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Articles by Malcolm Abbas
The Top 10 Esports Crossovers We Didn’t Know We Wanted
Crossovers, when hypothetical “what ifs” come to life. In gaming, crossovers allow for some of the coolest and most hilarious combinations of franchises that otherwise have nothing to do with each other. Here are the top 10 crossovers in esports. For more great videos, be sure to subscribe to theScore esports on YouTube.
The Top 10 200 IQ Plays in Rainbow Six Siege
by Brendan Fahey, Shihab Mian, Malcolm Abbas, Danny Burke, Daniel Rosen 24 minutes ago In Siege it’s easy to remember the flashy plays. But today we wanted to look back at some of the more sophisticated moments in Siege. The plays that flex the most important muscle in your body: the brain. The plays that leave viewers thinking, damn that’s genius. Here are the top 10 200 IQ plays in Rainbow Six Siege. For more great videos, be sure to subscribe to theScore esports on YouTube.
Play to Live: How Gold Farming in a 20-Year-Old Game is Saving Lives
by Alex Debets, Devin Jones, Malcolm Abbas, Brandon Mistele, Miles Hackett, Daniel Rosen 8 minutes ago Runescape. The drunk uncle of the MMO family. For most people, it's a pleasant memory from their adolescence. But for some, it remains a beloved daily ritual. It might not be as popular as WoW, or as embarrassing as Second Life, but there's no question that it’s every bit as enduring.
I Love You, Bro: The Top 10 Esports Bromances
by Devin Jones, Malcolm Abbas, Daniel Rosen 7 minutes ago Esports are built on relationships. From teammates, to coaches, content creators, and even fans, these relationships, plus incredible skills in-game, make esports such an enjoyable pastime. But sometimes these relationships extend past normal friendships, reaching a new stage. Yes, we're talking about none other than Bromances.
Broken or Unplayable: The Champion Riot Can't Get Right
by Andrew Faigal, Shihab Mian, Malcolm Abbas, Fermin Mulett, Brandon Mistele, Daniel Rosen 13 minutes ago Ryze is the champion Riot Games just can't seem to get right. No matter what they do to him, buffs, nerfs, nothing seems to work. Ryze has been reworked six times, more than any other champion in League of Legends. Every time he's managed to bend the game around him, dominating pro play and languishing away as useless in solo queue. Ryze has been a problem since basically day one.
Huhi joins 100 Thieves, Ryu moves to assistant coach role
100 Thieves begins its 2018 offseason with the addition of former CLG mid laner Choi “Huhi” Jae-hyun, the team announced earlier today. “At CLG we didn’t really do well this past year, and I felt that for CLG and I, we both needed some kind of change. And I was really confident that if I come to [100 Thieves] I could hit my peak again,” Huhi said in 100 Thieves’ announcement video. Welcome @Huhi as our starting League of Legends Mid Laner for the 2019 season.
kennyS is Back: How Foreign Blood Brought G2 to the Top of Counter-Strike
by Alex Debets, Devin Jones, Malcolm Abbas 13 minutes ago KennyS is considered one CS:GO’s greatest players ever, and for good reason. He innovated with the AWP, did things no one else could, and he’s a Major champion. And now, eight years into his CSGO career, kennyS is in the midst of a renaissance. The AWP god’s balling out, tournament after tournament, with G2 considered one of the best teams in the world in this online era of Counter Strike.
A Body That Betrayed Him: How Uzi Sacrificed Himself For Greatness
League of Legends has lost an icon. LPL superstar Uzi announced his retirement from pro play after a long and successful career. The guy’s only 23. One of League’s greatest players ever is stepping away due to injuries and health issues that have plagued him his whole career. For more great videos, be sure to subscribe to theScore esports on YouTube.
How the Biggest Scandal in League Destroyed a Team But Built a Champion
by Alex Debets, Devin Jones, Malcolm Abbas 19 minutes ago JD Gaming jungler Kanavi made history this spring. The 19-year-old became the first non-mid laner named the LPL’s league MVP, beating out names like the reigning world champion Doinb. In his first-ever split as a starter, Kanavi achieved what most players spend their whole careers chasing. He wasn’t just named MVP, he became an LPL champion. But just a few months ago, Kanavi’s future as a pro was in question.
Unreliable to Unstoppable: How Cloud9 Created a Monster in the Jungle
by Alex Debets, Devin Jones, Malcolm Abbas 19 minutes ago Blaber is North America’s best jungler, and it’s not even close. In his first full split as a starter, the young jungler helped win Cloud9’s first LCS championship in six years. But Blaber did more than earn his first championship. The guy was also voted first-team all-pro jungler, and league MVP He only just became a starter, and he’s already taken the league by storm. But before he was the MVP, Blaber was the MVP’s understudy.
Rules Don't Matter: How G2 Won Another Championship by Saying F@&K It
G2 Esports are the best European League of Legends team ever. In 2019 they won both LEC splits, made the World Championship finals, and became the first EU team to win MSI. So after finding all this success last year, you’d think the MSI champions and World finalists would simply run it back… But G2’s two carries swapped roles… again. For more great videos, be sure to subscribe to theScore esports on YouTube.
Doublelift Didn't Care: How A Trash Attitude Killed His Spring 2020
Team Liquid are out of playoff contention. They bombed out of the Spring Split in what’s now the biggest downfall in LCS history. The guy taking the brunt of the team’s criticism was Doublelift. Doublelift under-performing was bad. But his attitude at the start of spring is what really got the community fired up. For more great videos, be sure to subscribe to theScore esports on YouTube.
New Teammates, Same Faker: The Demon King's Continued Quest For World Domination
by Alex Debets, Devin Jones, Malcolm Abbas 16 minutes ago Faker made it back to the top of Korea in 2019. Armed with a new super-team composed of some of the region’s best players, Faker and T1 dominated the 2019 LCK season, winning both spring and summer. But all that success wasn’t enough to keep the T1 dream team together. T1 was forced to rebuild again, with Faker left to lead the new, young squad as the oldest player on the team.
Hyped, Fallen, Forgotten: The Underdog Searching for Redemption on Astralis
Astralis are in the middle of DreamHack Masters: Europe. Eight days away from their first playoff match, they're busy doing their tournament prep, it should be business as usual. Except it’s not, because there’s new players on the starting lineup for the first time in two years. For more great videos, be sure to subscribe to theScore esports on YouTube.
The Demonic Invader Who Broke Tekken
Akuma might be in Tekken, but he's not from Tekken, and that means he breaks all the rules. From the moment Akuma was put in Tekken 7, he began to change it, warping the game around him and his mechanics. Tekken's own characters never stood a chance. Akuma changed Tekken, but he also may have broken it forever. For more great videos, be sure to subscribe to theScore esports on YouTube.
How a World Champion Tanked His Career in Just One Month
Crown’s 2020 season has been terrible. He’s been called one of NA’s worst mid laners, getting kicked mid-way through Spring. But, when he came to NA in 2019, he was a world Champion. He’d reached the top of his craft, achieving the greatest prize in League of Legends. For more great videos, be sure to subscribe to theScore esports on YouTube.
Back From The Grave: CS:GO’s First Superteam Has Returned
by Alex Debets, Devin Jones, Malcolm Abbas 1h ago When Dignitas announced the signing of Ninjas in Pyjamas' old Major-winning core, it was impossible to escape the negative comments. Sure these players are legends, but they haven't done anything in pro play worth writing home about in quite some time. There are people who think a lot of these players should already have retired. On paper, this roster should fail. But what if...?
Gone, But Far From Finished: Packing Up Sneaky’s Legacy
For the last seven years he’s played for Cloud9 as one of North America’s most beloved players. He’s been with them since the org first entered the LCS. He’s played in the last 13 consecutive LCS splits and made Worlds every year he’s competed. But those records are about to end, because he’s not playing this spring. For more great videos, be sure to subscribe to theScore esports on YouTube.
Tyler1 is Saving the Rookies Riot Left Behind
Tyler1 was once known as the most famously toxic player in League of Legends, but now? He's saving North America's amateur scene with his Tyler1 Championship series. For more great videos, be sure to subscribe to theScore esports on YouTube.
The Hard Luck Story Behind 100 Thieves’ CS:GO Team
When you're a kid you’re told to follow your dreams, that if you work hard enough, you'll succeed. And, look, that’s not always how it goes. But sometimes you witness something that feels like a childhood fantasy come to life. And in CS:GO we’re having one of those moments right now For more great videos, be sure to subscribe to theScore esports on YouTube.
Doinb is Breaking the Rules on His Quest for Glory
He’s been named MVP multiple times. He can make just about every champion a mid laner. And after four years of grinding, he finally has an LPL championship under his belt. Doinb is one of the LPL’s deadliest mid laners. And at Worlds? He’s out for blood. For more great videos, be sure to subscribe to theScore esports on YouTube.
Jankos is the First Blood King Rewriting History
He’s the First Blood King. His skills have won the respect of junglers everywhere. He’s won back-to-back LEC titles, and MSI. If you haven't already guessed, we're talking about Jankos. Europe’s MVP jungler has spent a year dominating the League scene, and now he’s one match away from becoming a world champion. For more great videos, be sure to subscribe to theScore esports on YouTube.
Faker and kkOma Have Split... Now What?
No one has dominated League of Legends more completely than Faker and kkOma. The two built a dynasty together, creating an unmatched legacy that spans the better part of a decade. But that’s all changing, because kkOma’s leaving SKT, leaving Faker to face an unfamiliar future. For more great videos, be sure to subscribe to theScore esports on YouTube.
Benched, Screwed Over, and Alone: Aleksib's Quest for Redemption
by Alex Debets, Devin Jones, Malcolm Abbas 38 minutes ago He’s one of CS:GO’s hottest up-and-coming in-game leaders. He led an unlikely group of Finns to the grand final of a Major, beating some of the world’s greatest teams along the way. Five months later he was cut from that same team, forced to play the Berlin Major on a roster that had already removed him. For months we speculated on where he’d go. But the time for speculation is over, because the guy’s finally got a new team. Aleksib is back.
The Top 10 Sneakiest Plays in Esports
by Andrew Faigal, Malcolm Abbas, Colin McNeil 8 minutes ago When it comes to esports, everybody wants to be an action hero. Everybody wants to get that map-winning ace clutch, everyone wants to dive that tower and secure the kill for their team. But sometimes, stealth is the better part of valour. So, from backdoor plays, to ninja defuses, we look back and rank the top 10 sneaky plays in all of esports. For more great videos, be sure to subscribe to theScore esports on YouTube.
Can Cloud9 find a new LCS finals win to pair with their international success?
Cloud9 have another shot to escape the team’s second-place identity this weekend. If there was a line to be the next LCS champion, Cloud9 would perpetually be at the front, patiently waiting to once again raise the trophy. Since the organization’s last title win in the spring of 2014, Cloud9 have yet to win another LCS split, finding only a myriad of second and third-place finishes as consolation.
100 Thieves signs Yassuo as a League of Legends creator
Everyone’s favorite Yasuo master has found a new team. Moe “Yassuo” Abdalrhman has joined 100 Thieves as its first League of Legends content creator, the organization announced today. “Yassuo began his streaming career in 2015 and has grown to be one of the biggest League of Legends personalities in the scene today,” 100 Thieves said.
Mastercard named exclusive financial sponsor of the LCS
Mastercard has become an exclusive financial partner of the North American League of Legends league, the LCS, Riot Games announced today. The effects of this new sponsorship will be seen in this week’s LCS Summer Split finals, with Mastercard being the presenting sponsor of the event’s opening ceremonies.
Team Liquid qualify for Worlds after semifinal win over Clutch Gaming
As many predicted, Team Liquid have made their fourth consecutive LCS final, though their semifinal hurdle was more difficult than expected. Liquid were pushed to their limits by Clutch Gaming in their semifinal bout, with Clutch smashing expectations and taking the series to game five. “We expected 3-0 as well,” Liquid AD carry Peter “Doublelift” Peng said in the post-game interview. “I think we had some pretty bad plays around mid.
Jin Air Green Wings make history as the first LCK team to end a split 0-18
Jin Air Green Wings have made LCK history, but not in a good way. After falling to Griffin 2-0 earlier today, Jin Air are now the first LCK team to have a winless regular season, ending the 2019 Summer Split with a 0-18 match record. Prior to today, the record for the least amount of match wins in an LCK season was 1-17, which was accomplished by Kongdoo Monster, SBENU Sonicboom, and—you guessed it—Jin Air.
FakeGod wins LCS rookie of the split, Cain finds first coach of the split award
With one day remaining before the LCS semifinals, Riot Games has announced the best coach and rookie of the Summer Split. Coming as little surprise to those who watched the regular season, this summer’s rookie of the split award went to 100 Thieves top laner Aaron “FakeGod” Lee, who received 116 voting points. Unlike the other rookies who debuted this summer, FakeGod was the only one to start for the majority of the split.
Pringles named LEC finals' newest sponsor
Kellogg Company’s potato chip brand Pringles is joining the LEC as a league sponsor for the upcoming Summer Split finals. “We’ve seen the energy and passion of the LEC fans and were excited to work with the team at Riot to help us build our relationship with their community for the Summer Finals,” Kellogg Company’s Northern European marketing manager Dominik Schafhaupt said.
Hafu joins G2 Esports
G2 Esports already fields the world’s best League of Legends team, but now the organization is extending its dominance into Teamfight Tactics with the signing of Rumay “Hafu” Wang. “I will strive to be as winning as the rest of G2,” Hafu said in her personal stream following the announcement, telling her viewers she’ll “hopefully be competing.” Hafu is a veteran in esports who’s competed in a variety of games, including World of Warcraft, Bloodline Champions, and Hearthstone.
A desperate TSM enter the LCS playoffs with Academy reinforcements
Near the end of 2018, TSM hosted its very own Scouting Grounds, inviting two players for each in-game role to the team’s gaming house to participate in a “bootcamp with [TSM] staff.” TSM’s reason for hosting an in-house Scouting Grounds was twofold. TSM wanted to find promising players to complete their Academy roster, while simultaneously building a system around promoting amateur players to Academy. By the start of the 2019 season, TSM had accomplished both of those goals.
Team Liquid show that glacials can work in the LCS with a win over TSM
With first place locked in after 100 Thieves beat CLG earlier in today, Team Liquid decided to unleash a secret strategy in their final regular-season game: glacials. Liquid even surprised themselves by winning with a Teamfight Tactics inspired team comp, beating TSM quite handily with Volibear and Nunu. “I really did not expect to win, I’m not gonna lie,” Liquid ADC Peter “Doublelift” Peng said in the post-game interview.
TSM Spica makes his LCS debut in a win over FlyQuest
Fresh off an Academy League playoff match win, Mingyi “Spica” Lu was quickly thrust into the LCS today, making his debut in the league’s ninth week of regular season play. Spica aced his LCS entrance exam, pulling off critical plays to help TSM secure a win against FlyQuest. “I was a little bit nervous coming into the game since we only had two and a half days of practice,” Spica said in his post-game interview.
The speedy Kingzone DragonX are trying not to crash before playoffs
Kingzone DragonX began the summer looking like one of the best teams in the world. Now they’re fighting to make playoffs. The 2019 season has been a pleasant surprise for Kingzone DragonX fans. Losing five players in the offseason, Kingzone were forced to rebuild, creating a new roster which many pundits—including myself—projected to miss playoffs prior to the season’s start.
Cloud9 lock in their LCS playoff spot with a win against Team Liquid
After losing to FlyQuest yesterday, Cloud9 mid laner and birthday boy Yasin “Nisqy” Dinçer received a nice gift to cheer him up—a win against the LCS’ No. 1 team. Cloud9 took down the back-to-back league champions Team Liquid today in a one-sided game to secure a spot in the 2019 LCS Summer Split playoffs. “I don’t know,” Nisqy said in the post-game interview regarding Cloud9’s fluctuating performance.
Golden Guardians bring out the top lane Tristana in a win over 100 Thieves
AD carries now have a new champion to try out if they get sent to the top lane in solo queue: Tristana. Golden Guardians displayed the power of top lane Tristana to LCS viewers today in their sub-30 minute win vs. 100 Thieves. “Tristana is just really strong right now,” Golden Guardians mid laner Henrik “Froggen” Hansen said in the post-game interview.
CLG end their 7-11 curse with a win over Cloud9
After ending the last three consecutive LCS seasonal splits with a 7-11 record, CLG finally found that elusive eighth win. CLG inched one step closer to securing their place in the 2019 LCS Summer Split playoffs after beating Cloud9 today, rising to second in the standings. “It always feels good you know, to get some bragging rights,” CLG jungler Raymond “Wiggily” Griffin said in the post-game interview.
TSM go back to basics in their win over Golden Guardians
TSM fans, rejoice—Joshua “Jatt” Leesman has returned to LCS shoutcasting. And with “TSM Jatt’s” return comes wins for the former LCS champions. With the help of Jatt’s shoutcasting, TSM beat Golden Guardians today in a back-and-forth game. “I think we messed up the early game, and we got behind bot lane,” TSM AD carry Jesper “Zven” Svenningsen said in the post-game interview about TSM’s early-game deficit.
Jatt set to return to the LCS broadcast full time
Josh “Jatt” Leesman is making his return to the LCS broadcast after leaving to join Riot Games’ balance team near the start of 2019. “I’ll be back on the LCS full time starting this Saturday,” Jatt said in a reply to Riot’s announcement. “Casting the first three games.” One of the first North American League of Legends shoutcasters, Jatt was originally a competitive player who was active in 2011.
Akaadian named TSM's primary jungler
Six weeks into the LCS Summer Split, TSM has said Matthew “Akaadian” Higginbotham will be the team’s primary jungler for the foreseeable future. “After a long process, we have decided to move forward with Akaadian as our primary jungler for our LCS team,” TSM said in the announcement post. Akaadian was promoted to TSM’s LCS team at the start of 2019, after Jonathan “Grig” Armao—TSM’s initial jungler—took a break from professional play due to wrist issues.
Cloud9 prove that no lead is insurmountable in a comeback win against TSM
Cloud9 found their eighth LCS win of summer in a game that looked all but winnable. Faced with a major early defect, Cloud9 clawed their way back up to beat TSM through impressive teamfighting and clever engages, gaining sole position of second place in the LCS standings. “The entire game was really really intense,” Cloud9 top laner Colin “Kumo” Zhao said in the post-game interview.
FlyQuest extend their LCS win streak with the help of Jarvan IV support
After a 2-0 performance last week in the LCS, FlyQuest entered today’s match ready to unveil a new bot lane duo partner for Sona—Jarvan IV. The Sona and Jarvan bot lane helped FlyQuest find their third consecutive win after defeating Golden Guardians to begin week six of the 2019 LCS Summer Split.
CLG end their 1,176-day losing streak vs. TSM
After 1,176 days, CLG have finally overcome their kryptonite—TSM. CLG ended their three-year winless streak against TSM today with a crushing victory to remain tied for first place in the LCS standings. “It is just a big relief, and I haven’t had a crowd cheer for me like this in such a long time, so it feels pretty awesome,” CLG AD carry Trevor “Stixxay” Hayes said in the post-game interview. Stixxay, the longest-standing CLG player, last beat TSM in the 2016 LCS Spring Split finals.
Golden Guardians' Huhi finds his first LCS win as a support
After making his LCS support debut yesterday, former CLG and 100 Thieves mid laner Choi “huhi” Jae-hyun found his first LCS win in his new in-game role today. Playing Lux support, Huhi had a strong laning performance in Golden Guardians’ win today against Echo Fox, ending week five of the LCS with a 1-1 record. “It feels pretty nice, especially [being] on a new role,” Huhi said regarding his LCS return in the post-game interview.
Cloud9 take down Team Liquid with the help of mid lane Veigar
With their starting top laner Eric “Licorice” Ritchie out for the week due to wrist issues, Cloud9 came into their match today against LCS champions Team Liquid as even more of an underdog. But Cloud9 exceeded expectations, beating Team Liquid in dominant fashion, with standout performances from their substitute top laner Colin “Kumo” Zhao’s Jayce, and mid laner Yasin “Nisqy” Dinçer’s Veigar. “I feel like [Team Liquid] weren’t playing great,” Nisqy said in the post-game interview.
China's LPL advance to the finals of Rift Rivals
The LPL will attempt to protect their Rift Rivals crown against the LCK in tomorrow’s finals. China’s LPL is heading to the 2019 Rift Rivals finals after steamrolling through the LMS and VCS teams in their way today. The LPL speedran its way through Rift Rivals’ semifinal best-of-five relay match, knocking out the combined LMS-VCS region in a 3-0 sweep. While today’s best-of-five featured six different teams, all three games followed a similar script.
South Korea's LCK end the first day of Rift Rivals undefeated
Day one of the 2019 Eastern Rift Rivals tournament has come to a close, and South Korea is on top of the standings. Korea’s four LCK teams took the lead by beating the three other regions at the tournament, ending the first day with an undefeated 4-0 record. SK Telecom T1 opened Rift Rivals by facing off against their old international nemesis, Flash Wolves.
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