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Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Trailer Released
Activision have just dropped the multiplayer Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War trailer. The company released the first trailer after a video was leaked of the multiplayer game.
The 3:17 official trailer gives players a taste of what they can expect when the game goes live on November 13. As seen in the clip, Cold War promises excellent graphics and tons of action.
From battling on ships in the Atlantic ocean, through the deserts in Angola, to combat in Miami’s streets, there’s a lot to look forward to in the coming launch.
Asia
Big names missing from LoL Worlds in Shanghai
The League of Legends World Championships is quickly approaching as teams make their way to Shanghai for their 14-day quarantine period ahead of the first games. The campaign is set to start on September 25, with teams finding out this week who they’ll be up against.
However, this year some familiar faces will be missing. Cloud9 have had a dismal year and didn’t make the cut, and neither did the 2019 champions, FunPlus Phoenix. Other notable teams that’ll be missing include Invictus Gaming and T1.
There’ll also be no Vietnamese groups this year as the country is experiencing severe travel restrictions due to COVID-19. As a result, Riot Games have shuffled the qualifiers slightly and reduced the amount of participating teams to 22.
You can expect to see some new and old faces with those that have made it for the group stage and the play-ins. DAMWON Gaming, DRX, Fnatic, Gen.G, and Top Esport are just a few of the 12 seeded into the group stage, while the play-ins include Rainbow7, MAD Lions, and Team Liquid among the 10.
Africa
Anubis boosted by $300k seed funding
The Cairo-based esports team Anubis have seeded $300,000 from an ecommerce group. Last month the organization raised $100,000, bringing the total funding in investments to $450,000.
Anubis have rosters for LoL, Counter-Strike, and Crossfire, and they plan to expand by adding more players to compete in different games. Youssef Mohsen, the organization’s founder, says that they’re planning to use the investment funds to bring in new players, international coaches and launch an apparel line.
Anubis have achieved more than 20 titles since launching in 2015. They are the first African team to reach a high level since becoming the regional champions in Crossfire and participating in the world championship playoffs.
Europe
Cloud9 sign ALEX to CS:GO roster
Alex “ALEX” McMeekin is the first player to sign to Cloud9 since the organization announced plans to rebuild their CS: GO roster. The British Counter-Strike player has reportedly penned a three-year deal worth US $1.65 million.
The new GM, Henry “HenryG” Greer, announced the news via Twitter with details about the philosophy he’d like to bring to the team. There’s no news yet about any other signings, but we at eSportsBet.com will keep you up to date with any developments.
South America
Lelis Named ESL One Thailand MVP
Rodrigo “Lelis” Santos, the Brazilian offlaner that plays for Quincy Crew, has won a Mercedes-Benz and a share of $28,000 after winning the ESL One Thailand 2020 MVP award.
Lelis played a crucial role in Quincy Crew taking the title at ESL One Thailand 2020 Americas. He is part of the team currently participating at BTS Pro Series Season 3, where they’ll look to build on their six-win streak in Dota 2 tournaments.
This is the second time that Lelis was up for the Mercedes-Benz MVP award. He was also nominate for the top prize at ESL One Birmingham, where Lu “Somnus” Yao won.
Oceania
RMIT University win UniSport title
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University have won the inaugural UniSport Australia Esports Championships. RMIT topped the charts with 24 points, finishing six points ahead of Monash University.
The competition came to an end after seven weeks where 15 university teams participated in Rocket League, FIFA 20, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate tournaments. Despite not winning any individual titles, RMIT played well across the board and racked up enough points to put them ahead.
]]>Luke Zelon Launches NXT UP Esports
Luke Zelon, the former Director of Partnerships at Team SoloMid, has launched his new venture, NXT UP Esports. It’s a recreational esports platform with a focus on the youth and young players. The biggest aim of NXT UP is to help youngsters develop and improve their lives in-game and out-of-game.
Zelon believes that his experiences as a child, working at TSM, and playing recreational sports will help the platform flourish. He knows how to combine a traditional sports structure with professional esports team practices.
The company’s inaugural Fall League opened on September 9, for players aged 13-15. The young gamers can enter provided they’re ranked Iron, Bronze, or Silver in League of Legends. The funds from registration will go towards a scholarship program, which will help college students fund their studies towards an industry career.
Asia
kkOma Steps Down as ViCi Coach
Vici Gaming have parted ways with their head coach, Kim “kkOma” Jeong-gyun. Kim decided to return home due to personal reasons and family commitments, as his wife is pregnant. They were in discussion to re-sign in 2021, but they didn’t come to an agreement because of the uncertainty surrounding his family commitments.
The coach parted ways on amicable terms, so there’s a chance that he’ll join them once again. Before joining Vici Gaming, kkOma was crucial in leading his previous team, T1, to three world titles in his seven years with them. Since joining VC, he’s helped the team climb the ladder from a lower ranking to a mid-level.
Africa
Red Bull’s MEO Open to South Africa
In their third Mobile Esports Open, RedBull is focusing on PUBG Mobile. Fortunately for South African players, the local RedBull branch has opened sign-ups for the National Qualifier. Registration is free, and there should be four players per team.
Qualifiers start on September 26 and conclude with the final on the 27th. The winning squad will have a chance to compete in the 2021 World Finals in Turkey.
Europe
Esports Recognized by Ukraine Government
The Ukrainian Professional Esports Association will hold a conference to outline the strategies and vision for the next five years. The news comes after the Ukrainian government decided to recognize esports as an official sporting code.
Various groups and lobbyists, including the Ukrainian Esports Federation, who submitted an application to the Ministry of Youth and Sports, catapulted the decision. Oleksandr Borniakov, the Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation, commented that it’s a historic move for the country, as esports have become a fundamental aspect of the modern digital culture.
Earlier this year, a group including Oleksandr Kokhanovsky bought the Dnipro Hotel in the country’s capital city, Kyiv. They aim to turn it into a venue designed and equipped to host esports competitions and events. If they’re successful, it’ll be the first such location in the world. It will have training and stadium areas, a players’ lounge, and rooms for professionals.
South America
Rainbow7 Land in Shanghai for LoL Worlds
Ahead of the League of Legends 2020 World Championship, regional teams are on their way to Shanghai. The first team to arrive is Rainbow7, from the Latin America League, where they departed from Mexico together.
The LoL Worlds will commence on September 25, but teams will start trickling in now. Everyone that enters must abide by protocols and stay in quarantine for 14 days upon landing.
Oceania
Marvel Super War Esports Booms in Oceania
ESL Australia and NetEase have joined forces and released Marvel Super War Esports, exclusive to the Oceania region. It’s the first time Marvel has explored a MOBA platform, and it looks to be successful.
They have hope that the release will spark more interest in esports across Oceania countries. It’s also an attempt to fill mobile esports ecosystem gaps so that players have an opportunity to play, regardless of the device they use.
ESL Australia will also host two online tournaments to get gamers excited.
]]>CS: GO Legend Series Approved
The Division of Gaming Enforcement in New Jersey has approved online sportsbooks to accept wagers for the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Legend Series. Gambling enthusiasts are allowed to place pre-match and in-play single outcome wagers, such as overall and match-winner.
This is the second time the DGE has approved an esports event for wagering. The first time was last year for the LoL World Championship finals. The director of the New Jersey DGE stated that esports has emerged as a cultural and economic force, quickly matching the same level as traditional sports.
He also said that New Jersey must accommodate gambling fans and how they interact with their favorite team and events. The addition of esports gives sportsbook users a wider variety of betting options and makes the Garden State a more attractive contender for investors that drive the industry.
Asia
Nuguri Will Join LoL Worlds Late
DAMWON Gaming’s key player, Jang “Nuguri” Ha-gwon, will arrive late to the League of Legends World Championship. The young player had to undergo surgery for lung disease, pneumothorax. He is doing well and is set to be discharged from the hospital on September 13.
The rest of the DAMWON Gaming team is set to arrive in Shanghai on September 11, with Nuguri joining on the 18th. All players that attend the event must stay in quarantine for 14 days upon their arrival. Nuguri’s late departure means that he’ll join the Championship a week late.
The LoL Worlds starts September 25, and the DAMWON team are the favorites to win the series. Despite Juguri arriving late, he should be able to play with his teammates in time.
Africa
WRC 9 Toyota Esports Challenge Announced
The African Cyber Gaming League announced that the Toyota Esports Challenge would commence and be played on WRC 9. The series has a $3,600 (equivalent to R60,000) sponsorship from Toyota South Africa.
Submissions open on September 14 for the first stage, with new ones and added restrictions released each week afterward. The final showdown will be on October 14. The competition is open to players on Xbox One, PC, and PlayStation 4, and they can submit multiple submissions every week. However, the best time will be placed on the leaderboard.
All submissions must be uploaded to the ACGL website to stand a chance at being crowned the champion.
Europe
ESL Premiership Add Partnerships
The United Kingdom and Ireland regional ESL Premiership have announced a new partnership deal with Puntt for the 2020 Autumn season. The new partnership provides a different way for the community to interact with the ESL Premiership teams and players.
ESL also announced the extension of their deal with Stakester after the Spring 2020 season. Razor is also one of the latest sponsors to join the regional ESL Premiership.
South America
ESL One Rio Cancelled
Unfortunately, the ESL One Rio 2020 CS: GO Major has been canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. ESL and it’s sponsor, Valve, worked tirelessly through various alternative options for the event to occur, but decided that cancellation would be the best for all involved.
Oceania
Addition to the New Zealand Esports Federation
The Oceanic Esports Dota 2 League playoff week is around the halfway mark, and the Power of Friendship team struggles to find their feet. The squad is battling a 1-15 win-loss record, and it doesn’t seem they can break through. Power of Friendship is bringing a good game, but are stumped at almost every match.
]]>University of Washington launches esports program
UW Esports is the latest addition to the University of Washington. The competitive gaming association is led by students at the school who pushed for the creation of an esports program.
UW is also looking for a manager that’ll oversee the four teams competing in League of Legends, Overwatch, Hearthstone, and Super Smash Bros. All four will receive training space and social media promos as they prepare for collegiate tournaments and leagues. In addition, they’ll get UW Esports jerseys.
Cloud9 announce complete roster rebuild
Cloud9, who were at the top level of Counter Strike: Global Offensive esports in 2018, have announced that they will be dropping their entire roster and starting fresh. The organization let their fans know about the overhaul via Youtube and a post on their website.
The news comes as a result of the roster lacking balance and struggling to achieve the level they had a few years ago. In the meantime, the members will continue to represent Cloud9 until the conclusion of ESL Pro League Season 12.
Asia
TNC Predator crowned ESL One Thailand champions
TNC Predator have won their first online Dota 2 esports event. The team participated at ESL One Thailand, where they defeated BOOM Esports 3-2 to clinch their first title of any kind since the 2019 MDL Chengdu Major.
Damien “kpii” Chok of TNC Predator is also one of the finalists for the ESL One Thailand 2020 Mercedes Benz MVP. Also in the running is Fnatic’s Anucha “Jabz” Jirawong, with the winner of the final vote to receive a new Mercedes Benz car.
Africa
Esports on the incline in South Africa
Kiran Maharaj, chairperson of the University Sports South Africa eSport committee, says that esports is on the rise in SA universities. Over the last year, 17 university teams have joined the esports community.
The industry is still new to the country, and there are some challenges ahead; for example, bandwidth problems and the lack of a dedicated esports federation. However, Maharaj says that students are interested in getting involved, and there’s no need to persuade or encourage them to form teams and join.
The lockdown due to COVID-19 initially presented some issues but has since put esports in the front seat in modern sports engagement.
Europe
Portugal joins Esports Integrity Commission
The Portuguese Esports Federation, which is already a member of the European Esports Federation and the International Esports Federation, has announced that it’ll be joining the Esports Integrity Commission. By becoming a part of the commission, the federation will comply with ESIC’s Player Code of Conduct, Anti-Corruption Code, and Anti-Doping Code.
Tiago Fernandes, president of the Portuguese Esports Federation, says that joining ESI will ensure that players participate in fair competitions. It’ll also boost the esports industry within the country and give commercial partners the confidence to invest in local teams and tournaments.
South America
Logitech G sponsors 9z Team
9z Team, the Argentinean esports organization, has accepted a sponsorship from Logitech G, the team confirmed. The company will provide the team, players, and streamers with all the necessary equipment and technology.
9z Team participate in Riot Games’ LoL and VALORANT, Epic Games’ Fortnite, and Valve’s CS: GO. Their other sponsors include GIGABYTE, BLK, and Red Bull, among others.
Oceania
Addition to the New Zealand Esports Federation
Many industries have struggled since the onset of COVID-19, but esports are thriving all over the world. This is proven by Matt Walsh joining the New Zealand Esports Federation.
Walsh, who is a part-owner of the New Zealand Breakers basketball team, formed Black Sheep, the country’s very first esports organization. His joining the federation could prove to be impactful, as he has a wealth of knowledge and experience in traditional sports that he can carry over to esports.
]]>GEEK FAM vs T1 DOTA 2 BETTING & MATCH DETAILS
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GEEK FAM vs T1 ESL ONE THAILAND 2020 BETTING PREVIEW
Geek Fam will look to make it three wins in a row when they face T1 on the third matchday at ESL One Thailand 2020 Asia.
After winning their opening two fixtures against Question Mark (2-1) and Aster.Aries (2-0), another victory for Geek Fam on Thursday would guarantee them a spot in the playoffs and a shot at US $50,000 in tournament winnings.
The bout with Question Mark (formerly The BOX) was relatively close, as the underdogs managed to force a three-map series with an impressive performance in game two. Nevertheless, it would be fair to say that Carlo “KuKu” Palad never looked like they could lose.
Surprisingly enough, Geek Fam’s fixture with Aster.Aries was much more one-sided. While KuKu and co. came close to dropping the ball on the second map, they clawed their way to a 2-0 win thanks to a phenomenal performance from mid laner Karl “Karl” Jayme.
Geek Fam’s solid start at ESL One Thailand 2020 Asia continues a trend of good performances this year. Out of the 10 tournaments they have attended in 2020, Geek Fam won three, reached the grand finals in two, and settled for a bronze medal in three. Their worst result of the year came in April when they finished fourth at the ESL One Los Angeles 2020 Online Southeast Asia.
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Shortly after T1 put together their Dota2 team in March 2019, they made it to the final round of DreamLeague Season 13 SEA Open Qualifier – quite an achievement for such a new squad. They also reached a top-four placements in the ESL One Los Angeles 2020 Southeast Asia Open Qualifier and the first two iterations of ESL SEA Championship 2020 qualifiers.
After finishing seventh-eighth in Thailand Celestial Cup S2, BTS Pro Series Southeast Asia, Asia Spring Invitational and Cyber.bet Cup Spring Series SEA from March through May, T1 went all the way at the Hephaestus Cup to lift their first Dota 2 esports trophy. They needed only a week to add more silverware when they produced a near-perfect run en route to the SEA Dota Invitational 2020 title.
Since then, T1 have run seventh-eighth at BTS Pro Series Season 2 and fourth in the ONE Esports Dota 2 SEA League. Both are decent results for such a new roster, as those tournaments featured some of the best SEA Dota2 teams.
T1 split their first two games at ESL One Thailand, losing to Neon Esports (1-2) and bouncing back against Question Mark (2-0) this Tuesday. The 1-1 record keeps them in the race for the playoffs, but a loss here would put them in an unenviable position with games against Sparking Arrow Gaming and Aster.Aries still to play.
GEEK FAM vs T1 ESL ONE THAILAND 2020 BETTING PREVIEW
Since T1 formed their Dota2 roster, they have clashed with Geek Fam five times and failed to win a match. On a more positive note, they at least managed a 1-1 stalemate in the BTS Pro Series in June and forced a three-map series in the ONE Esports SEA League last month.
Since their last meeting, T1 let go of their captain, Lee “Forev” Sang-don, and replaced him with the experienced Samson Solomon Enojosa “Sam_H” Hidalgo. Geek Fam recently parted ways with Marc Polo Luis “Raven” Fausto, who left for Fnatic, and temporarily replaced him with Evil Geniuses mid laner Abed Azel “Abed” L. Yusop.
With those changes, T1 look to be slightly stronger than before and should put up a solid fight. Geek Fam are still the favourites, but they tend to rely too much on Abed. A 2-1 win for GF seems like the most likely outcome, so T1 at the +1.5 line looks a solid bet.
T1 +1.5 maps
TNC PREDATOR vs FNATIC DOTA 2 BETTING & MATCH DETAILS
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TNC PREDATOR vs FNATIC ESL ONE THAILAND 2020 BETTING PREVIEW
Fnatic will look to improve on their impressive recent record against TNC Predator when they meet on the third matchday at ESL One Thailand 2020 Asia.
These two sides have developed an intense rivalry since they first faced off back in September 2015. While most of their fixtures have been close, Fnatic have reigned supreme this year with an impressive 6-1-1 head-to-head record and 15-5 map differential.
SEE ALSO: BEST DOTA 2 BETTING SITES
TNC’s only win in that run was a narrow 2-1 result back in January, when they knocked out Fnatic in the second round of the lower bracket at the Leipzig Major. After that, Fnatic defeated TNC three times at BTS Pro Series Southeast Asia (2-1, 2-0, 3-0), again at ESL One Birmingham SEA (2-0), produced a stalemate during the second season of the BTS Pro Series (1-1), and won twice more in the Esports SEA League (2-0, 2-1).
Since they were eliminated from the Leipzig Major, Fnatic have attended seven tournaments and won five of them: DOTA Summit 12, ESL One Los Angeles 2020 Online Southeast Asia, BTS Pro Series Southeast Asia, ESL One Birmingham 2020 and World E-sports Legendary League. They have slowed down a bit in the last two months, however, finishing only third at BTS Pro Series Season 2 and second at the ONE Esports Dota 2 SEA League.
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At ESL One Thailand 2020 Asia, Anucha “Jabz” Jirawong and his crew left a lot to be desired with their 1-2 loss to Motivate.Trust Gaming in their opening fixture. While they bounced back with a 2-0 win against Team Trust on Sunday, it’s hard to praise them too much for putting away a semi-pro team.
While Fnatic were winning titles left and right, TNC Predator hit a slump after they won the MDL Chengdu Major in November 2019 and have yet to recover. Besides their occasional flashes of greatness, which saw them claim silver from the BTS Pro Series and bronze from ONE Esports Dota 2 SEA League, Park “March” Tae-won and co. have looked far from their former selves.
SEE ALSO: WHERE TO BET ON ESPORTS ONLINE
In a way, TNC have emerged as a perfect illustration of just how much of an effect the online format can have on teams. Once a dominant force in the SEA region, they are now struggling to compete even against second-tier teams.
On a more positive note, TNC Predator have looked solid so far this competition. They’re currently leading Group A with a perfect 2-0 record which they earned by defeating Team Adroit (2-0) and Motivate.Trust Gaming (2-1), meaning a win here would guarantee them at least a top-four seed.
TNC PREDATOR vs FNATIC ESL ONE THAILAND 2020 BETTING PREDICTIONS
Fnatic are 6-1-3 from their last 10 games, although eight of those were played over a month ago. Since the break, Fnatic are 1-1 with a loss to Motivate.Trust Gaming and a win against Team Trust. TNC Predator, meanwhile, are 4-3-3 from their last 10 games and 2-0 across the last two weeks.
TNC look like they are in better shape than Fnatic right now. While the sample size of games played is rather small, it’s hard to ignore Fnatic’s loss to Motivate.Trust and a surprisingly close series with Trust, who nearly stole the second map.
Historically, Fnatic are the better team in these meetings, the form lines point to TNC Predator at very generous odds. The handicap is the safer bet, but we love the value in the head-to-head market.
TNC Predator to win
The series kicked off on Monday, June 29 with 20 teams divided into two regional brackets. The North American region featured 13 teams, including Paris, while only seven Overwatch squads fought in the Asian bracket. London Spitfire and New York Excelsior appeared in the Asian tournament, as both have moved their training facilities to South Korea.
The Asian bracket matches began on Saturday, July 4 with the quarter-final fixtures. Shanghai Dragons were excluded from that stage since they received a direct bye into the semi-finals, whereas the remaining six teams had to battle it out for a place in the last four.
Chengdu Hunters were the first team out of the tournament after they have suffered a 0-3 loss to Guangzhou Charge, while London Spitfire and Hangzhou Spark followed suit after they fell flat against Seoul Dynasty (1-3) and New York Excelsior (0-3) respectively.
In the semi-finals, we saw Shanghai Dragons stomp the Dynasty (3-0), while the Charge showed no mercy to Excelsior (0-3). Even though it was somewhat shocking to see such one-sided affairs in the semi-finals, the dominant performances from the Dragons and Charge set the scene for dramatic and exciting grand finals.
Shanghai entered the OWL Summer Showdown finals as favourites after winning the May Melee, but Guangzhou had other plans. Jungyeon “Chara” Kim and co. got off to a flying start and won the opening three maps on Ilios (2-0), Hollywood (3-2) and Temple of Anubis (2-1). They stumbled a bit on Watchpoint: Gibraltar (1-3) and Busan (1-2), however, which allowed the Dragons to reduce the gap to 2-3.
With the title slipping between their fingers, the Charge switched into a higher gear and eked out a 2-1 win on Blizzard World to seal the series and claim the US $65,000 grand prize.
On the other side of the Pacific Ocean, there were upsets aplenty as 13 teams battled for the North American Overwatch Summer Showdown title.
Los Angeles Valiant, Los Angeles Gladiators, Florida Mayhem and Dallas Fuel all suffered early elimination and failed to reach the quarter-finals, where the top-seeded San Francisco Shock, Vancouver Titans, Philadelphia Fusion and Atlanta Reign awaited their opponents.
There was no shortage of exciting games to watch, it was Toronto Defiant who took all spotlight with their performances. Reaching the quarter-finals was a huge achievement on its own, but they went above and beyond everyone’s expectations when they edged out a 3-2 win against Atlanta to punch a ticket for the semi-finals.
There, Jooseong “RoKy” Park and his crew met with Philadelphia Fusion, who advanced with a 3-0 win. However, the final score does not tell the whole story. All three maps went down to the wire (2-1, 4-3 and 1-0), so Defiant will have regained some confidence after their disappointing ninth-12th finish at the May Melee.
SEE ALSO: HOW TO BET ON OVERWATCH ESPORTS
The second semi-final saw Paris Eternal claim a stunning win against the reigning Overwatch League champions, San Francisco Shock (3-2). A lot of Eternal’s success came down to a phenomenal performance from Yeong-han “SP9RK1E” Kim, who picked up the MVP award.
Thus, it was Paris Eternal and Philadelphia Fusion in the grand finals of the North American OWL Summer Showdown. Fusion started as favourites after two dominant displays in the knockout rounds, but the underdogs made it clear from the off that they would not go down without a fight.
Paris took an early lead on Lijiang Tower (2-0), only to drop two maps on King’s Row (3-4) and Volskaya Industries (2-3). Trailing 1-2, Eternal picked up the pace and won on Watchpoint: Gibraltar (3-1) and Nepal (2-0) to go within one map of winning the whole thing.
Fusion managed to win on Blizzard World (4-3) to tie the series at 3-3, but that only delayed the inevitable. Eternal put the final nail in the coffin on Rialto (2-1) to claim the title and $70,000 in tournament winnings.
The series was hyped as a must-watch duel between SP9RK1E and Fusion’s Josh “Eqo” Corona, but it was Eternal’s 18-year-old DPS, Ki-hyo “Xzi” Jung, who stole the show and snagged the MVP award for the OWL Summer Showdown grand finals.
The Overwatch League will now take a short break and return on Friday, July 17. The next scheduled regional tournament is the OWL Countdown Cup, which will run from August 7-9 with a $275,000 prize pool.
]]>Amid the COVID-19 outbreak that started in China and quickly reached the Korean Peninsula, both LCK and Challengers Korea (CK) were played without studio audiences from the start of February. Several other precautions were put in place, such as a limited number of media allowed at the venue, while everyone in the LCK studio had to wear masks and regularly use hand sanitiser.
That situation lasted until March 6, when Riot Korea indefinitely suspended its leagues so as not to threaten the health of their players and others involved. Both the League of Legends European Championship (LEC) and the League of Legends Championship Series (LCS) followed suit and suspended their leagues last week, while the LoL Mid-Season Invitational was delayed by two months.
The Chinese League of Legends Pro League (LPL) cancelled all of its matches from the end of January up to the start of March, when the league returned with an online format. Riot Korea discussed a similar solution for LCK and CK, as it appears hosting games at the LCK studio is not an ideal fit.
“Due to the on-growing Corona19 epidemic, in order to ensure the safety of the members of the league, we have decided to have the LCK and Challengers Korea go on an indefinite hiatus,” said Riot at the start of the month.
“Currently, we do not have a set return date and will keep a close eye on the epidemic to choose the appropriate date of return.”
New reports claim that Korean LoL leagues could return to our screens in a couple of weeks with an online format, thus mimicking the steps LPL took with their competition. The LCK cannot afford to find themselves in a similar situation as the LPL, where extended game weeks are in place so the league can catch up with the LEC and the LCS.
As of March 17, South Korea has just over 8,300 cases of the coronavirus. That is low compared to most countries, especially the likes of China (81,000+), Italy (28,000+) and Iran (16,000+). South Korea has suffered only 81 fatalities due to COVID-19 and has seen its rate of infection slow down significantly since the start of the month, in most part due to the high priority the country has put on preventive measurements such as testing its residents.
Although Riot Korea has yet to officially confirm an online format, both the LEC and LCS recently announced remote play will be in place for their leagues starting this Friday and Saturday respectively. Meanwhile, the LCS Academy league will resume on Thursday, March 19.
“Due to the ongoing developments of the coronavirus pandemic, we have decided to play the remainder of the 2020 LEC Spring Split 100% remotely online, with matches resuming Friday, March 20th,” read LEC’s announcement.
While traditional sports are at a standstill, the esports scene as a whole is transitioning to online play. It remains to be seen how the pandemic will affect major events such as the League of Legends World Championship and The International 10, which might also be played online for the first time in esports history.
]]>Team Rockets vs Albatross Club
Team Rockets ($1.78) will play their second fixture of the GOC against Albatross Club ($1.89), who will seek revenge for their defeat to Rocket in last season’s upper bracket finals.
Rockets copped a close 1-2 loss against Team Lightning on Monday in their only match of the season so far. Albatross Club also dropped their opening fixture, going down 0-2 to Nightmare team.
Last season, Team Rockets finished the round-robin stage in third place with a 5-3 record. That secured them a spot in the playoffs, where Rockets avenged their defeat against Five Brothers (2-0) and went on to reverse sweep Albatross Club (2-1) in the upper bracket finals. Unfortunately, they lost their third and last meeting with 5bro (0-3) in the season finals.
Albatross ended the S8 round-robin stage with a 6-2 record but fell flat in the playoffs, where they lost to Team Rockets (1-2) in the upper bracket finals and then crashed out of the tournament after losing to Five Brothers (0-2) in the lower bracket finals.
Both sides bring iffy form into this contest. The teams look evenly matched and the betting is tight, but we like the underdogs.
Prediction: Albatross Club to win – $1.89 at GG Bet
Team Rockets vs Team Aspirations
Straight after their bout with Albatross, Team Rockets ($1.75) will meet up with Team Aspirations ($1.92), who will look to win their third match of the season.
Team Aspirations finished the S8 round-robin fixtures in a three-way tie with Nightmare team and Team Space in sixth place. Despite earning a spot in the playoffs, TA crashed out early after a 0-2 defeat to Nightmare in round one.
While Team Aspirations failed to impress in the previous two GOC seasons, they have seen some success in the opening exchanges of S9 with wins over Team Lightning and Team Venture. TA ended up losing on day three against Nightmare team (0-2), but it hard to criticise that kind of result against one of the stronger teams in the competition.
Team Aspirations met once with Team Rockets last season and lost 1-2, but we must consider that win came when Rockets were in peak form. Rockets recently lost to Team Lightning, who lost to TA two days earlier, so Aspirations look to be in a favourable position despite having the longer odds.
Prediction: Team Aspirations to win – $1.92 at GG Bet
Five Brothers vs Nightmare team
Five Brothers ($1.78) and Nightmare team ($1.90) will close out the day with a tasty matchup between two of the strongest teams in the league.
Five Brothers enter this bout after losing against WOLF (1-2) and Team Venture (0-2) on day two. Nightmare team won both of their opening two fixtures, taking down both Albatross Club and Team Aspirations in 2-0 sweeps.
Even though Nightmare hold a much stronger record, CS:GO betting sites have them priced as underdogs here. While it’s true 5bro won last season in convincing fashion, they looked very shaky in their opening two fixtures of S9.
There is no denying the defending champions have enough quality to compete at a high level, but it is hard to get behind a team with a 0-2 record. Take the odds on the in-form Nightmare team.
Prediction: Nightmare team to win – $1.90 at GG Bet
]]>5Power Gaming vs LynnVG
5Power Gaming ($1.19) and LynnVG ($3.97) are two Chinese teams who have already met several times throughout 2019.
Their last meeting came at the EPICENTER Chinese Qualifiers, where LynnVG claimed the win after 5Power forfeited the match. That was also the only time LynnVG avoided losing to 5Power in their last seven meetings.
The head-to-head record alone is enough to side with 5Power, yet we must also take into consideration each team’s group stage performances. While 5Power finished first with a perfect 3-0 score, LynnVG barely made it into the top half with a 3-2 record.
5Power are rightfully the favourites and should not have any issues defeating LynnVG for the seventh time.
Prediction: 5Power Gaming to win – $1.19 at GG Bet
ViCi Gaming vs Big Time Regal
ViCi Gaming ($1.21) will enter their bout with Big Time Regal ($3.76) priced as heavy favourites, and it is not too hard to figure out why all esports bookmakers seem to agree this will be a one-sided affair.
BTRG and ViCi have clashed three times in their history, and it was ViCi who triumphed in all three meetings. BTRG forfeited their scheduled meeting in the group stage, but we are confident the final outcome would have been the same – a win to ViCi.
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In the previous two fixtures, ViCi decimated their opponents. They claimed a resounding 16-3 victory over BTGR in their first meeting at the EPICENTER 2018 Chinese Qualifiers and then won 16-5 on both maps at the ESL One Cologne 2019 Asia Qualifiers the following year.
While it’s been over six months since their last clash, we don’t see any drastic changes that make us believe BTRG have a better chance of winning here. Expect another clean sweep from ViCi.
Prediction: ViCi to win – $1.21 at GG Bet
B.O.O.T-dream[S]cape vs Lucid Dream
Esports bookmakers seem to agree B.O.O.T-dream[S]cape ($1.62) versus Lucid Dream ($2.11) will be the closest bout out of all four in the NEST Pro Series quarter-finals.
B.O.O.T and Lucid Dream have met 10 times in 2019, with the former side claiming seven wins. While most of those fixtures took place months ago, we still believe B.O.O.T are the stronger side here.
The Singaporean team finished the group stage third with 3-1 record, while LD finished sixth with 3-2. B.O.O.T have already defeated LD at this tournament, claiming a 2-1 win in the group stage.
Lucid Dream have made roster changes since their last meeting with B.O.O.T, but we don’t believe they are capable of causing an upset here.
Prediction: B.O.O.T-dream[S]cape to win – $1.62 at GG Bet
EHOME vs TYLOO
EHOME ($4.00) will take on TYLOO ($1.22) in a match that does not give us much room to discuss which side is most likely to win.
To begin with, TYLOO defeated EHOME in round one of the NEST Pro Series (2-1), which was just one of many losses EHOME have suffered at the hands of TYLOO.
In their last 10 meetings, TYLOO won nine times. Furthermore, six out of those nine wins ended in a clean sweep, further proving TYLOO are the superior team.
Upset wins are always a possibility, but considering EHOME have defeated TYLOO only once since June 2016, we would not count on any miracles here.
Prediction: TYLOO to win – $1.22 at GG Bet
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