Author: Pedro Romero
Coming into VCT LOCK//IN 2023, it was expected that Team Secret’s stay in Brazil would be short and quick. Given they were up against a new-look Team Liquid, which had reloaded with former Masters champions in Redgar and nAts alongside Sayf. All that to say, not much was expected from the Champions 2021 SEA representative.However, after their 2-0 drubbing of the EMEA team, Secret progressed to the next round of the Omega Bracket to set up a date with Natus Vincere, surprising fans and analysts alike and prompting a portion of them to rally behind the lineup.Unfortunately for the APAC…
Global Esports graced the international stage for the first time as they took on Team Vitality in VCT LOCK//IN 2023. With all the anticipation surrounding GE in the leadup to their VCT debut, the team certainly delivered as they went the distance against their opponents by pushing them to a third and decisive map.Despite starting well in Lotus with a 3-1 lead, Vitality’s attacking side proved too much for Global to handle as they went on to win the deciding map 13-6, sending the Pacific league team home after the first round of the event.Nevertheless, despite the loss, with the…
In the second part of BLIX.GG’s interview with TSM’s Position 1 player Enzo “Timado” Gianoli, he reflects on his career, the support he received from his family, why Dota 2 is so popular in his native Peru, the comparison between North America and South America in pro Dota today, and the significance of playing in the Lima Major.Reflecting on Timado’s careerPedro Romero, BLIX.GG: Looking at your career, you’ve been part of numerous teams from 2016 to 2020, going back and forth between NA and SA. I can only assume it must have been hard for you to undergo all these…
More than half a decade since South America was recognized as an official region by Valve for the competitive Dota 2 scene, it will serve as host for the Lima Major, set in the capital of Peru. Barring any outside circumstance, this event will mark the first time SA hosts an international DPC event in the game’s competitive history.South America hosting the Lima Major is a celebration of numerous kinds for its people, who have been waiting for this moment in particular ever since the game set foot there. For the players specifically, competing in this Major means they will…
ESL Impact Katowice 2023 concluded with Nigma Galaxy defeating NAVI Javelins to win their fourth straight championship and remain the world’s best female CS:GO team.Contrary to the 2-0 scoreline, the grand final was an exciting series to watch amidst a professional CS’ hallowed grounds. Although the hometown NAVI Javelins squad displayed a valiant performance against NGX, pushing the opponents to double overtime on the latter’s selected Vertigo map, the defending champions held firm by winning the last four rounds in a row to keep their crown.Besides NGX’s victory, many notable events that caught fans and analysts’ eyes transpired throughout the…
Among the teams taking part in the 2023 VCT LOCK//IN tournament, NRG is one that presumptively carries the most anticipation and intrigue for the event. As one of the five North American teams accepted into their regional partnered league, NRG collected a group of world-class players that previously won Masters tournaments in their past teams. This includes three members of the former OpTic Gaming lineup in FNS, Victor, and Crashies as well as ardiis: the ex-duelist of FunPlus Phoenix, who collected the Masters: Copenhagen crown last season.With one spot left to fill the NRG lineup for 2023, the team opted…
The time has arrived for the latest chapter in ESL Impact’s history to play out. Nearly three months since its previous edition, eight of the best female Counter-Strike: Global Offensive teams will convene in Katowice, Poland, one of the game’s competitive hallowed grounds, to decide who among them is the best in the world.From the reigning defending champions in Nigma Galaxy Female to the cast of upstart lineups like Saints and NAVI Javelins, here’s a preview of each participating team in the tournament.Counter Logic Gaming Red Image via Twitter @CLGRedWhile CLG Red maintained its position as the best team in…
Five hundred and twelve teams participated in the open qualifying phase of the 2023 VCT North America Challengers Split 1 competition. It is the latest of many opportunities offered to players looking to make the highest levels of competitive Valorant.Among the list of prospective teams are those based in the Game Changers circuit. Similar to how Cloud9 White fared in past open qualifying tournaments as a way to strengthen themselves by facing male opponents, these batch of teams tried their hand at reaching Challengers themselves, where the best eventually attain a spot in the VCT Americas League for 2024 at…
So far as the VCT Game Changers scene in APAC is concerned, Alter Ego Celestè was the golden standard for much of its duration. Formed after the Indonesian esports organization Alter Ego signed independent team Celeste Esports in early 2021, which in itself came via the latter’s transition from Counter-Strike: Global Offensive to Valorant, the team wasted little time before dominating the region. Propped by their past competitive FPS experience and seamless synergy, the team won every event they entered including numerous open tournaments and the 2021 GC SEA FSL Elite title.Without question, every player contributed in their own way…
Though ESL Impact has been around for less than a year, it has already delivered more than a decent amount of matches which fans can be fond of long after they’re completed.From watching Nigma Galaxy become champions to HSG stamping their mark in the female CS:GO scene, here is a list of the five most memorable matches in the ESL Impact League circuit so far.Nigma Becomes ESL Impact’s First Champs (Season 1: Grand Finals – Nigma Galaxy Female 2-1 FURIA Esports Female)A wave of excitement swept through the female CS:GO scene the likes of which it hadn’t seen when ESL…