Month: August 2020

Categories
Overwatch

The Overwatch League’s 2020 MVP Candidates are here

The Countdown Cup has concluded and the list of 2020 MVP candidates has been released. Playoffs are soon upon us, and once again it’s time to choose the champion of the League. 10 players were chosen as candidates for the 2020 Overwatch League 2020 season, and each differs in skills and experience.

Here are the 10 candidates for the 2020 Overwatch League MVP: 

  • Min-Ki “Viol2t” Park (San Francisco Shock Shock)
  • Jun-Woo “Void” Kang (Shanghai Dragons)
  • Jun-Ki “Yaki” Kim (Florida Mayhem)
  • Gi-Cheol “Cr0ng” Nam (Guangzhou Charge)
  • Yiliang “Eileen” Ou (Guangzhou Charge)
  • Kyeong-Bo “Alarm” Kim (Philadelphia Fusion)
  • Gi-Hyo “Xzi” Jung (Paris Eternal)
  • Byung-Sun “Fleta” Kim (Shanghai Dragons)
  • Jae-Hyeok “Carpe” Lee (Philadelphia Fusion)
  • Hyo-Bin “Choihyobin” Choi (San Francisco Shock)

Fans can head over to the Overwatch Leagueā€™s website and vote, which weighs in for 25% of the final vote. Not only will the 2020 MVP receive an exclusive jersey patch and in-game skin, but they will also be awarded $100,000. Out of the ten players, below are my top 5 most likely MVP’s.

Top 5 MVP’s

https://twitter.com/overwatchleague/status/1292552240159494148

Kyeong-Bo “Alarm” Kim (Philadelphia Fusion)

The Philadelphia Fusionā€™s support player has been an aggressive force on the squad. Alarm is an adaptive support player who excels on just about every hero. The support star has put on a display with Brigitte and wiped out entire teams, and more recently, his Ana has been a lifesaver for the Fusion. They acquired Alarm from their Tier 2 Contenders team, Fusion University, in October of 2019. Fusion University went on a tyrannical raid through North America Contenders and in part to this talented support. Coming into the Overwatch League was a natural step for Alarm, and he kept pace with the rest for his veteran squad. He has had a highlight-reel performance so far this year, using Ana to shut down just about every team in the League.

Jae-Hyeok “Carpe” Lee (Fusion)

The veteran damage player Carpe has had a roller-coaster career so far in the Overwatch League. The GOATS era was rough for Carpe but the new meta and an improved team have enabled his 200 IQ plays. Carpeā€™s hitscan prowess is undeniable, but his adaptability during the Summer Showdown was astounding. Carpe found new life on Ashe, setting up EQO for devastation. So far Carpe has been having a golden season, flexing onto Symetra when needed, but maintaining an intelligent playstyle. Carpe didn’t see much playtime in the Countdown Cup but has never ceased to amaze.

Hyo-Bin “Choihyobin” Choi (San Francisco Shock)

Choihyobin is the San Francisco Shockā€™s secret weapon and has been for a while. The impact he makes in team fights is subtle, often setting up the superstars of the squad to do some damage. Choihyobin has proved to be a clever and annoying Wrecking Ball, contesting former Ball master Ding “Ameng” Menghan. On Sigma, Choi has been even more useful, setting up Gravitic Fluxes that trap entire teams in midair. He saves his Accretion ability for the perfect stuns and in the Countdown Cup he flexed over to Zarya with much success. This year, Choi has finally had the chance to shine on the Shock squad and show what he is truly capable of.

Byung-Sun “Fleta” Kim (Shanghai Dragons)

Fleta is a player who has been looking for this moment of recognition for years it seems like. The Fleta deadlift is well known in the Overwatch League community due to Fletaā€™s inhuman ability to pull back team fights from defeat. Fleta has incredible game-sense, otherworldly aim, and a deep hero pool. During the Summer Showdown, Fleta had a nasty Genji that showed no respect for his former team. Transferring from the Seoul Dynasty to the Shanghai Dragons allowed Fleta to break free and experiment with an improved Shanghai squad. The late pick up in November of 2019 was a crucial one to Fletaā€™s career, and so far, he has been the main proponent to keeping the Shanghai Dragons on top in Asia. 

Gi-Hyo “Xzi” Jung (Paris Eternal)

Most expected Yeong-han “SP9RK1E” Kim to make this list, but another rookie from the Paris Eternal has made a guest feature instead. Xzi is a hitscan specialist who has put down more than half of the League. The rookie has incredible game sense and knows how to play around his tanks to utterly dismantle the opposition. On Ashe, Xzi is an expert at chunking down the enemy and making it possible for Sp9rk1e to dash back and forth cleaning up any low health enemies. However, Xzi might be the deadliest Widowmaker in the League currently given his performance in the Finals of the Summer Showdown. Xzi is not the main damage player of choice for the Paris Eternal, but he is one of passion and potential, always learning and adapting to the big leagues.

Previous MVPs include Sung-hyeon “JJoNak” Bang and Jay “sinatraa” Won, support, and tank/damage player respectively. Voting runs until August 28th and can be done on Twitter or the OWL website. As previously stated the fansā€™ vote only accounts for 25% of the final decision, with the other 75% being left to the professionals. Make sure to head to the Overwatch League’s website to cast your vote for the Overwatch League’s 2020 MVP.

Categories
Call of Duty

2020 CDL Playoffs: A closer look at the teams competing

The finale of the CDL season is just under two weeks away. With the CDL playoffs bracket all set, let’s take a look at which teams stand the best chance of taking home the ultimate prize – the CDL Championship.

Atlanta FaZe

Atlanta FaZe proved their dominance from the outset as they won their home series back in February. The young squad racked up an impressive 280 CDL points this year, placing them at the top of the standings. Being the number one seed, Atlanta FaZe will only have to win two games to make it to the final. With their strong form this season and impressive individual talent, it will take some doing to stop this lot taking home the trophy.

Player to watch: Cellium

Chicago Huntsmen

The Huntsmen came out victorious in the first proper home series of the season, CDL London. On paper, Chicago looked to be favourites to take the league by storm and take number one seed. However, due to some dips in form and a slight roster change, Huntsmen are placed in joint third with 230 CDL points. They will need to win four games to make it to the final, and if they turn up, the chances are you’ll be seeing them on Championship Sunday.

Player to watch: Prestinni

Dallas Empire

Second seed, Dallas Empire, start their playoff run in the same position as FaZe. They will only need to win two games to make it to the final after earning a total of 260 CDL points. The boys on Dallas won three events this year and seem to be going from strength to strength. As they start in a strong position, it’s hard to imagine them not going all the way to the final.

Player to watch: Shotzzy

Florida Mutineers

In a late run of form, Florida Mutineers won three events this season. They sit in third place in the standings, needing to win three games to make it to the championship final. With a heap of raw talent throughout the squad, Florida are definitely ones to look out for in playoffs.

Player to watch: Skyz

London Royal Ravens

The Royal Ravens have had quite the up and down season. One event they seemed the best in the game and the next the complete opposite. They finished the 2020 season in sixth place with 120 CDL points. This places them in winners bracket for playoffs where they will face Toronto Ultra in round one. After coming so close in regular season, it will be interesting to see if they can finally clutch up when it matters most.

Player to watch: Wuskin

Los Angeles Guerillas

Los Angeles Guerillas were a team with so much potential yet nothing to show for it. They placed rock bottom of the standings giving them the twelfth seed in the playoff bracket. Guerillas will start in the losers bracket and will have the toughest run in the playoffs as a result of their poor regular season performance. However, anything can happen at CoD Champs and a surprise run for the Guerillas might not be as impossible as it seems.

Player to watch: Decemate

Los Angeles OpTic Gaming

OpTic Gaming proved to be the better team in Los Angeles but also underperformed massively. They finished the season in ninth place with 100 CDL points and will start in the losers bracket in playoffs. After two huge roster changes, OpTic Gaming still haven’t found their groove. Although they face the hardest route to the final, they have a good chance of making it far in the bracket.

Player to watch: Slasher

Minnesota Rokkr

Minnesota are among three teams that sit on 120 CDL points. This places them in the winners bracket for playoffs, which gives them a much better chance of making a run. Minnesota have proved at times that they can outperform most teams in the league. They have a solid team consisting of Alexx, Asim, Assault, Exceed and SiLLY. Facing New York Subliners in the first round, they will look to cause some upsets later in the bracket.

Player to watch: Asim

New York Subliners

New York Subliners fought their way to fifth place in the standings after earning 140 CDL points throughout the season. They managed to win their home series event which gave them the boost they needed to secure a winners bracket position heading into playoffs. With their form being up and down through the year, we may see New York cause chaos or blow out early.

Player to watch: Mack

Paris Legion

Despite a couple of higher placings, Paris Legion finished in tenth place with 100 CDL points. They will start their playoff journey in the losers bracket meaning they must remain unbeaten if they wish to stand a chance. The player quality is certainly not lacking in the Paris roster, however, they need to find some team synergy in order to really pack a punch at playoffs.

Player to watch: Louqa

Seattle Surge

Seattle had all the makings of a top three team at the start of the year. The three time world champion, Karma, was on their side, however, the squad just couldn’t find their form. Surge placed joint last in the standings and will have a difficult run in playoffs. It is hard to see them doing well with their current run of form.

Toronto Ultra

Toronto Ultra will start in winners bracket and face the Royal Ravens in round one. After winning the final home series of the season, they will look to continue their good form into playoffs and cause some upsets. As champs will be played online for the first time ever, anything could happen. Players may be unhappy with the online format, but we will undoubtedly see some outstanding Call of Duty.

Player to watch: CleanX

Who do you think will be crowned CDL champions?

Let us know! Follow Dartfrog for all the latest Call of Duty news and analysis on our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitch.

Categories
Dota 2

OMEGA League Europe Immortal Division Overview

We are just a few days away from the beginning of the OMEGA League. The tournament organized by WePlay! and Epic Esports Events will feature the best teams from Europe, CIS, North America, and South America.

Let’s take a look at everything you need to know about the event.

Format

https://twitter.com/WePlayDota2_/status/1290976870113173506?s=20

The Immortal division will have a total of twelve teams. Ten of the participants were directly invited, whereas the other two had to go through qualifiers. The total prize pool for the event is $600,000. However, Europe will take “only” $500,000.

The twelve teams will be placed into two groups with six teams each. All the matches there will be Bo3, and the top two teams will advance to the Upper Bracket of the playoffs. The team that finishes third will move to the Lower Bracket of the playoffs.

The fourth and fifth-placed teams will have to fight in the Play-in Stage. Depending on their performance there, they will either end up in the Divine Upper Bracket or Immortal Lower Bracket. Lastly, the team that finishes last in both groups will go to the Upper Bracket of the Divine vision.

As for the playoffs, we will see a classic double-elimination bracket where every single game is Bo3. However, the Grand Final will be a Bo5.

Teams

Alongside the top European & CIS teams, the tournament organizers decided to let Evil Geniuses take part as well. Even though they are a North American team, the prize pools for the region aren’t good, which forces the team to compete outside their territory.

Apart from EG, the other team that definitely stands out here is Team Secret. Needless to say, Puppey and his team-mates have proven themselves as the most dominant force in Dota 2. Ever since COVID-19 destroyed the DPC, the European powerhouse won pretty much every event they played in, which is just impressive.

Another name that’s going to be interesting to follow is Alliance. Nikobaby and co. have had a few fantastic months. In fact, if it wasn’t for Team Secret, the TI 3 champions would have won numerous events. Even though they’ve lost almost all of their matches against Secret, Alliance proved that they have what it takes to win against the best teams in the world.

Last, but definitely not least, we have Team Nigma and Virtus.Pro. These two powerhouses have been truly dangerous lately, which is why we believe that they have a solid chance to win, although their journey won’t be easy.

How to watch?

https://twitter.com/WePlayDota2_/status/1289522409805053952?s=20

If you want to watch this amazing tournament, you have to go to WePlay!’s Twitch Channel.

Don’t forget to follow DartFrog onĀ Twitter,Ā Facebook,Ā Instagram, andĀ TwitchĀ for the latest Dota 2 news.

Categories
Dota 2

OMEGA League Europe CIS Qualifiers: The teams to watch

August is usually the most interesting month for every Dota 2 player out there. This is when players get the chance to compete in the biggest Esports even in the world – The International. However, due to COVID-19, Valve has decided to postpone the event. So, instead of watching the best teams in the world playing live for $30,000,000, we have to watch online tournaments to stay satisfied.

In the online tournament space, there is one that stands out – the OMEGA League. This is an event that brings together the best teams from Europe, CIS, China, SA, and NA. Although all regions are pretty fun to watch, Europe and CIS definitely bring the most hype.

We still have a few weeks until this event begins. However, the closed qualifiers kicked off this week, where we were blessed to see some great teams battling it out.

Group A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLQyX5OmAfU

Cyber Legacy is the team that stands out in Group A. The Russian team had little to no trouble against Khan and will now play against Team Empire. Needless to say, this is the squad that most consider a favourite in this group.

Group B

The second group contains a few teams who have a legit chance to win. Nonetheless, the team that stands out is HellRaisers. HR were expected to be among the directly invited squads, especially after their performance in the last couple of months. However, it seems the organizers decided to put them to the test.

After winning against Voldemort, they will now have to go up against Omegalil. Do not miss the series because it stands to be pretty epic.

Group C

There are two pretty good teams here that many people want to see in the big event – B8 and 5men. The second team has managed to win today, which means that they will wait to see what will happen between B8 and MOTACI. If Danil “Dendi” Ishutin and his team-mates win, they will have to go toe to toe with their biggest enemies in this group.

Group D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faKmt7IHLeY

The last group in these qualifiers is also an arena of epic action. There is one team that stands above the rest on paper, and that’s Team Unique. The CIS powerhouse is in excellent form recently, which is why we believe that they will be among the winners moving into the main tournament.

Feel free to follow DartFrog on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitch for the latest Dota 2 news.

Categories
Overwatch

The Countdown Cup’s opening weekend was heated

The final tournament of the Overwatch League 2020 season has begun. Many of the teams that competed over the weekend needed a win to keep the dream of playoffs alive. The Countdown Cup is the final tournament of the regular 2020 season. The wins that teams secure in the tournament will only benefit them going into Playoffs in September.

The Fusion Control Countdown Cup

The Countdown Cup kicked off over the weekend with the Philadelphia Fusion maintaining dominance in North America. The Fusion is currently the #1 team in North America after delivering a 3-0 loss to the Dallas Fuel and L.A. Valiant. The clean wins were exactly what the former champions needed, putting them in a favourable position fo the Countdown Cup.

The Vancouver Titans lost a close match to the Toronto Defiant, slipping up on Lijiang Tower and handing the Defiant the win. Vancouver was able to claim victory over the Boston Uprising but, it could be their last win of the year. The Titansā€™ 2020 season has been a downhill derby, losing matches that should be within their reach. The 2020 Vancouver Titans are not the same as the 2019 Vancouver Titans, and the hope is that 2021 will be better.

The latter half of the 2020 season has been monumental for the Philadelphia Fusion and Paris Eternal. The San Francisco Shock were expected to make it this far, but the other two have clawed their way to the top three of North America. The Eternal has been on a hot streak, wiping out every team they face. Week 24 and 25 featured a few unfair matchups benefiting the Paris Eternal, but the wins donā€™t deter from their fame. Already the Paris squad has defeated the San Francisco Shock and the Philadelphia Fusion, the only two teams standing between them and another tournament title.

Shanghai Dragons Dominate in the East

In Asia, the Shanghai Dragons have continued their reign of terror and the Seoul Dynasty maintained their losing streak. The last two weekends have set up a narrative for the Countdown Cup in which the Shanghai Dragons and Chengdu Hunters compete in the Finals. The Seoul Dynasty have failed to show up and perform in recent months. They have lost to nearly every team in Asia, and canā€™t seem to find their footing. They lost 2-3 to the Chengdu Hunters who are currently thriving and went on to defeat the Hangzhou Spark 3-0.

The Dragons in the East have maintained a tight grip on the Asia region. The New York Excelsior provided little resistance against the Dragons over the weekend. New York has had a less than favourable season this year, but are still a team of highly capable players. In Week 25 the Dragons took out the Seoul Dynasty 3-0, and the London Spitfire, 3-2. London has fleeting moments of greatness but lacks the consistency needed to win a tournament.

The Countdown Cup had a fiery opening weekend and it is only expected to get better. Not only do teams want the tournament title, but they are also fighting for a spot in the Playoffs. For some teams, the Countdown Cup is their final chance at making an appearance in the postseason.