Category: eSports

Manchester United’s Jesse Lingard kicks off ‘Rainbow Six: Siege’ esports team

The midfielder is dipping his toes into the world of esports.

Yup, you read that headline right: Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard has started a Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege team called Jlingz Esports. Formerly known as Team JLE, Jlingz Esports came about after Lingard acquired the European organization Audacity Esports.

“My JLINGZ brand has been growing for a number of years but to finally dive into esports and add my own teams to JLINGZ is incredible,” said Lingard in a press release. “Esports has everything for me it’s fast-paced and competitive, the community is amazing and it’s been great to have Ubisoft’s support on this journey too. Watch this space, JLINGZ esports is going all the way!”

Lingard shared a video on Twitter announcing Jlingz Esports, which you can check out for yourself below.

“We’re thrilled to have Jesse on board and look forward to someone who knows all about competing at the highest level bringing his expertise to the UK and Irish scene,” Will Attwood, Esports Marketing Manager from Ubisoft UK, added in the same press release.

“Rainbow Six Esports and the UK & Ireland Nationals are going from strength-to-strength; to have someone as well-known and respected as Jesse Lingard involved is a testament to the game’s enduring popularity within the local esports community.”

From Lingard’s involvement in Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege to former Valorant pro Rowan Crothers winning gold at the 2020 Paralympics, traditional sports and esports seem to be having a lot of crossovers lately.

Written by Kyle Campbell on behalf of GLHF. 

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‘Marvel vs. Capcom’ pro Justin Wong is the latest Esports Awards lifetime achievement inductee

Justin “Jwong” Wong is getting some well-deserved recognition.

Justin “Jwong” Wong is unquestionably one of the greatest fighting game competitors of all time, and his new lifetime achievement award is proof of that. The nine-time Evolution Championship Series (EVO) champ is one of several inductees into the Esports Awards Class of 2021.

“Jwong has claimed 9 EVO titles across multiple games,” reads a statement on the Esports Awards official site. “With a patient defensive style punishing his opponent’s mistakes, Jwong has been a fearsome competitor throughout his career spanning over 20 years.”

What’s particularly stunning about Jwong’s competitive history is how many different fighting games he’s competed in at the highest level. From classics like Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike to lesser-known titles such as Samurai Showdown, he’s left an indelible mark on fighting games, making him a much-deserved inductee. 

Check out what the champ himself had to say about the news for yourself below.

Jwong is mainly known for his incredible Marvel vs. Capcom 2 escapades. From 2001 through 2010, he placed first in the game seven times during the annual Evolution Championship Series. Additionally, he has notable EVO wins in Street Fighter III: Third Strike and Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. 

The 2021 Esports Awards are happening on November 20, 2021.

Written by Kyle Campbell on behalf of GLHF. 

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Blizzard cancels Overwatch League postseason live events in Los Angeles and Dallas

Matches will now take place entirely online for now.

If you were going to attend Overwatch League live events in either Los Angeles or Dallas, it might be best to make new plans. Blizzard recently announced the cancelation of its postseason events in both cities.

“The League announced yesterday that due to significant changes in the environment affecting travel for some teams,” read a statement from Overwatch League on its official site. “We’ve decided to pivot away from originally scheduled live events in Dallas and Los Angeles; instead, postseason competition will return to Hawaii.” It goes on to stress that competition will continue online rather than in person. 

Overwatch League also left a statement on Twitter which you can check out below. 

This news comes as a significant loss to Overwatch fans and players alike, as online play often has connection issues that aren’t present during events like those that were supposed to take place in Los Angeles or Dallas. Though to (hopefully) mitigate those potential issues, teams from the west will travel to Hawaii so that they’re a smidge closer to their European and Asian competition. 

Written by Kyle Campbell on behalf of GLHF. 

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Former ‘Valorant’ pro wins gold in swimming at Tokyo 2020 Paralympics

Doesn’t matter if its Valorant or swimming, Rowan “Magnetbrain” Crothers is a legend all the same.

It’s not every day that an esports star wins Olympic gold, but Rowan “Magnetbrain” Crothers of Valorant fame did just that. On Wednesday, representing Australia, Crothers came in first during the Men’s 50m freestyle S10 Swimming at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

Known to most gamers for crafty maneuvers in Valorant, Crothers took a break from esports to train for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. And, well, it certainly worked out as he finished first at a staggeringly impressive 23.21 seconds.

The champ took the time to share a photo of the medal with his head held high, which you can check out below.

“I’ve proved that I’m not just a person with a disability,” said Crothers in an interview with 7Sport. “But I’m also an elite athlete.”

Crothers has dealt with Cerebral Palsy all his life, yet it hasn’t stopped him from becoming a legend in swimming and esports.

The entire Valorant community were ecstatic for Crothers, of course.

How cool is all the support from his esports friends? To say this was an achievement would be quite the understatement.

Written by Kyle Campbell on behalf of GLHF. 

Tyler ‘Ninja’ Blevins teases return to competitive ‘Halo’

The legendary Fortnite content creator might be returning to “Halo” this winter.

Halo Infinite will likely take the esports world by storm when it launches this December, and Tyler “Ninja” Blevins might get in on the action. 

Belvins made a name for himself playing Halo 3 and Halo Reach competitively nearly a decade ago, before he was ever a Fortnite megastar. For long-time fans of his, there have been hopes that he’ll make a return to the scene with Halo Infinite.

Well, that might happen, as Belvins recently teased a return on his personal Twitter. He even busted out a SpongeBob SquarePants meme for good measure, which nobody does unless they are committed to something, of course!

Check out the playful tweet from Blevins for yourself below.

Belvins tease even further by responding to former pro Halo player Faisal “Goofy” Khan later with a suggestive emoji. 

In all likelihood, Belvins is just having some fun amidst all this speculation of a potential return to Halo. At least for now, anyway. We won’t know for sure until there’s an official announcement of some sort. 

Written by Kyle Campbell on behalf of GLHF. 

The launch date for ‘Halo: Infinite’ was revealed, and fans went wild

Halomania swept Twitter this morning, here are some of the best reactions.

At long last, Halo Infinite has a release date: December 8, 2021, and fans are going wild. The announcement came today during Opening Night Live at Gamescom, sending Twitter into a frenzy because, well, it’s Halo!

Everyone from prominent industry figures, like Geoff Keighley and Tom Tarren, all the way to content creators, like Alanah Pearce, commented on the release date news.

Some were overjoyed while others dropped a spicy meme or two, though regardless, everyone was plenty excited. After all, back in November of 2001, Halo: Combat Evolved shook the gaming world by making console shooters respectable with its innovative controls and gave Microsoft a certified hit for the original Xbox. 

Check out the Halo-themed buzz for yourself below. 

Even Joseph Staten, one of Halo Infinite’s developers working at 343 industries got in on the hype.

Hard to believe that by the time Halo Infinite is out this December, the series will be over 20 years old. Here’s to hoping this latest entry lives up to expectations.

Written by Kyle Campbell on behalf of GLHF. 

TimTheTatman responds to DrDisrespect’s Warzone challenge with heartwarming message

Sometimes, friendship is more important than bravado.

Recently, DrDisrespect challenged fellow content creator Tim “TheTatman” John Betar to a best of three matches in Call Of Duty: Warzone, and the response isn’t what you would expect: Tim said he misses playing with Doc. 

Ever since DrDisrespect’s ban from Twitch last year, he’s been unable to play games with any of his friends still on the platform, including Betar. Doing so would result in a breach of Twitch’s terms of service, potentially putting someone like Betar in hot water. So of course, Betar had to decline, but not before he voiced his support for his friend.

“Hey, Doc. If you’re watching, for what it’s worth, I miss you. I miss us,” said Betar in a recent Twitch stream. “And for what it’s worth, man. I’ve been tuning into your streams on YouTube, and honestly, for what it’s worth, you’re doing really well over there too.”

Check out the touching clip for yourself below.

“I retract this challenge,” said DrDisrespect on Twitter. “You’d rather spectate solos than win a legendary gaming memorabilia item fully matted, custom framed?” Just the sort of reply you would expect from the good doctor.

Streaming personalities are often full of chest-thumbing bravado when it comes to challenges like this, so it’s nice to see a genuine friendship blossom despite it all.

Written by Kyle Campbell on behalf of GLHF. 

Check out the slick esports coffee shop Tim Hortons and Tencent just opened in Shenzhen, China

Probably the most tech savvy coffee place out there.

Esports is such a massive deal these days that Tim Hortons, in collaboration with Tencent, just opened a state-of-the-art esports facility in Shenzhen, China. This coffee shop will even have esports-themed food and drink items for those looking to get in a fine cup of joe in-between matches of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, League Of Legends, or whatever the hottest game might be.

This facility is part of a joint venture between Tencent, the multinational technology conglomerate, and famed fast-food chain Tim Hortons. It’ll be a place for gamers to watch esports tournaments or well-known content creators in a social environment full of interactive screens. Kind of like an internet cafe, but with more modern technology that’ll better suit mobile and offline gaming needs.

You can check out some pictures of the restaurant below.

Looks pretty cool! According to games industry analyst Daniel Ahmad, this location is only the first of many that Tim Hortons and Tencent plan on rolling out.

Written by Kyle Campbell on behalf of GLHF. 

DrDisrespect knows why Twitch banned him and will sue in response

One of Twitch’s biggest stars was removed from the platform last year, and now he’s preparing for a legal battle over it.

Last year, DrDisrespect, one of the biggest streaming content creators around, was suddenly banned from Twitch. Even now, the public has no idea why, but the man himself does and is preparing to sue the platform for it.

Herschel “Guy” Beahm IV, a.k.a. DrDisrespect, was banned from Twitch in one of 2020’s biggest gaming stories mainly because it’s not every day that the platform decides to cut ties with its biggest stars. Fast forward to now, Beahm claims he finally knows what happened.

“There’s a reason why I don’t talk about it. I can’t talk about this kind of stuff,” states Beahm during a recent YouTube stream. “A lot of people ask, ‘Do you know the reason?’ Yeah, I do know the reason why now. I’ve known for months now. There’s a reason why, and I’ll just say this right now, champs: There’s a reason why we’re suing the [expletive] out of them, OK?”

You can watch a clip of this below (thanks, Dexetro), but just know that there’s some NSFW language in it.

Legal battles like this can last for years, so there’s a good chance the public won’t know “the reason” for quite some time.

Written by Kyle Campbell on behalf of GLHF. 

Watch: pro Counter-Strike player Almazer wins round despite hardware hiccups

No screen? No mouse? No problem for Almazer.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is all about pixel-perfect precision and steady mousing, which is why Almaz “Almazer” Asadullin winning a close round by way of technical issues is unintentionally hilarious.

During a ESL Pro League Season 14 match, Almazer ran into an issue where his monitor froze, and he couldn’t see anything as a result. Though curiously, he still had control over his in-game character. Unfortunately, since this was a match in a $750,000 tournament, Almazer and his team at forZe could not call for a time out.

Being down one player like this from the beginning of a match should mark a death’s knell for any team, but Almazer managed to turn it into an advantage. As the rest of his team got in position, Almazer caused a much-needed distraction by firing in every direction. The enemy team had no idea what was happening since this was bizarre behavior, allowing the rest of forZe to take them out (thanks, Dexetro).

Watch the below clip to see this legendary bamboozle in action.

This might just be the goofiest Counter-Strike: Global Offensive moment ever.

Written by Kyle Campbell on behalf of GLHF.