three members of the team need some refinements in their gameplay to reach the level of efficiency maintained by their retained Bot Laner Exakick, and Top Laner Irrelevant, from the previous season.

Maintaining their roster, G2 continues to exhibit their prowess in the league. Adapting seamlessly to the new meta. Even in the matches they lose, G2 consistently receives stable performances from their Bottom Lane, particularly Hans Sama. And they haven’t displayed a visible recurrence of the issues faced in the previous season. G2 encounters considerable challenges in matches when the Top Lane trio struggles. Even though they seem poised for success once again in the LEC, addressing these problems swiftly is imperative for international achievements. Additionally, although Mikyx excels in providing support to Hans Sama in the lane, he continues to face concentration issues when the game expands onto the map.

Bringing in another Korean Support to accompany the Korean Bot Laner Noah in the Bottom Lane, Fnatic stands out as one of the teams that had an excellent start to the season. With Humanoid showcasing incredible performances as usual during the regular season, and the rapid adaptation of Noah and Jun to each other, Fnatic has made a splendid beginning to the season. However, in the two matches they lost, the performance of Oscarinin drew attention. Facing first Irevelant and then Adam, both delivering impressive 5/0/9 KDA games, Oscarinin dealt significant damage to the team. Fnatic needs to find a quick solution to this for the remainder of the season.

5 – 1

Holding the sole leadership and securing a definite spot in the LEC Winter Playoffs, Team BDS has exceeded expectations with an exceptional regular season. It will be exciting to witness the achievements of the roster, displaying a similar synergy to the previous season, in the upcoming playoffs.

On January 27th, LEC enters the final week of the regular season with the Team Vitality – SK Gaming matchup. You can follow the official broadcast in English on the official LEC YouTube and Twitch channels. Additionally, you can choose to follow along with LEC-affiliated co-streamers like Caedrel.

World Esports Championship Games Announced!

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Genc ‘gxx-’ Kolgeci, Flatron ‘juanflatroo’ Halimi, Sener ‘SENER1’ Mahuti, Dionis ‘sinnopsyy’ Budeci, and Rigon ‘rigoN’ Gashi surprised everyone when they became the first-ever team from the Albanian-Kosovar region to reach a Major qualifier (RMR) back in 2022, when they qualified for the PGL Antwerp Major. They’ve since competed at, and qualified for the Legends stage in, three Counter-Strike Majors in Antwerp, Rio, and Paris – earning prize winnings worth $96,000 in 2023 alone. 

What will now be known as the Guild Eagles team will be joined by a backroom staff of some of the most well-respected figures in the Counter-Strike community: head coach Jonatan ‘Devilwalk’ Lundberg (the only multi-Major winner as both a coach and a player), assistant coach Kevin ‘Krystal’ Amend, analyst Kieran ‘KayJay’ Playfair, and with James ‘BanKs’ Banks (the team’s manager) joining Guild as a consultant to support the org.

From humble origins in Kosovan net cafes to Paris’ Hall de la Pinède, this roster has experienced an incredible trajectory over the past three years since their competitive debut in 2020. They’ve gained a cult following in both their home region and the wider world with a combined Twitter, Twitch, and Instagram followings of over 112,000, 297,000, and 137,000 respectively, and their path to success and international renown has become a success story of modern Counter-Strike.

With the backing of holistic coaching partner Ground+Air, Guild Esports will support this ascension even further, as Counter-Strike esports takes a step into the future with the launch of Counter-Strike 2 (CS2).

Ground+Air is a performance and wellbeing consultancy that will be delivering a specialist coaching and education programme to Guild Esports’ CS2 roster, designing a tailored state-of-the-art ‘Elite Performance Programme’. Ground+Air has experience inside and outside   esports having built and delivered Oracle Red Bull Racing’s Performance Accelerator Programme for F1 Esports. Ground+Air brings years of experience and best practices in building programmes from other sectors; including elite professional football, motor racing, entertainment, banking, and technology to build a programme designed to augment in-game performance with out-of-game wellbeing.

Guild Esports intends to deploy this programme to both established and developmental teams under the Guild Esports banner. The programme will consist of a blend of one-to-one coaching and team development workshops, delivered by performance experts from across the worlds of education, elite sports, business, and esports.

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The launch event, held one day before launch in the UK, saw guests check-in, taken through security and into a buzzing Terminal experience – with early gameplay, one day ahead of launch on PlayStation®5, and DJ sets from DnB trailblazers, Chase & Status, and DnB sensation DJ and producer Bou.

Lucky fans who won their spot at the launch through entering competitions were able to grab a bite to eat from Terminal’s known and loved restaurant, Burger Town, explore the space, get hands on with the game, and get a quick trim, Soap style, from the Monster Energy barbers.

In attendance at the MWIII launch event were Alex Iwobi, Fran Kirby, ArrDee and Diddy’s son King Combs who jumped straight onto the PS5 banks to play the latest edition to the franchise. 

When asked about playing the Modern Warfare III event, they said “it‘s a mad crossover with music and gaming in general – it’s obviously a really cool thing to be part of.”

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Anyone interested in coming to the SideQuest Watch Parties can sign up through the SideQuest Gamers Hub app, where members can access discounted Watch Party passes [also known as ‘special prices’]. Walk-ins on the day of the Watch Party are available, however, will not be eligible for the discounted prices and bundles. Please visit the app for more information, or alternatively contact your local SideQuest Gamers Hub location.

As part of the Watch Party events, SideQuest have created an exclusive drink as part of their Bubble Tea Menu, called the Summoners Cup, inspired by one of the most popular events in esports. The all-new and all-blue Pina Colada variation will be sold for half-price during the watch parties. A special Worlds Happy Hour drinks bundle will also be available during the watch parties.

Visitors can also expect a series of activations, giveaways and special surprises during the events. Including gifts from Riot Games!

Watch Parties will start at 8am every day, starting from November 2nd. Some stores will be open 24 hours and offer all-night activities leading up to the matches in the morning. All-nighters will take place at Charing Cross, Coventry and Elephant Park locations.

Details about the individual venues, opening times and specific offers is available through the SideQuest Gamers Hub website. 

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The WE Summit will bring together key esports and sports industry executives, global brands, government officials and representatives from the IESF’s 140 member federations to enhance the World Esports Family’s understanding of the current esports ecosystem, its challenges and solutions. Esports experts will engage in insightful discussions and problem-solving sessions on the rapidly evolving trends in esports.

The two-day event will feature an impressive line-up of speakers including IESF Acting President HRH Prince Faisal Bin Bandar Bin Sultan Al Saud of Saudi Arabia, Electronic Sports League (ESL) SVP of Public Affairs David Nichel, COO of Ninjas in Pyjamas & Co-Founder of Tribos.AI Jonas Gundersen, CEO of IHC Dave Lee and many more to be announced in the coming weeks.

IESF Secretary General Boban Totovski said:

Several panel topics will be explored, including the impact of esports, education, competitive success, health, legacy, and more. The WE Summit will feature keynote speakers and discussions with global teams and brands such as ESL, NIP, IHC, OG, and FITGMR.

The event will be open to the public with a live audience. Everyone interested in attending can reserve their spot on the WE Summit’s Official Page.

Following the World Esports Championships in Iasi, Romania, where a record 111 countries from six continents took part, and the announcement of Saudi Arabia as the host of the 2024 WE Championships, the IESF looks to continue its commitment to growing and innovating Esports worldwide.

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IESF Secretary General Boban Totovski said:

The coveted prize for the first place winner is a certificate from IESF Acting President HRH Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud and KRW 4,000,000 ($2,985). Second and third place winners will also receive a certificate from the IESF Acting President and KRW 2,000,000 ($1,492) and KRW 1,000,000 ($745) respectively. The research results will also be published in the World Esports Archive.

The application period is now open until 3 December. Submissions will be judged between 4 and 15 December, and winners will be announced between 18 and 22 December. More information on how to submit an entry can be found at iesf.org/we-academia-competition-23/ and entries can be made here.

Since 2021, the WE Academia Competition has brought together members of the World Esports Family to encourage new ideas and academic research that will benefit the future of esports. In 2022, “Diversification of Esports Events for the Guarantee of Right for the Disabled” and “Using Self-Sustainable Energy Generation as a Multi-functional Strategy to Improve the Overall Health, Wellness, and Well-being of Esports Athletes” took home the competition’s top honors.

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In the third episode of Behind The Sims, those topics are included:

• The Sims 4 Home Chef Hustle Stuff add-on pack,
• New content related to The Sims Mobile and The Sims FreePlay,
• New updates about Project Rene and information about new shopping opportunities.

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World Series of Warzone (WSOWTM) Global Final

Esports champions from around the world will come together to compete in front of their fans for a share of an impressive $600,000 prize pool.

WSOW 2023 will see the world’s most skilled Call of Duty®: Warzone players fly to London and take to the stage to compete. 2023 is a unique year for the competition as, for the first time ever, players in Latin America and Asian Pacific will be able to qualify for the WSOW Global Final, making it the most international competition yet.

Will Fifakill team up with abWizz and OEKIY to bring the trophy to Europe or will TOMMEY team up with Newbz and Almond to take it back to the States? Both trios took home significant prizes at the EU and NA Stage 2 Finals, but it remains to be seen which team will be crowned the ultimate champions. They will be joined by 48 other trios from across six continents.

The Global Final will consist of two main components, the WSOW Trio Squad competition and the iconic SoloYolo competition. The top 50 trios in the world will compete in a custom lobby 6-map series with WSOW scoring and $500K in prize money on the line. The best performing trio will be crowned champion and take home the $100K 1st place prize and priceless street cred.

With its own $100,000 prize pool, the SoloYolo will see the 150 qualifying players from the WSOW Global Finals compete as solos, with the winner being determined by overall placement. If you’re not first, you’re last.

• WSOW Trios Competition 3pm BST / 4pm CEST / 7am PST
• SoloYolo @ 8pm BST / 9pm CEST / 12pm PST

Presented by Prime Gaming, Prime subscribers can also take advantage of the WSOW Designated Driver Pack. The WSOW operator skin also comes with TAQ-V Battle Rifle Weapon Blueprint to be used in game.

You can tune in for the World Series of Warzone Global Final at twitch.tv/CallofDuty on Saturday at 3pm BST / 4pm CEST / 7am PST. Twitch viewers will also have the opportunity to win a MWIII Beta code with 50,000 codes up for grabs. Other prizes include the Lightning Rod Blueprint, “You Dropped This” Camo and XP tokens to use in game.

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