After weeks of feverish anticipation from the DotA community, Valve have finally released a trailer. It doesn’t feature any gameplay, but it shows off the game’s art direction and some of the most iconic heroes. Fans of the franchise will immediately recognize their favourite heroes in their new attire. We are taken on a journey through the map, showing a gank, some mid lane fighting and some creep killing in the beginning.
But enough with the descriptions, check it out below!
In a historical moment for eSports, Riot Games announced the biggest prize pool ever. Coming off of an extremely successful season one finale, Riot decided to up the ante significantly in their second season by posting a prize pool worth $5,000,000.
DUBLIN, IRELAND – August 15, 2011 – Riot Games today announced the first details surrounding the second competitive season for its hit multiplayer online battle arena game, League of Legends. With a record-setting five million dollar prize pool, League of Legends Season Two will mark the next step in what has already become one of the biggest eSports titles in history.
League of Legends has been selected by the top eSports organizers in the world as an official title: Major League Gaming, the Electronic Sports League (where League of Legends is an official title of the Intel Extreme Masters Series), and the World Cyber Games. Set to kick off this fall, Season Two will feature a spectrum of ongoing competitions, from massive pro-level tournaments to weekly open registration events, giving players countless opportunities to vie for their share of the unprecedented five million dollar prize pool.
“Season One of League of Legends was a resounding success, with over 1.7 million viewers tuning in to our first-ever championships,” said Marc Merrill, president of Riot Games and executive producer on League of Legends. “The competitive scene in League of Legends has grown like wildfire, and the five million dollars in prize money on the line is a testament to how massive the scene has become and is just the first glimpse of what our players have in store for the upcoming season!”
“Competitive gaming is hard-coded in Riot’s DNA. It’s been thrilling to watch the level of competitive play that evolved in Season One!” said Brandon Beck, CEO of Riot Games. “Players will certainly step up their game in Season Two – so it’s only fair that we step up ours.”
League of Legends, Riot Games’ debut title, celebrated its first anniversary on Oct. 27, 2010. Since its launch in North America and Europe, over 15 million players have downloaded the game to engage in session-based, multiplayer battles against rival teams, with more than 1.4 million players enjoying League of Legends every day. Built by a veteran development team, League of Legends combines elements of both strategy and competitive action genres. With plans to launch in China, Korea and other regions in 2011, the League of Legends community continues to grow.
About Riot Games, Inc.
Riot Games is a direct-to-consumer video game developer and publisher of premium, competitive online games. The company was established in 2006 and has quickly become a leading global developer and publisher of premium free-to-play online video games for hardcore gamers, launching their debut title, League of Legends, in October 2009. To date, more than one million gamers play League of Legends every day. For more information, please visit www.riotgames.com and eu.leagueoflegends.com.
Source: Riot Games
Today, after a long period of silence, Valve Software finally released some information on where the Counter-Strike franchise is going. Dubbed Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, the new game will be released early 2012 on the PC via Steam, as well as on the Xbox 360 and PS3 as a downloadable title.
CS:GO will feature “new maps, characters, and weapons and delivers updated versions of the classic CS content (de_dust, etc.). In addition, CS: GO will introduce new gameplay modes, matchmaking, leader boards, and more.”
According to Valve’s Doug Lombardi:
Counter-Strike took the gaming industry by surprise when the unlikely MOD became the most played online PC action game in the world almost immediately after its release in August 1999. For the past 12 years, it has continued to be one of the most-played games in the world, headline competitive gaming tournaments and selling over 25 million units worldwide across the franchise. CS: GO promises to expand on CS’ award-winning gameplay and deliver it to gamers on the PC as well as the next gen consoles and the Mac.
Anyone who is familiar with eSports knows just how important Counter-Strike is to the movement. For years, CS was the mainstay of Western competitive gaming. While it has died down in the U.S. there are still plenty of European and Asian teams keeping the scene alive. With the announcement of CS:GO, it’s hard not to get excited about an eSports resurgence of the franchise.
To add to the excitement, former CS progamer Craig “Torbull” Levine posted an article on ESEAnews about how he and several other CS progamers were invited to Valve’s HQ to provide input on CS:GO. According to Torbull:
[CS:GO] is designed on the updated Source Engine, but is not built off of Counter-Strike: Source and due out in early 2012 with beta access beginning this fall. It will maintain the traditional de_ and cs_ map types and would not include new game modes. Valve was keen on hearing the input from top CSS players to make CS GO an e-sports title and that is reflected by the game featuring both casual and competitive game modes with a built in match making system and support for dedicated servers.
Torbull also remarked on the movement feel of the game, saying
It didn’t feel like 1.6 and despite being built on the Source engine, it didn’t feel like CSS. By design, Valve wanted to create a game with a different feel, and overall it was really smooth. The pro players seemed surprisingly happy with the player player movement and feel of the game but thankfully they weren’t short of feedback and most weren’t shy to share it. Tweaks and adjustments are needed, but in my opinion, it was a great sign that it didn’t grossly offend anyone.
The most important part of any Counter-Strike title is the arsenal. According to Torbull,
[t]he weapons were one of the areas that in the group’s opinions still needs the most work. Valve wanted to create a more balanced weapon system that would expand beyond the main four weapons (AWP, M4, AK, and Deagle). They wanted shotguns and sub machine guns to have situational value and so they really took some “creative liberties”. They wanted sub machine guns to be good mid-distance alternatives and for shotguns to provide a unique close range use. The AK and M4 rifles felt weak and inaccurate while sub machines like the P90 were overpowered and soon became the weapon of choice during some casual pugs.” But don’t let this news get you down. “The developers eagerly listened to feedback, prying for explanations and more information to improve. They informed us that the game is built to have adjustable weapon variables and made it seem that everything the group was pointing out could presumably be tweaked based on our feedback before launch and even before beta.
On top of reworking the old favorites, Valve will also be adding some new weapons. In particular, a new heavy machine gun rifle, new pistols, a new shotgun, decoy grenades and Molotov cocktails.
[M]olotov cocktails, an expensive $850 item, which can be used to slow down opponents and re-route opponents through AOE damage. Molotov cocktails could be used to slow down T rushes through the tunnels into B on Dust2 or by Ts to slow CTs on retakes. Molotovs are currently stackable and bounce (versus an instant break), which might need to be revisited. Decoy grenades are also a new item that can be thrown to emit gun sounds and give the illusion of there being a player. The decoy grenade currently produced an AK / Glock when thrown by Ts and M4 / USP when thrown by CTs.
It is important to note that CS:GO is still a ways off and Valve has plenty of time to rework and balance everything. Be sure to keep an eye on PAX Prime and Eurogamer Expo 2011 as there will be a playable demo available there.
Any opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of compLexity Gaming or its parent company.
It has been a long time coming friends. I consider myself lucky to have witnessed the golden years of competitive gaming FPS gaming in North America as a teenager and then later as a competitor. I remember playing in a pub, Striker 2000, and just worshipping the older guys with such talent. I remember driving to northern VA to the grand opening of my fellow pubber Mint’s Lanferno and watching Miller play. I remember the excitement only a 16 year old could feel, jumping into a car with his friends and team mates to drive to New York City to meet people I had only known online to compete. I am almost embarrassed to realize Counter-Strike has been an active aspect of half of my entire life. I’m sure there’s a Half-Life pun there somewhere. It was 12 years ago a friend brought over a disk entitled “Half-Life” and we found a mod that changed the course of my life. I tried to quit due to excessive play in addition to a genetic bone condition that damaged my wrist and required multiple surgeries. However, I always came back. I could recite stories for pages, but I won’t bore you. I just want you to understand how important Counter-Strike and last night’s news of an impending new release is to me.
Solidarity is critical. The split between 1.6, CZ, and CS:S decimated the community. Granted, the 1.6 community remained in Europe, but I am strictly referring to the North American scene. We could argue for years as to which game is better and why, but that’s not productive. Each has value, but we must consider this important question above all else: “How can we best kick off an e-Sports FPS revival in North America?” The simple answer is that we must unify the tribes. If you want to play a competitive RTS there is only one option, Starcraft 2. The FPS e-sports community suffers from a million titles. Notice, I do not refer to an e-sports revival. The future has never looked so promising for e-sports. We are already seeing an amazing revival. Look at what the Starcraft 2 community has achieved in only a year. It’s a bittersweet feeling watching MLG Starcraft display everything I ever wanted for Counter-Strike.
Unification behind a new Counter-Strike makes sense. First of all, Starcraft 2 would not have the non-player fan base if it was not attractive. New graphics matter! Intel and Nvidia do not get an opportunity to show their latest and greatest hardware on a 10 year old game that could run on a ti-83 calculator. A newer, shinier, more robust Counter-Strike will allow for greater sponsorship opportunities and spectators will appreciate the upgrade. From a competitive stand point, only a Counter-Strike sequel possesses the clout to unite the distinct tribes of FPS behind one flag. It’s been 12 years and there have been no contenders outside of the franchise for the FPS e-sports throne.
Years ago during the CS:S, 1.6, or ProMod controversy, I wrote an article arguing against implementation of a ProMod for Source. I detailed how in order for the competitive community to survive it needs a public community as a lead in for the professional scene. A new release will increase the player base with gamers who have never experienced a CS game before. Imagine a four way split between 1.6, CZ, CS:S, and CS:GO. All of us started out in a public server before venturing forth into irc and #findscrim, and therefore the last thing we needed was another separation. This still holds true.
We also need to improve our community. The CS community holds the honor of being regarded slightly higher than the infamous cesspool that is League of Legends and HoN. Look at the fan interaction in Starcraft. Look at how the entire community bands together with the common goal of improving everyone’s skill level and the state of the game. Secrets are shared and strategies are rapidly advanced. I know there is a difference because of the one versus one adversarial nature of Starcraft and the team oriented tradition of Counter-Strike. In CS, the mentality has always been “us, our team” against “them,” whereas in Starcraft, everyone must grow together. I do not expect this to change, and I miss the trash talking on the old CAL Forums just as much as anyone, but we need to keep in mind that the community will need to support itself.
We cannot count on Valve for anything. They clearly have no idea what they are doing in regards to today’s subject. Look at their plans for the DoTA 2 launch. Who plans a 1.7 million dollar tournament for a game no one can play? Even I, who loathe DoTA, would buy the game if I had the opportunity to practice for a few months and then compete. It would be an infinitely better marketing investment to hold ten 100,000 dollar tour stops for DoTA 2 after release. That way gamers would purchase the game in an effort to win a spot at a tournament, and in addition, keep the game in the news. Valve holds the highest selling, most competitive, longest longevity team FPS, which is the center in the collective e-sports mind. They have plans to release a sequel, but are unsure if they will host a huge tournament? I am so glad Valve is a private company, because if I owned shares and heard that marketing strategy I would topple over management. People, it is up to us.
Maybe I should re-title this piece “An Open Letter to the FPS e-Sports Community”. I want all of us to unite. I want 1.6, CS:S, Battlefield, Call of Duty, Brink, AvA, Quake Live, and yes even the two guys still playing Unreal Tournament to step up. Play hard. Go Pro.
A soapbox is a raised platform on which one stands to make an impromptu speech. The term originates from the days when speakers would elevate themselves by standing on a wooden crate originally used for shipment of soap or other dry goods from a manufacturer to a retail store.
Do you have an topic you’d like to discuss with a soapbox piece? Send it here.
The SC2 pools for MLG Raleigh have been released and the competition looks to be one of the best to date. compLexity.MVP’s DRG finds himself in group C, along with Slush, SeleCT, TLO and Tester.
More info at the source
Today, League of Legends received another huge update that focused on balancing out champions and adding a brand new champion – Skarner, The Crystal Vanguard. The champions that received the major changes were Fiddlesticks, Garen, Leona, Nasus, and Pantheon. The update also changed the way kill streaks/death streaks are counted.
Energize (Passive): Basic attacks lower the cooldowns of Skarner’s abilities by 1 second against champions and 0.5 seconds against non-champions.
Crystal Slash: Skarner lashes out with his claws, dealing physical damage to all nearby enemies and charging himself with Crystal Energy for several seconds. If he casts Crystal Slash again while empowered by Crystal Energy, he deals bonus magic damage and slows all targets hit.
Crystalline Exoskeleton: Skarner gains a shield and while the shield persists his movement speed and attack speed are both increased.
Fracture: Skarner summons a blast of crystalline energy which deals damage to enemies struck and marks them. Any further damage dealt to marked targets by Skarner will allow him to consume the mark to heal himself.
Impale (Ultimate): Skarner suppresses an enemy champion and deals magic damage to it. During this time, skarner can move freely and will drag his helpless victim around with him. When the effect ends, Skarner’s target will be dealt additional damage.
FiddleSticks
- Basic attack projectile speed increased to 1750 from 1500
- Dark Wind
- Damage reduced to 65/85/105/125/145 from 65/90/115/140/165
- Fixed a bug where Dark Wind would fizzle when Fiddlesticks died
- Fixed a bug where Dark Wind was bouncing 4 times instead of 5
- Drain ability power ratio reduced to .45 from .5
- Terrify cooldown increased to 15/14/13/12/11 seconds from 14/13/12/11/10 seconds
Garen
- Decisive Strike movement speed duration increased to 4 seconds from 3 seconds
- Judgment cooldown reduced to 13/12/11/10/9 seconds from 14/13/12/11/10 seconds
- Courage maximum armor and magic resistance now 25 at all ranks from 5/10/15/20/25
Leona
- Shield of Daybreak cooldown reduced to 11/10/9/8/7 seconds from 12/11/10/9/8 seconds
- Zenith Blade
- Mana cost reduce to 60 at all ranks from 60/65/70/75/80
- Particle adjusted to more accurately reflect the area of effect (actual area of effect unchanged)
- Leona will now attempt to attack the target if she uses Zenith Blade to jump to a target
- Solar Flare cooldown reduced to 90/75/60 seconds from 105/90/75 seconds
- Fixed a bug where Eclipse would break enemy spell shields on activation
Nasus
- Attack range increased to 125 from 110
- Soul Eater lifesteal increased at earlier levels to 14/17/20% from 10/15/20%
- Wither
- Cooldown reduced to 15/14/13/12/11 seconds from 15 seconds at all ranks
- Mana cost reduced to 80 from 100
- Wither will now reach its max slow even if its duration is reduced (ie: by tenacity)
- Spirit Fire
- No longer has a 0.5 second delay before taking effect
- Now deals half of its damage initially and the other half over the duration — initial 55/95/135/175/215 (+0.6 ability power) Magic Damage and 11/19/27/35/43 (+0.12 ability power) Magic Damage each second for the next 5 seconds
- Fixed a bug where Siphoning Strike sometimes gained extra lifesteal
Pantheon
- Heartseeker Strike
- Now does a better job of hitting targets on top of Pantheon
- Damage increased to 13/23/33/43/53 from 4/6/8/10/12
- Scaling adjusted to a .6 bonus Attack Damage ratio from a .2/.25/.3/.35/.4 total Attack Damage ratio
- Now fires 3 strikes instead of 5
- Cooldown reduced to 10/9/8/7/6 seconds from 18/17/16/15/14 seconds
- Mana cost reduced to 45/50/55/60/65 from 70 at all ranks
- Channel duration reduced to .75 seconds from 1.8 seconds
- Spear Shot
- Damage increased to 65/105/145/185/225 from 16/28/40/52/64
- Now scales off of a 1.4 bonus Attack Damage ratio from a 1/1.15/1.3/1.45/1.6 total Attack Damage ratio
- Certain Death now causes Spear Shot to critically strike for 1.5x damage
- Aegis of Zeonia
- Cooldown adjusted to 13/12/11/10/9 seconds from 12 seconds at all levels
- Stun duration adjusted to 1 second from .7/.9/1.1/1.3/1.5
- Pantheon will now attempt to attack the target after using Aegis of Zeonia
- Grand Skyfall
- Jump channel time reduced to 2 seconds from 3 seconds
- Land time reduced to 1.5 seconds from 2 seconds
- Edge damage increased to 50% from 33%
For the complete release notes click here.
Hello. My name is Jacqueline, and I suffer from ladder anxiety.
I love StarCraft2! Since the Wings of Liberty launch last July, I have become an okay player. I am not good by any stretch of the imagination, but I have greatly improved, much to the help of my friends. Trust me when I say that I was absolutely miserable when I started playing the game last summer. My friend Blake will give you a fabulous description of how frustrating playing 2v2 games with me used to be. I’ve improved tonnes since we first started playing together. I love team games on the ladder, and I have no issues playing custom games with friends. Playing 1v1s on the ladder, however, stresses me out. I have an impossible time simply pressing the Find Match button, and I often just put off playing until someone asks me for team games or customs. Avoiding the ladder is a bad habit, and it’s only getting worse.
When I really think about it, ladder anxiety seems so silly. Professional players, who play SC2 for a career and income source, seem less nervous when they play tournament games than I do playing ladder games. If DignitasNaNiwa and LiquidRet aren’t having panic attacks playing in the finals of the EU Battle.net SC2 Invitational fighting for $5000 and a first place title, why am I stressing out playing on the ladder? Pros don’t even take the ladder seriously. For professional players, the ladder is an opportunity to practice build orders and play with a larger variety of players. The ladder does not even matter to them. The majority of my friends approach the ladder with similarly cool attitudes. It just seems to be me that has a hard time playing.
As I’m improving as a player, I’m getting to a point where I need to start laddering to improve. Playing customs and team games helps, but it only helps so much. I’m hitting a ceiling with my play, and the only thing that is going to help me is hitting the ladder hard. If I want to get better at SC2, I need to get over my ladder anxiety. I need to hit that Find Match button with ease, multiple times per day.
Thankfully, I’m not the only one who suffers from ladder anxiety.
Thankfully, I’m not the only one who suffers from ladder anxiety. As usual, the TeamLiquid forums are full of useful advice! Here’s what I’ve found and what is relevant to me:
Some players are worried about their number of loses. I laddered 1v1 more in Season One than in Season Two, and I do not think that taking out the losses from my profile affected my ladder anxiety. I was not a sensitive player that got upset when I viewed my profile and saw numerous losses. In fact, I’d rather see the number of losses and considered keeping track of them on Post It notes beside my computer but thought that was a little ridiculous. For me, I think the ability to track losses would be beneficial, but I am not going to drive myself crazy with tick marks on scrap pieces of paper.
Although I am not worried about my number of loses, I am irrationally worried about losing. More importantly, I am worried about getting demoted. What if I lose so much Battle.net decides I don’t deserve to be in the league I’m in!? This wasn’t an issue until I got out of Bronze league, but for whatever reason, getting demoted is a real worry. I read a statistic on TL once that said that something like one in five Masters League players had played less than ten ladder games the entire of Season Two. Are these players just as nervous about laddering and demotion as I am? Why do I even care about being demoted? My league placement is nothing more than a fake accomplishment that does nothing but boost my ego and ensure I play against others with a similar skill level. Ladder placements allows Battle.net to place me against players with similar skills which will ultimately help me improve my game. I should embrace both demotions and promotions.
One piece of advice on TL that I found insightful was to change the way you approach the ladder. This will be something that I will struggle with. Players often approach the ladder with the goal of getting into a higher league. I’ll admit that my goal is to get into a higher league and has been for quite some time. The ladder is set up to have this as a goal. It is quite easy to look at the ladder and pick a goal of wanting to get Rank 1 or getting into a higher league, Instead of approaching the ladder with the goal of getting into a higher league or a better rank, players should approach the ladder with the goal of practicing, improving and learning from mistakes.
You’ve been promoted!
If the ladder is to be used for just for practice, though, what exactly am I practicing for? With the abundance of weekly online tournaments for amateurs, perhaps it’s time I start competing more. I have played in a handful of online tournaments here and there, but I have not played in many. A reasonable goal for me would be to play a minimum of three SC2 1v1 ladder games per day to practice for competing in one tournament every week. It could encourage me to play more and take the ladder less seriously if I have something more serious than ladder games to train for. I know a handful of lower league players who stream their games while they ladder. Unlike the pros who stream to educated, to earn money through ad revenue or to entertain, amateurs often stream for two reasons: accountability and advice. With the pressure of an audience, players are more accountable to press the Find Match button and to play their best. Stream watching critics are not shy and will voice their opinions if the player they are watching is bad. On the plus side, stream viewers can also offer advice and feedback on game play. Personally, I do not want to stream my games anytime in the near future, but it could be a way for you to reduce your ladder anxiety.
I want to be a better SC2 player, and in order to improve, I am going to have to bite the bullet and face my ladder anxiety. If I force myself to ladder frequently, I’m hoping the anxiety will fade. My goal for the rest of the year will be to 1v1 ladder a minimum of three games per day. If I am out of town, it will be okay for me to miss days, but I have to return to the routine of laddering when I return home. I will use ladder games to practice, to improve and to learn from my mistakes. In order to have something to work towards, I will start competing in online tournaments on a weekly basis. It is a touch corny announcing this grand plan on compLexity, but setting goals publicly will keep me accountable. As my skill improves and my ladder anxiety washes away, I can readjust my goals in the upcoming months. Wish me luck?
Readers, do you have any additional advice for me? Have you had experience with ladder anxiety? I want to break my ladder anxiety and could use all the advice I could get.
Thank you!
Jacq
After years of playing World of Warcraft, a friend introduced Jacqueline to Starcraft early last year. Jacqueline’s relationship with Starcraft started out slowly: a handful of casual dates, a little bit of flirting but nothing serious. She took her relationship with the game to the next level after BlizzCon 2010 where she experienced eSports magic first-hand and realized that Starcraft was the one. Despite being a mediocre player, she has been clambering the ladder at a glacial pace and has spent more time watching Starcraft online than she’d like to admit. In March, Jacqueline made the leap from eSports fan to eSports professional when she was hired by the Handsome Nerd as their Art Director, combining her design skills with her love of Starcraft. Since its start in April, Jacqueline has been a contributing writer for the North American Star League, writing coverage for Division 1. Offline, Jacqueline is a bookworm, a runner, a freeride snowboarder and has a Human Ecology degree with a Clothing and Textiles major.
View Jacqueline’s profile here.
Visit @jacquelinesg on Twitter
With Season 2 kicking off at the end of this month, The North American Star League has been making some important announcements. Today the NASL revealed the map pool for the upcoming season.
The maps that will be featured in Season 2 include:
As you’d expect from a large StarCraft II league some of the maps have had some minor adjustments made to them for balancing reasons. “Terminus and Tal’Darim Altar both have had rocks added at their thirds, while Metalopolis now has rocks at the gold expansion. Antiga Shipyard, Metalopolis, and Shattered Temple all are forced into cross positions.”
What do you guys think about these map? Are there any you are surprised about? What about the maps that were excluded? It seems that a lot of these are from the GSL. Do you guys think that the GSL will continue to be a trend setter in terms of map pool? Let us know what you think by leaving a comment below.
League of Legends is introducing a new game mode in their next huge update, which is named Dominion.
Dominion takes place on a map called The Crystal Scar, an old mining town named Kalamanda that’s a little more populated and active than the standard Summoner’s Rift map. Instead of the three lanes across the map, there’s a circle with five different capture points placed around it, and a series of jungle paths running through the center. The goal is to hold down capture points, which you can claim by standing on them and channeling a spell for a few seconds (the more channelers, the faster it goes, and damage will interrupt the process). This drains away “nexus health” from the other team. When one team is completely out of nexus health, the game is over.
LoL has a large fanbase, and they intend to set themselves even further apart from other MOBA games. While other titles such as DotA have had similar modes (Capture Mode for DotA is similar), the map’s layout will make for extremely quick and tactical gameplay. Clashes centered around controlling the capture points will surely provide not only exhilirating gameplay but a brand new spectator experience aswell. For a full preview, check out the source
Today Blizzard Entertainment released an updated demo of StarCraft II that includes a few more features then the previous demo. Dubbed the ‘Starter Edition,’ this free download allows you access five missions from the single-player campaign, as well as two challenge maps and the ability to play select custom maps (StarJeweled etc.). It is important to note that gamers using the Starter Edition will only be able to play Terran and have access to the melee maps Xel’Naga Cavers, Discord IV, High Orbit, and The Shattered Temple. One huge feature of the Starter Edition is the ability to watch replays, giving newbies a chance to better understand the game before spending their money on it.
Just for clarifications sake, what you won’t have access to is:
This is a great idea from Blizzard. Personally, I have several friends who have come over and watched pro SC2 with me. While they thought the game was interesting, they were put off by the idea of spending $60 on a game with a pretty steep learning curve. Now, thanks to the Starter Edition, they can test the waters before deciding to take the plunge and purchase SC2.
To get your hands on the Starter Edition click here.