Author: Tamara

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FIFA

Norwich City Crowned as 2021/22 ePremier League Champions

Norwich City have been crowned the 2021/22 ePremier League Champions, with Damien ‘Damie’ Augustyniak and Jack ‘GoalPoacher_’ Wignall winning the title for the Canaries! The EA SPORTS™ FIFA 22 finals were held in-person for the first time in three years, and was broadcasted live on Sky Sports and EA’s Twitch channel. The tournament was a thrilling journey that concluded in an even more exciting climax!

On Saturday, March 26th, GoalPoacher_ and Damie went unbeaten in four matches to top Group D, billed the ‘Group of Death’. Then in Sunday’s knockout fixtures, a fine performance from Damie was enough to see the pair beat Chelsea 5-2 on aggregate in the quarter-finals. The Norwich duo had already proved to be a dream team, and hoped to carry that momentum into the semi-finals. Damie played out a tense 0-0 draw against last year’s runner-up Olle “Ollelito” Arbin, creating a bit of suspense ahead of GoalPoacher_’s matchup. A 2-1 victory for Goalpoacher_ over Mitchell Hayward saw the Canaries overcome Leeds United to progress to the Grand Final.

Damie and Goalpoacher_ would go on to defeat Brentford duo Sam ‘SamBrwster’ Brewster and Peace ‘czohino’ Chirwa in Sunday evening’s Grand Final, thanks to a 5-1 aggregate victory. After clinching the title, Damie reflected on his journey to the gold, saying:

“Words can’t describe how I’m feeling right now. The standard of player this year went up a level, so it feels a bit surreal to call myself an ePremier League Champion. I’m so proud to lift the trophy, for the first ever time, and I’m pleased that the hard work has paid off.”

Goalpoacher_ also shared his thoughts, saying:

“This is my first ePremier League title and lifting the trophy is a moment that I’ll never forget. It has been a tough tournament, but I feel that Damien and I worked well as a team and, together, managed to progress past any opponent who stood in our way. I was always confident that we’d have a chance, but to go and win the tournament is a dream come true.”

LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 27: Jack Wignall (L) and Damien Augustyniak of Norwich City celebrate their victory over Brentfordin the Final of the ePremier League Grand Finals at Here East on March 27, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Christopher Lee/Getty Images for ePremier League)

The winning pair also picked up a £30,000 first prize for their efforts, totaling £15,000 per player. Both Damie and Goalpoacher_ have also earned spots in the EA SPORTS™ FIFA 22 Global Series European Playoffs! Premier League Commercial Director Will Brass congratulates Norwich City and anticipates another season of competition, saying, “We look forward to the next season of the ePremier League, providing clubs with a unique opportunity to engage with their fans, and viewers…

For more information visit e.premierleague.com.

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News Rocket League

While Daniel is Rocket League’s Hottest Prospect, he is not Rookie of the Year

Daniel Signs With Spacestation Gaming

Where does the hype come from with Rocket League Championship Series rookie Daniel? Daniel Piecenski entered the professional Esports world in 2020 when he was just 13 years old. He reached Rank S in Rocket League 6 Mans, putting him at RLCS level. The minimum age to play in RLCS events is 15, so Daniel wouldn’t join the league until this year. He signed with Spacestation Gaming and is already competing at what many would say is at a “Rookie-of-the-year” level.

Despite his fanfare, Daniel has stiff competition for Rookie-of-the-Year. Daniel may be a top prospect, but other rookies like Seikoo and Vatira are performing well above what many would say is prospect level. Seikoo led Team Endpoint to wins in two of the three Fall regional events, making his team the top seed in Europe. Meanwhile, Daniel’s stellar play culminated in a peak of second place at the Winter Regional Event 1 – X Games Open.

During the Winter Europe Regional Events, Vatira made his case for Rookie of the Year. Team Queso took first place in two of three regional events, including a win over Team Endpoint in event three’s Grand Final. This matchup saw Vatira come face to face with his Rookie of the Year competition in Seikoo. Although Team Queso walked away with the victory, Vatira did not massively outplay Seikoo. Seikoo’s score across seven games was the highest on his team, with many asserting that Vatira got more production from his teammates.

Where was Daniel in all of this? Spacestation Gaming was bounced out of the playoffs in round one of the third North American Regional Event. The squad finished in 10th place, which is a bit of a regression from their performance in the Fall regional events before Daniel joined. Daniel has put together a great first showing, especially considering how young he is and the improvements he’ll be able to make from playing at RLCS level. But compared to others in the Rookie of the Year race, his team hasn’t accomplished enough to overtake players like Vatira and Seikoo.

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News Rocket League

Boston Scott’s Eventful History with Rocket League

Boston Scott Joins Dignitas Rocket League

During the day, NFL running back Boston Scott is hitting the gym, practicing with his team, the Philadelphia Eagles, and scoring touchdowns on the field. At night though, he’s grinding on Rocket League where he ranks in the top .52% of players all-time. Scott has been a long-time Rocket League enthusiast, and his hard work culminated when he officially entered the esports world! Scott recently signed with Dignitas to play for their Rocket League team professionally, making him the first two-sport NFL and Rocket League pro. Here is Boston Scott’s eventful history with Rocket League…

During the 2021 NFL off-season, Scott began streaming Rocket League on Twitch with content creators like SunlessKhan. When training camp began, his streaming grind slowed; but he made it clear how much he missed playing the game live. He formed a relationship with Gridiron Gaming Group, promoting and competing in their Rocket League tournaments. He showed great interest in not only the game itself but the esports scene and its surrounding culture. Following a tough loss on the NFL field, playing Rocket League was Scott’s distraction of choice.

He’d often post highlights from his games, and tag Rocket League‘s official accounts to share his passion. Later in 2021, Scott expressed his disappointment when he wasn’t invited to participate in the Gridiron Games. Fans were just as confused and disappointed, but this was just the beginning, with more opportunities lying ahead. In early 2022, Scott took to Twitter to declare Rocket League a top-five Esport. He, himself, would join the Esport shortly after, signing with Team Dignitas.

Scott noticed the increasing popularity of Rocket League among NFL players and pitched a Twitch Rivals streamer bowl featuring NFL athletes. He’s remained heavily involved in creating a bridge between the NFL and Rocket League esports, working behind the scenes on a to-be-announced project. He should have fewer issues getting invited to events as he’s proven his commitment to the Rocket League Esport and community. Factor in the fact that he’s pretty good at the game, so Dignitas certainly has an interesting journey ahead with Boston Scott.

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News Rocket League

What Akrew’s Disappointing Rocket League Debut Means For Their Future

Akrew Rocket League Team

Akrew found success during the pandemic with the creation of Nookazon and Traderie, two platforms where players can trade and sell video game items. Akrew again found success with the launch of their Valorant esports team, amassing a win streak of over 30 games. They looked to follow up on this momentum when they announced their entrance into Rocket League esports. The organization acquired Vibrance, a North American team comprised of Ty “Astro” Bullinger, Fernando “Fefe” Hulzar, Arlin “Oath” Burns, and substitute Rhys “Gear” Peña. Unfortunately, things have not immediately gone as well as they have with Akrew’s other ventures.

Akrew’s Rocket League team just competed in their first series with the organization, the Winter RLCS 2021-2022 North American Regional Closed Qualifier. The team finished in 12th place with a sub .500 record of 8-9, failing to qualify for the third Regional Event. They’re performance in round one against Torrent was already underwhelming and fell below what we’ve seen from Astro and company in the past. They lost the series three games to two, including two straight overtime losses and a scoreless finale. While playing as Vibrance, this same team finished in second place at the Fall 2021-2022 RLCS North American Regional Event Closed Qualifier with a 9-5 record.

Right out of the gate, it would appear as if the team is was showing signs of regression while playing for their new organization. In reality, it’s more likely that the team is simply not improving at a rate fast enough to rise the ranks. This makes sense considering they’ve operated as a mostly independent team up until this point. Rosters they’ve beaten decisively in the past, like Version1 and XSET, have made it to the main event and are seeing increased amounts of success. The ability to not only compete with but also defeat these teams is there; Akrew will just have to find ways to refine their team strategies and execute new ones.

This could actually be the perfect dynamic since Akrew has more than enough resources to enhance the team’s training, and a talented roster for the molding. From an organization standpoint, Akrew will need to invest in the development of the team and remain patient as their players grow and improve. Both Oath and Fefe just joined the team last year in July with Astro being the only on-field mainstay to this point. He’s been with the team since 2020 and was a part of its revival in May of last year. With a talented and young cornerstone to build around, Akrew has the chance to create their own identity for this squad and etch a unique path.

So what does this mean for Akrew’s future in Rocket League? It means that fans are probably going to see roster changes and gameplay adjustments in the coming year. As the organization becomes more abreast in the esports world, it’s important for them to take their time and avoid expanding too fast. Two teams competing in two different games, especially when one is already struggling, is a tall task as is. Fans should definitely be intrigued by Akrew’s Rocket League venture; and keep an eye on what the adjustments they make for the next series.

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Industry Analysis

How the PlayStation VR 2 Will Innovate the VR Landscape

PlayStation VR Graphic

The official PlayStation VR 2 product page is up, and there’s a lot to unpack. In some ways, Sony is playing catchup, and adapting their next VR product to the landscape of the market. In other ways, the PlayStation VR 2 will offer new innovations that users have yet to see from its competitors. 

Sony has finally made the switch from traditional lenses to Fresnel lenses. Fresnel lenses are already standard for VR headsets, but this change is significant for Sony’s product. PlayStation VR 1 featured traditional lenses with a smooth circular design. Fresnel lenses utilize short, clipped ridges that negate the warped light produced by smoother edges, and create a clearer resolution. On top of that, Fresnel lenses are lighter, cheaper, and more flexible.

Fresnel lens left, Traditional lens right

Despite being the more practical option, Fresnel lenses have their own flaws. They can sometimes produce an optical artifact known as God Rays. This is when light rays bounce off the ridges of the lens into unwanted directions. As a result, small shimmers of light appear in the peripheral of the user. There has yet to be a VR headset that corrects this light distortion… until now.

An example of God Rays on the Oculus Quest via Reddit

Sony seems to have invented a way to counteract this effect according to a recent patent filing. The tech giant claims that new innovations for the PlayStation VR 2 will combat God Rays by adding light-absorbing sections of each lens. These sections will be incorporated as a mask that covers the entire panel, or be built directly into the ridges themselves. If Sony succeeds with their new idea, other VR developers will likely look to play catchup and find their own workarounds. Fans have yet to see what the PlayStation VR 2 looks like, yet they can already expect a whole new experience upon its release. 

Notable upgrades include an increase in per-eye resolution from 960 x 1080 panels up to 2000 x 2040 4k. Users of the first PlayStation VR will be able to switch on the new one and immediately tell the difference. As it stands, the PlayStation VR 2 will have a higher resolution screen and wider field of view than its lead competitor, the Meta Quest 2. Sony has also confirmed that the new headsets will indeed have eye-tracking. This should make things interesting when Horizon Call of the Mountain makes its way to PlayStation VR.

There is zero news regarding the PlayStation VR 2 release date, though many have speculated it will arrive during the 2022 Holiday season.

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Industry Analysis

What is the Metaverse and Why Meta Invested $10 Billion Into It

Facebook Horizon Worlds

Mark Zuckerberg is all-in on the metaverse! The tech moguls company, Meta, poured $10 billion into their metaverse last year alone. The money has gone to the development of their virtual world, which Zuckerberg hopes to expand for business and personal uses. The future of the metaverse could see users opting to live their lives through these virtual worlds as opposed to normal reality. To understand what this means, one would have to understand what the metaverse is, how it works in the present day, and the future that’s yet to be realized.

Firstly, the metaverse is not a singular place. There are multiple metaverses; some owned by large corporations like Meta, while others are operated independently. Independent metaverses are referred to as decentralized, and have their own unique virtual currencies associated with them. These currencies can be used to purchase things like land, digital assets, and other goods all within the virtual world. Ways of accessing a metaverse would depend on whether or not the world is decentralized; but a PC and VR headset are the most common ways to experience it.

As of now, Zuckerberg’s focus is creating virtual office spaces where people working from home can hold meetings as if they were in person. The COVID-19 pandemic brought us the rise of Zoom and opened the eyes of many companies in relation to the work-from-home model that many look to capitalize on. Meta is also designing virtual homes where users can host friends and socialize in the metaverse as they would in the real world. In 2021, the company opened a virtual reality world of avatars titled Horizon Worlds. Users can access the game via the company’s Oculus Quest 2 VR headsets; which have recently been rebranded as Meta Quest 2 VR headsets.

The almost aggressive rebranding of Meta’s IPs to include the Meta name is a pretty clear signal of what’s to come. The company recently announced that these 3D VR avatars will soon appear on their other apps like Facebook, Messenger and Instagram. The goal seems to be the rapid normalizing and implementation of metaverse activity into everyday life. Pretty soon, it won’t be a foreign concept for people to do their shopping, learning, and even traveling within a metaverse. However, the world has already seen not only the advantages of virtual living, but also the drawbacks that stand to only become more impactful.

The more of a reliance people gain towards metaverses, the more they are at the mercy of these virtual platforms. The metaverse is still in its infancy and there are a lot of unknowns regarding the future of the technology. Blockchain activity is constantly under fire for its perceived effects on the environment, and many who’ve put money into digital assets such as NFTs feel as if they have nothing to show for it in the end. A company like Meta was already able to require Facebook accounts for its VR headset users; and would wield a lot of power if the metaverse became a synonymous part of everyday living. In short, corporations already have leverage over their products and services, but the metaverse could possibly give them leverage over society’s everyday autonomy.

Just to be clear, there is a lot to be excited about as more and more of the virtual world is realized. Meta saw an 8% drop in profits during the final quarter of 2021; which can be chocked up to the $10 billion they’ve invested into their metaverse so far. With not only endless capital, but seemingly endless possibilities, Zuckerberg has the ability to produce something very special.

Categories
FIFA

FIFA Streamer Castro1021 Has FUT Coin Distribution Ban Lifted By EA

Castro1021 Reacts to Being Banned from FUT Trade Market

Edwin Castro, better known as Castro_2021, is one of the FIFA community’s most popular content creators; with 3.3 million Twitch followers. He was streaming FIFA 22 live to thousands when an “Important Notice” screen popped up, informing him he had been permanently banned from the FUT transfer market for “FUT Coin distribution.” Castro was visibly and audibly as shocked, upset, and confused as his audience.

The aftermath included many players coming out about their own experiences, saying they too had been wrongfully banned for FUT Coin distribution. Castro’s theory is that him dropping a large amount of FIFA points on Black Friday, and purchasing FUT Red Player Picks cards possibly triggered an automated enforcement system. These kinds of card are earned through Weekend League matches, and players aren’t suppose to be able to trade them. However, there is no mechanism in place to keep them from being sold, nor did Castro abuse any meta-factors to do so. Castro’s FIFA play is broadcasted on a public platform, so any attempts to engage in FUT Coin distribution would be easily detected, and a manual review would have stopped this ban from ever happening.

This is clearly becoming a prevalent problem within the games community, with Castro’s high profile case drawing extra attention to it. One user on EA’s official answers forum, claimed to have a received a ban for FUT Coin distribution, despite never playing the FIFA Ultimate Team game mode. A community manager for EA responded, stating that the terms of service team had investigated the ban manually and upheld the decision. There’s still speculation that the initial ban system is automated, and cases of wrongful bans keep popping up everyday. Lucky for Castro, he’s a public figure and had his ban reviewed and overturned pretty swiftly; but the average FIFA player without that luxury is still waiting for a resolution to this problem.

Categories
FIFA

Mason Greenwood FIFA 22 Stats Revamped After Stellar Performance to Start the 2021/22 Season

Mason Greenwood's FIFA 22 Stat Upgrade

In the latest FIFA 22 squad update, Manchester United’s young forward, Mason Greenwood, has received a boost to his in-game stats. Greenwood has surprised many with his strong form, having scored four goals in nine Premiere League appearances for United so far. The 20-year-old is proving to be a bright prospect, and his team isn’t the only one who’s taken notice to it! EA Sports has kept an eye on the Englishmen’s performance since the start of the season, and the plan is for his in-game player to accurately represent his elevated form.

View Some of Mason Greenwood’s Highlights

Greenwood’s overall rating received a one point bump, going from 78 to 79. His potential rating saw the same increase, going from 89 to 90. This may not seem like a lot, but these numbers are a result of various increases in ability stats. Greenwood’s curve and volley saw a two point increase, and they now sit at 78 and 70 respectively. His positioning stat rose from 79 to 82, while his reactions stat went up by one from 77 to 78. The biggest stat bump went to his defensive awareness rating, which gained five points from 35 to 40.

The squad update also gave Greenwood a boost to his skill move rating, which means he now possesses four-star skill moves and a five-star weak foot. FIFA players will not only be more apt to playing with him, but this makes Manchester United that much more of a stacked roster. The team is already home to stars like Christiano Ronaldo, who is one of only four players on United who best Greenwood’s boost to four-star skill moves. Greenwood, however, remains the only player for his club with a five-star weak foot. Greenwood’s continued improvement spells great things for his United and FIFA players who will undoubtedly take advantage of the improved ratings.

Categories
FIFA

EA Sports Considering a FIFA Rebrand: How Will This Affect Players?

FIFA EA Sports Logo
EA Sports FIFA

EA Sports released a statement on their website detailing the future of football and the FIFA series. The developer is considering renaming the series and rebranding the games going forward. On a business level this make sense, but what does this mean for players?

FIFA is essentially synonymous with football games at this point, and fans of the series may have grown attached to the name. However, EA Sports has plans to expand the games in a way that can get pigeonholed by continually bearing the name of one particular association. In their statement, EA explains a bit about this vision, saying:

“We continually invest in the partnerships and licenses that are most meaningful to players… The breadth of our partnerships and our ecosystem of licensed content will enable us to continue to bring unrivaled authenticity in our EA SPORTS football games”

FIFA may be EA’s most high-profile partnership, but they license over 700 teams and more than 30 leagues from around the world. There’s also interest in expanding the inclusion of women’s and grassroots football. EA feels as if the FIFA name does not accurately represent the broader vision for the future of the series.

What this means is that players can look forward to an even larger scale game with new content. That includes more leagues, a deeper dive into women’s football, as well as the different depictions and licenses that come along with that. There may be a nostalgia aspect to the FIFA name, but it’ll be traded for the ability to play in new locations and with new players as the game expands. Business wise, this change has been a long time coming; with many who feel the games have done more for the actual association than licensing the name ever did for EA. From a players perspective the name doesn’t matter as much, but the direction in which this means the series is going definitely does.

Categories
Rocket League

How Will The RLCS League Expansion Affect the 2021-2022 Season?

RLCS is Back Graphic

Psyonix revealed some big changes coming to the The Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS) 2021-2022 season in a new announcement trailer. Along with a revamped format, the league has expanded to add three new regions. RLCS will now include the Asia-Pacific North, Asia-Pacific South, Middle East and North Africa regions.

This encompasses an assortment of countries like India, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, and many more. Psyonix told press that the new regions have been scouted and possess a “competitive pool of players.” What this means for the upcoming season is that there will be a lot more moving parts and lot of new faces rising the ranks. To make the integration as smooth as possible, there will also be a new format meant to “increase the uniformity” of the league and competitions. RLCS X was admittedly their biggest format change ever, but of course a league expansion requires much needed format amendments.

The Fall, Winter and Spring Splits will return this season, with each Split consisting of three Regional Events capped with a Major. All Regional Events will begin with an Open-Qualifier, but some teams can auto-qualify for Regional Events based on their performance in previous ones. Each Split features a unique format; the Fall Split employs a Swiss format that feeds into an eight-team, single-elimination bracket, the Winter Split will have teams battle through a Group Stage with four groups which then culminates into an elimination bracket, and finally the Spring Split will employ a simple double elimination format. Points from Regional Events and Majors are used to qualify to the Rocket League World Championship; points earned in the Majors will be weighted more. Other than that, things will mostly play out the same way as last season.

The expansion of the league means expansion of competition, with seven regions vying for a spot in the Rocket League World Championship. Eight of the spots will be taken by auto-qualifications awarded to the Regions that perform the best at Majors. There’s a great chance the RLCS Main Event will look a lot different this year. RLCS returns on October 15th broadcasting on the Rocket League Twitch Channel. Signs-ups open soon!