coL.DOTA Advances to The International 5

May 28th, 2015

by Sören ‘Fantasy’ Vendsahm

Yesterday the coL.Dota squad punched their tickets to Seattle. Today they followed up with the final step of their pre-TI journey – winning the North American qualifier. In a decisive and completely dominant display against North American Rejects V2, captain Swindlemelonzz and his team cruised to victory, securing themselves a spot amongst 15 of the best teams on the planet.

After reaching the Grand Finals through the Winner Bracket yesterday, compLexity Gaming was forced to sit back and wait for mousesports and NAR to slug it out first. Many people expected the “NA” team of mouz to pull through and ultimately face coL.Dota once more, but in the end it was the All-star team around Fogged to end the journey of mouz one game away from Seattle.

Despite connection issues, server problems and even issues on both teams voice servers in the Grand Finals, compLexity Dota kept their composure and remained cool, calm and collected. All the hard work from the last few weeks was channeled on this one moment. The International was the goal for the team straight away, a goal they’ve now reached in style.

None of the Grand Finals matches was remotely level or contested It eventually turned into a showcase of compLexity’s improvements and dominance. NAR looked completely out of sorts at times, trying to counter the lineup choices of Swindle in the draft, but falling short in the execution. On the other side the communication, game plan execution and plays were on point for coL.Dota, hitting every rotation and winning nearly every team engagement.

Whether it was the curveball with a Queen of Pain support, or the comfort heroes like Zyzz on Phantom Lancer or Swindlemelonzz on Dragon Knight. Whether it was Furion played first by Moon, then by ZfreeK; everything seemed to work out for coL. NAR was forced to play catch up from the get-go and wasn’t able to win the laning stage. They were getting rotated on constantly and seemed to be a few seconds too slow on nearly every move. One of the deciding fights in Game 3 might paint the perfect picture of how the series went. NAR looks to have a good look in a team fight, they are one auto-attack away from killing Moonmeander in his Phoenix Supernova egg. That last auto-attack doesn’t come in time, the egg explodes, the whole team of NAR gets stunned and Furion, as well as a rejuvenated Phoenix are calling for clean-up on “Aisle NAR”.

A few minutes later NAR went ahead and called the game, congratulating compLexity Gaming on going all the way, clinching the spot in the big TI5 competition. Emotions were overflowing in the house, all the pressure, enthusiasm, joy unloaded in an instant – pure joy. We’d like to wish NAR the best of luck in Seattle and thanks for the amazing games over the past 2 days!

 

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Now the red-black brand returns to Seattle for the second time, after The International 2 back in 2012. None of the old faces are on the team. New talent will go to Seattle – with the exception of veteran Fly, who will make his return to the city with the Space Needle. In less than three months the biggest Dota 2 tournament to date is taking place there, three months of hard work are before coL.Dota.

Tonight though, it’s time to celebrate and be thankful. While we will raise the roof of the Dota 2 team house in Maryland, we would love to thank all of our fans for believing in this, going with us through all the ups and downs, all the roster changes, every close qualifying loss, always holding true to us and believing in better times. The support was incredible, the energy sent to us through Twitter, Facebook and Twitch chat pushed us to new heights. Thank you so much and keep on supporting us as we bring the red and black to Seattle!

Seattle Bound!

May 27th, 2015

by Sören ‘Fantasy’ Vendsahm

The boys did it! compLexity Gaming’s Dota 2 team went against all odds and predictions and is the first team from the North American qualifier to punch their ticket to TI5 in Seattle, Washington.

With only North American Rejects V2 standing in the way of Swindlemelonzz and his team, the squad once more showed the world what they were made off. In the first game against the NA All-star team, it was Zyzz on Weaver and captain Swindlemelonzz on Warlock torching through the entire lineup. Coupled with clutch Shallow Grave’s by Zfreek, massive ultimates by Fly on Sand King, as well as the tanky and disruptive presence of Moonmeander on Undying, the opposition was outmatched. In the end the game came down to a form of base race with coL.Dota focusing on objectives and the throne, rather than getting more kills. A cancelled Town Portal, two Warlock ultimates and a little bug playing big were too much for NAR to handle in the short amount of time it took to dismantle the ancient throne of the Radiant team.

With matchball and a ticket on the line, coL.Dota wasn’t playing complacent, wasn’t leaving anything up to chance. Once more a solid draft, once more a great execution of the gameplan, leading to one of the most lopsided compLexity Gaming games in this entire qualifier. Moonmeander getting active on his Nature’s Prophet, Swindle reprising his signature hero as Dragon Knight, while ZfreeK went back to his beloved jungle on Tempest – all those aspect, paired with great rotations and decision-making – lead to a blowout. coL.Dota was putting on a clinic, executing their strat with surgical precision, being able to completely roll over the Dota 2 squad featuring TI veterans such as Korok and Fogged.

A clear and decisive 2-0 elevates compLexity Gaming into the Grand Finals of the North American TI5 qualifier, granting them a trip to Seattle already. Whether they will go there as a wildcard team or already accepted into the main event will be determined tomorrow, when the qualifier comes to a conclusion. coL.Dota will have the first game off, being able to study and prepare for either mousesports or NAR in a Best of Five series for all the glory and American bragging rights. A win would put coL into the main event of The International, already set up to throw down with top teams in the world like Team Secret, Team Empire or Vici Gaming.

Get a good night’s sleep before the final day of coL.Dota’s run in the TI5 North American qualifier, gather your energy to once more send them to the boys come game time. twitch.tv/ti5sange will once more be the place, 12 AM CEST  / 6 PM EST / 3 PM PDT will be the time. Don’t miss out on some coL action!

The Road to Seattle

May 27th, 2015

by Sören ‘Fantasy’ Vendsahm

The most anticipated event every year on the Dota 2 calendar is without a doubt the record-breaking International event. Since 2012 the tournament has been a fixture in the competitive Dota 2 scene, last year setting a prize pool record of 10.9 Million USD for the event.

This year the event is on pace to shatter that number once more, so the prestige and eagerness to reach Seattle and ultimately the big stage in Key Arena is even more elevated. compLexity Gaming returned to the competitive Dota 2 scene a few months ago with the clear-cut goal of reaching The International 5, bringing the brand back to the big stage of Dota 2.

After the first two days of the North American qualifier the team with captain Kyle ‘Swindlemelonzz’ Freedman surprised the world and is in prime position to reach TI5. Throughout the qualifier, the team that many thought of as one of the weaker teams in group, came out of the gate swinging and taking names. The first day of the qualifier was full of upsets with compLexity Gaming being the driving force in delivering them, dismantling Root Gaming in the first game, followed by a hard fought and gripping draw against favorite mousesports stacked with well-known and established TI veterans. Believing in their strength as a union, playing their game and not buckling under the immense pressure, coL.Dota showcased an excellent understanding of their opponents, their own draft and teamfight coordination.

That netted them the tied first place in Group B after the first day, on par with the big favorite to win the entire North American qualifier in mousesports. Still, with six matches left to be played in group stage, nothing was set in stone yet and results had to validate the impressions. compLexity’s team delivered once more, beating a scrappy and good team in unknown, until their closing game in the group stage against eHug. A win against them and first place in groups was coL’s, due to mousesports only tying in the series against Root Gaming. The task was clear and once more compLexity’s squad showed what they’ve been working on for weeks and weeks in their gaming house in Maryland. Outdrafting eHug in both games, soundly beating them and putting themselves in a prime position to secure the berth for Seattle.

The city in the West Coast famous for the Legion of Boom, the Space Needle and The International tournament is only one more win away. A win over the Group A winner North American Rejects would secure coL.Dota at least the runner-up spot in the entire qualifier, automatically qualifying them for the Wildcard tournament. The aspiration is higher though, since compLexity wants to make a statement and silence the doubters. Two more wins are necessary for that dream to become a reality – which wouldn’t surprise anyone anymore, given the performance the red-black brand put on display throughout this two-day stretch of Dota 2.

Be a part of this historic event and cheer on compLexity through their last games on the Road to TI. The journey continues tonight at 11 PM CEST / 5 PM EST / 2 PM PST on http://www.twitch.tv/ti5sange. compLexity Gaming against North American Rejects for a guaranteed spot in Seattle.

Stream

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compLexity Adds Heroes of Newerth

May 18th, 2015

Through the years we’ve seen games come and go. Some burn hot, but fizzle quickly, while others enjoy steady growth over a long life. Still others yet enjoy a healthy competitive scene, not always in the limelight, but always striving for the very best. It is games like these where we as an eSports organization find perhaps the most dedicated and passionate players. Those that we would be proud to call members of the compLexity Family. Today marks our return to a game where we find that passion, that dedication, and the drive to compete. Welcome back, compLexity Gaming Heroes of Newerth.

This is our third venture into the Heroes of Newerth scene, following a successful 2011 squad around legendary players like Tarano and sLiCKz and a championship squad in 2013-14 featuring dominant MOBA superstars PPD/Franzzii, Chessie, and MoonMeander. Following in this tradition, we’ve been careful in our roster selection, looking for players that not only have the drive and talent to be the very best, but also ones that can bring pride to both the Black and Red compLexity banner and the Red, White, and Blue. We’re proud to announce our new Heroes of Newerth roster, the team formerly known as Nullstone Gaming.

America’s best HoN team features players with a long track record in the game, boasting a total of nearly 30 years of combined experience. While the team known as Nullstone Gaming did not form until last year’s HoN Tour Season 3, the player’s individual competitive experience led them to make a podium finish in HoN’s European dominated major league. Since then, the guys from Nullstone Gaming have looked solid in the recent HoN offseason, with a 6-0 record in their DeadEye Bounty League group and a qualification for the upcoming tournament at DreamHack Summer 2015.

“It’s no secret that I have a passion for HoN. The game is where I got my start in eSports, and my love for HoN eSports is larger now than it may have ever been before.”, remarked Kyle ‘Beef’ Bautista, General Manager of compLexity Gaming. “ With HoN once again on the upswing with a successful World Finals, offseason, and the upcoming events of DreamHack Summer and HoN Tour Season 4, we’re excited to be supporting America’s hope on the international front. We at compLexity look forward to cheering them on in their upcoming appearances, and spamming Twitch chat with ‘USA, USA, USA’!”.

“We’re all super excited to team up with the compLexity organization in their return back to HoN.”, said Chris ‘BeaverBanger’ Landwehr, Captain of coL.HoN, while the team’s drafter and strategist, Chris ‘WhaT_YoU_GoT’ Benas followed up with, “It’s without hesitation that we take a big step forward by joining compLexity Gaming and head toward Sweden to compete in our first ever LAN event.”

 

The new Black and Red squad will debut under the coL banner during Thursday’s DeadEye Bounty League match against the World Champion Bad Monkey Gaming squad, all while preparing to travel across the pond to Jönköping, Sweden, for HoN’s highly anticipated return to DreamHack. Once again, welcome back, coL.HoN!

compLexity Heroes of Newerth

  • Chris ‘BeaverBanger’ Landwehr
  • Chris ‘WhaT_YoU_GoT’ Benas
  • Noah ‘FuzzySloth’ Landon
  • Oscar ‘Oscah’ Chávez
  • Keven ‘Babaganoush’ Krajewski

compLexity Partners with PowerColor

May 15th, 2015

City of Industry, California – May 15, 2015 – PowerColor, a leading manufacturer of high-performance graphics cards, announces today its partnership with eSports organization compLexity Gaming. This is the first of many new endeavors for PowerColor in eSports.

“PowerColor is a brand that long ago established itself as a powerhouse and innovator of AMD performance graphics.  A partnership between our two brands represents the culmination of years hard work and persistence” said Brian Jackson, Manager of Business Development for compLexity Gaming.

PowerColor has ensured all compLexity players will now be powered by high-performance AMD graphics cards, such as the Devil 13 and the PCS+ R9 290X.  compLexity Gaming players will also be some of the first people in the world to get their hands on the new 300 series of graphics cards, as well as all future lines of graphics cards.

“Joining with CompLexity Gaming is a great milestone point for PowerColor” said Don Cho, Marketing Consultant for PowerColor.  “compLexity Gaming and PowerColor has a long history of championships.  Working with an organization of that caliber, we feel both compLexity and Powercolor will achieve great things.  We are very excited for our future together.”

About PowerColor

PowerColor, established by TUL Corporation in 1997, is a graphics industry leading brand name now and well known for its outstanding performance and innovative technology.  As a leading provider of graphics cards, PowerColor offers powerful, reliable and cost effective solutions to customers worldwide.

About compLexity Gaming

compLexity Gaming is one of the world’s premier competitive gaming organizations. Owned and operated by some of the finest minds in the industry, compLexity has a long heritage of championship caliber teams, superstar players, news reporting and gaming entertainment ventures. compLexity’s gamers have been featured by numerous mainstream media outlets like Sports Illustrated, New York Post, Los Angeles Times and the Wall Street Journal. They have also appeared on live television programs such as CBS’ 60 Minutes and the Championship Gaming Series, have been featured in film documentaries and were a focus of the book “Game Boys.”

coL Stream Team Welcomes Ryzen

May 11th, 2015

As the Hearthstone community and scene grows constantly, not only the competition is a focus, but also the entertainment. In that aspect, Ryan ‘Ryzen’ Liberian Laguardian is one of the leading entities in the game. High level play paired with high level production are his priority, while also providing an educational, yet fun atmosphere. All these components make him a great fit for any Hearthstone roster, which makes the compLexity Gaming family especially proud to welcome the rising star to our midst.

Ryzen has been on a tear ever since discovering the game. His love for Hearthstone is only matched by his love for broadcasting. As an entertainer and high-level player he quickly made a name in the community. He appeared on the scene as one of the best Rogue player, a bond with Valeera he keeps alive till this day. With him, compLexity Gaming’s Hearthstone roster is now looking at three of the premier Rogue players on the planet, as Ryzen joins superJJ and Dog in SI:coL.

“It seems like yesterday I was busting my ass to get Legend for the first time in Hearthstone with good ‘ol Miracle Rogue.” said compLexity’s newest recruit. “The fact that compLexity is willing to let me be a representative is simply surreal. I am truly grateful and will do everything humanly possible to make a good name for myself and the organization as well.”

“We are incredibly happy to have Ryzen with us. As an avid fan of his stream I know what kind of talents he brings to the table.” Sören ‘Fantasy’ Vendsahm, Manager of the Hearthstone squad commented. “We will not only support him in his venture to improve his stream and reach of his broadcast, but also to step into the competitive scene. He might be on the Stream Team for now, but within him burns a flaming desire to go head-to-head with the best HS players on the planet.”

Ryzen’s debut stream with the red-black colors will be today at 5 PM GST / 1 AM CEST. So make sure to tune in, ask him questions and enjoy one of the best streaming experience available in the Hearthstone section of Twitch.tv.

More Info

compLexity Partners with ADATA

April 30th, 2015

Brea, California – April 30th, 2015 – ADATA® Technology, a leading manufacturer of high-performance DRAM modules and NAND Flash products, announces today its partnership with eSports organization compLexity Gaming. This new relationship represents the first of many great steps for ADATA as it makes inroads into the thrilling world of high-performance gaming and eSports. “Both ADATA and compLexity Gaming have long histories of being leaders in their respective industries, so this partnership makes perfect sense,” said Brian Jackson, Manager of Business Development for compLexity Gaming. “When you go looking for the fastest SSDs out there, it comes as no surprise that ADATA’s at the top of the list.”

ADATA and compLexity Gaming have already begun collaborating on many more announcements and events in the near future. ADATA has already outfitted the entire compLexity organization with award-winning XPG Series memory modules and SSDs as the team ramps up for upcoming events. Of the many upcoming games events in 2015 that ADATA and compLexity will attend are DOTA2, Hearthstone, StarCraft2, Heroes of the Storm and more!

“The relationship with compLexity represents a powerful opportunity for ADATA to build our presence in the gaming and eSports industry, which is a dynamic and growing market,” said Melinda Leung, Marketing Manager of ADATA Technology (USA). “We’re excited to join forces with compLexity and to bring our high-performance XPG Series memory and SSDs to gamers so that they can experience screaming fast performance and uncompromised quality. We are proud to support compLexity’s team of championship-winning gamers and look forward to a lasting partnership.”

About ADATA XPG

Xtreme Performance Gear (XPG) is a sub-brand of ADATA Technology offering the highest-performing computer peripheral products. XPG products distinguish themselves by surpassing ADATA’s stringent A+ Testing Methodology, which ensures the highest standards for superior product stability and ultra-high performance. XPG provides gamers, high-tech product enthusiasts, and overclockers with an extraordinary journey best experienced at full-tilt. Not only does the XPG line sport solid technical features, its strength shines through just by its sheer cool appearance that has earned prestigious accolades worldwide such as Good Design from Japan and Taiwan Excellence Gold Award. ADATA XPG products are recognized by overclockers and world-renowned professional gaming teams who use ADATA XPG products as their ultimate weapons for victory. For more information, please visit: http://www.adata.com/en/xpg/

About compLexity Gaming

compLexity Gaming is one of the world’s premier competitive gaming organizations. Owned and operated by some of the finest minds in the industry, compLexity has a long heritage of championship caliber teams, superstar players, news reporting and gaming entertainment ventures. compLexity’s gamers have been featured by numerous mainstream media outlets like Sports Illustrated, New York Post, Los Angeles Times and the Wall Street Journal. They have also appeared on live television programs such as CBS’ 60 Minutes and the Championship Gaming Series, have been featured in film documentaries and were a focus of the book “Game Boys.”

coL.HS Welcomes SuperJJ

April 24th, 2015

At compLexity Gaming we are constantly pursuing excellence. We look for not only proven talent but for players with that special spark that may be forged into a champion. Today complexity Gaming’s Hearthstone squad is proud to announce the arrival of a new cardslinger – Jan ‘superjj’ Janßen. In a game that is still growing in every sense of the word, superjj is one of the new warriors eager to prove himself in the arena against the best players in the world.

As a player from the new breed, he is not only a beloved and popular figure on Twitch but is also battle proven on the European ladder with outstanding performances in the last couple of months. In November superjj fought his way to the coveted #1 spot on both North America and Europe. A few months later in February, hej took down some of the best players on his quest to the top five in that month’s ladder ranking – both of those accomplishments netting him many valuable Hearthstone World Championship points.

Now, he is looking to continue his ascent to greatness in red and black attire, alongside his fellow compLexity Gaming teammates David ‘Dog’ Caero and Jordan ‘TheJordude’ Hong Tai.

compLexity General Manager Kyle Bautista had this to say:

“From my first conversation with superjj, I could feel something special about him. He has a fantastic mindset when it comes to competition and eSports, and the drive that it takes to find success in such a competitive game. I don’t know exactly what it is but I can’t express how excited I am to have superjj on our squad. I look forward to seeing superjj and Dog make a big splash in their upcoming event.”

The newest compLexity signing had this to say about his new team:

“I’m really looking forward for the upcoming time with compLexity and I’m proud to be a part of a professional organisation like this.”

Stay tuned to superjj’s stream for an entertaining and educational experience, and be on the lookout for an announcement regarding superjj’s first appearance under the compLexity banner.

More Info

SjoW Departs from coL.Hearthstone

April 17th, 2015

Today compLexity Gaming is sad to announce the departure of one of our top Hearthstone players. Jeffrey ‘SjoW’ Brusi, the card-slinger from Sweden, has decided to leave and pursue his goals away from the black and red brand – joining Team Liquid.

For six months the former StarCraft 2 player has been a part of the compLexity Gaming Hearthstone division, a time in which he not only put in countless hours of streaming time, but also worked hard to improve as a tournament player. Twice he wore the jersey at the SeatStory Cup in Krefeld, and multiple times he sported the team colors in online competition. Most recently SjoW had a breakthrough in his performance, stacking up the wins in the Kinguin Pro League, winning the Xfinity Invitational and getting into the GosuGamers World Ranking Top 20 for the first time in his career.

Outside of the tournament performance, SjoW entertained thousands of viewers every day on his stream, acting as a great ambassador for compLexity as well as eSports as a whole. He will be missed, but we wish him the best for his future. May the RNG be on his side, wherever he competes.

Leaving complexity is a bit sad for me. I’ve grown very fond of the team and the management during my stay here. And part of my recent success is because of col managers and teammates. But in the end I believe joining Liquid is better for my career.

I really appreciate everything coL has done for me and wish them the best for the future.

– Jeffrey ‘SjoW’ Brusi

Seeing SjoW leave saddens me, both personally and professionally. He was a great player to manage and a fantastic entertainer and player. I truly enjoyed working with him and it is sad to see him leave. I wish him nothing but the best for his future.

– Sören ‘Fantasy’ Vendsahm – coL.HS Manager

 

Moving forward, coL.HS will continue to explore options to expand the roster, seeking the most talented and promising card-slingers from around the world.

Thank you for your continued support of coL.HS and complexity Gaming.

SjoW @ SeatStory Cup III

April 10th, 2015

Beginning today, compLexity’s SjoW is set to compete in the SeatStory Cup III, hosted by Dennis “TaKe” Gehlen from his studio apartment where the top Hearthstone competitors in the world will gather for their chance at $20,000 in prize money. SjoW was invited to participate in the event and will begin in Group F where he will compete against the likes of Firebat, Faramir and Kungen.

Format

  • General: “Conquest” format with 1 ban.
  • Group Stage #1 (Round of 32): Dual Tournament.
    • Best-of-five.
    • The 4 players of each group are split into two pairs and play each other.
    • The winners of these matches will then face each other in the Winner’s match.
      • The victor places first in the group and advances to the Group Stage #2.
    • The losers of the initial matches face each other in the Loser’s match.
      • The loser places third and fourth in the group will be eliminated.
    • The loser of the Winner’s match and the winner of the Loser’s match will face each other in a fifth match.
      • The winner gets second place in the group and advances to the Group Stage #2.
      • The loser places third and fourth in the group will be eliminated.
  • Group Stage #2 (Round of 16): Dual Tournament.
    • The 4 players of each group in Round of 16 will face off similar to Round of 32.
  • Playoffs: Single-elimination
    • Best-of-seven quarter-finals and semi-finals.
    • Best-of-nine grand finals.

Results

coL.SjoW 0 VS 3 Lifecoach
Group 2-C
coL.SjoW 0 VS 3 Dzianydruid
Group 2-C
coL.SjoW 0 VS 3 Lifecoach
Group 2-C
coL.SjoW 3 VS 0 Faramir
Group F
coL.SjoW 3 VS 2 Kungen
Group F

Stream