Thirteen years experience writing and competing in esports.
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Articles by Samuel Lingle
7 ways to keep active and healthy while gaming
This story brought to you by the QLD government. Everyone knows sitting on the couch or at your computer playing video games isn’t a great way to stay fit and healthy. But that doesn’t mean you can’t do both. For many esports competitors, staying fit has become just as important as maintaining their mechanical ability in their game of choice.
The best StarCraft 2 player in the world may not be Korean
For the first time, the best StarCraft 2 player in the world is not a Korean, and this week will prove it. Joona “SerraL” Sotala, the 20-year-old Zerg player from Finland, is going to win the 2018 World Championship Series (WCS) Global Finals at BlizzCon and become the first ever StarCraft world champion who is not Korean. And he’s not going to win through sleight of hand, clever cheese tactics, or some secret knowledge of the meta. He’s going to do it because he’s the superior player.
Mad Dog ride Retribution Paladin to BlizzCon, win World of Warcraft APAC Regional
This article is proudly supported by McDonald’s. In an event dominated by Demon Hunters, Beast Masters, and Boomkins, it was a rare Retribution Paladin that came out on top. Mad Dog will represent Australia and the Asia-Pacific region at the World of Warcraft Global Finals at BlizzCon after beating the top team from Korea and their home nation to win the APAC Regional Finals.
Warlock staves off their Inevitable Demise in World of Warcraft arena for at least one game at the APAC finals
This article is proudly supported by McDonald’s. Warlock has long been one of the most dominant classes in World of Warcraft arena, proving to be a staple of many world championship teams dating back to the arena’s introduction. But in Battle for Azeroth, the class has become a meme. The Asia-Pacific Regional Final broadcast team spent much of the night joking about the class’ zero-percent winrate in live events since the expansion was released.
Defending champs first to fall at World of Warcraft APAC Regional Finals
The first team eliminated from the 2018 World of Warcraft Asia-Pacific Regional Finals was the 2017 champs. Unitas GG took the Australian flag to BlizzCon last year, a surprising champion who thrived with their aggressive playstyle and team compositions. But this year, in a slower metagame, they couldn’t survive the first day of the tournament.
Mindfreak take ANZ Heroes of the Storm title, win Intercontinental Clash to qualify for BlizzCon
Last year, Mindfreak narrowly missed out on a trip to BlizzCon, falling to Dark Sided on the big stage. This time, though, they made the most of their opportunity. Mindfreak beat local rivals Crimson Gaming yesterday to take the Australia and New Zealand Heroes of the Storm title. They then followed it up by winning the Intercontinental Clash, defeating Latin America’s representative Thunder Predator to qualify for the Heroes of the Storm Global Championship at BlizzCon later this year.
What to expect at the Overwatch Contenders Australian finals
The Overwatch metagame is constantly shifting as updates to the game and creativity spawn new team compositions and novel strategies, and entering the Overwatch Contenders Season 2 playoffs for Australia and New Zealand, set for this weekend, we’re seeing a lot of variety.
London Spitfire are the first Overwatch League champions
London Spitfire were built to be Overwatch League champions. Their star-studded roster fields past champions and emerging superstars. In the first quarter of the season, they played like champions, taking the OWL stage one title. And today, they became champions—London Spitfire are the first winners of the Overwatch League. Spitfire absolutely demolished Philadelphia Fusion today in front of a packed crowd at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
London Spitfire strike first in OWL finals, beat Philadelphia Fusion
A packed Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York played host to the opening match of the first Overwatch League finals tonight where the Philadelphia Fusion and London Spitfire clashed to move one step closer to becoming champions. If the players were nervous to play on the biggest stage in front of the largest crowd of their lives, they certainly didn't show it tonight.
Philadelphia Fusion complete the upset, send New York Excelsior packing
New York Excelsior claimed they were confident coming into today's do-or-die playoff battle with Philadelphia Fusion, calling the series "winnable" despite entering the day with a 1-0 series deficit. But they sure didn't play like it—at least not until it was too late. Philadelphia Fusion completed the upset of the Overwatch League's most dominant regular season team, beating New York Excelsior in a close 3-2 series to clinch a spot in the OWL finals.
London Spitfire sweep Los Angeles Valiant, will play in OWL finals
Los Angeles Valiant were on a roll entering the OWL playoffs after winning the stage four title matches. They were also the best-looking team in the late season meta. London Spitfire backed into the playoffs, a poor 4-6 final quarter nearly pushing them out of postseason play. Oh, what a difference a few weeks makes. London Spitfire absolutely demolished Los Angeles Valiant today in a perfect 3-0 match, capping a 2-0 sweep in the OWL semifinals.
From TF2 to Overwatch Contenders, Yuki is aiming for the big leagues
“It is better to try your dream and fail, rather than not try at all.” Those are words James “Yuki” Stanton, one of Australia’s veteran FPS stars, lives by. He’s made becoming a professional gamer his goal since the start of the decade, and he’s steadily moved closer to realizing that dream, whether competing in Overwatch Contenders, Blizzard’s literal path to the pros, or leading Team Australia against other countries at the Overwatch World Cup, like he did in 2016 and will do again this year.
London Spitfire crush another Los Angeles team, take the series lead over Valiant
You can call London Spitfire the LA killers. Days after London shocked the Los Angeles Gladiators in the Overwatch League quarterfinals by winning six straight maps to come back and advance in the playoffs, Spitfire preyed on another Los Angeles team. The Los Angeles Valiant were the second-ranked team in the regular season and the stage four title holders. They were supposed to beat a London team whose hallmark has been inconsistency.
Philadelphia Fusion shock New York Excelsior to take a lead in the OWL semifinals
It makes sense when a playoff team clinch their spot early, and they rest their starters and close their playbook. Tired players get much-needed rest after a long season before the emotionally-draining playoffs. It minimizes injury risk. They get to save stratagems for matches that really matter. But sometimes, that little late-season vacation extends into the playoffs.
The final leg of the WCS Circuit begins now for OCE/SEA after disappointment in Valencia
The third event of the World Championship Series (WCS) 2018 Circuit finished last week in Valencia with many of the best StarCraft 2 players on the globe competing to earn a berth at the global finals. Oceania and Southeast Asia sent two players to represent the region, but neither of the Australian Terrans were able to win a match on the world stage. That doesn’t mean the region’s chance to perform on the international stage this year is over, though.
London Spitfire sweep Saturday to upset the Los Angeles Gladiators and advance to the OWL semifinals
London Spitfire entered Saturday on life support, with their season on the line against their toughest foe this year. During the Overwatch League regular season, Los Angeles Gladiators beat Spitfire all three times they faced each other. Then, on Wednesday, Gladiators continued that streak, sweeping Spitfire in an embarrassingly one-sided affair.
Philadelphia Fusion stave off a Boston Uprising comeback to advance to the OWL semifinals
The Overwatch League playoffs kicked off on Wednesday with two series that weren't particularly close. The Philadelphia Fusion and Los Angeles Gladiators took their first matches of their best-of-three series with relative ease. Tonight, though, showed the playoffs won't be without drama and showcased some of the importance of strong coaching and tactical adjustments in a multi-match playoff series.
Los Angeles Valiant prove New York Excelsior can bleed by taking the stage 4 OWL title
The regular season of the inaugural Overwatch League tilt is complete, but that doesn't mean they're done playing Overwatch. The season playoffs are set for July, but today, the stage four title matches gave us a taste of what those playoffs might be like as the four top teams from the last quarter of league play battled for a $125,000 bonus prize pot.
Shanghai Dragons complete their epic 0-40 winless season
Shanghai Dragons have officially completed the worst professional esports season possible, losing their final match in the Overwatch League to end with a 0-40 record through the season. That's a level of ineptitude never matched in professional sports. No team in a major pro sports league has ever posted a winless record in a season as long as OWL's.
Seither dominates the field at WCS OCE-SEA Valencia qualifier
The Oceanic region will send one of its strongest StarCraft players in recent memory to the international stage at the World Championship Series stop in Valencia—and he certainly earned that distinction this weekend. Sheldon "Seither" Barrow and his teammate Nicholas "HuT" Hutton will represent Oceania and Southeast Asia at Valencia in July. The two Terran players from SYF Gaming met in the finals of the WCS Challenger OCE-SEA Valencia qualifier on Sunday, but Seither dominated the proceedings.
Dallas Fuel will play in OWL stage 4 title matches after Philadelphia Fusion fail to sweep London Spitfire
Philadelphia Fusion backed into the final Overwatch League playoff spot last night after their two challengers, Houston Outlaws and Seoul Dynasty, failed to win the matches that would make Fusion's bout against London Spitfire tonight meaningful in the overall playoff race. That didn't mean the match was meaningless, though. Thanks to Dallas Fuel's 3-1 upset win over the Los Angeles Valiant last night, Fusion needed a clean 4-0 sweep to supplant Fuel in the stage four title matches.
Seoul Dynasty's loss cedes an OWL playoff spot to Philadelphia Fusion
Seoul Dynasty needed a win tonight to stay in the Overwatch League playoff race, but they faced the Los Angeles Gladiators, one of the league's top teams throughout stage four of the season. Gladiators made it a bit easier for Dynasty by keeping their MVP candidate, main tank Baek "Fissure" Chan-hyung, on the bench for the day due to illness. But apparently they didn't need him.
Houston Outlaws eliminated from OWL playoff race by New York Excelsior
Houston Outlaws may not hold their playoff fate directly in their hands, but they still needed a win tonight in the Overwatch League to have a chance at making the postseason. On paper, that was a tough task against the New York Excelsior, the top team in the league, who only dropped one map in each of the last three OWL stages. But recently, Excelsior have been giving away wins like candy.
These are the contenders at the WCS Challenger OCE-SEA qualifier this weekend
The top StarCraft 2 players in Oceania and Southeast Asia will duke it out this weekend at their World Championship Series Challenger qualifier for the WCS stop in Valencia later this year. While Australia, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia may not play at the top level of Korea, North America, or Europe, the region has produced many competitive players capable of making an impact on the world stage. This weekend you’ll get to see the region’s best earn a spot to compete on that stage.
Watch the top StarCraft players in Oceania this weekend
This weekend the best StarCraft 2 players in Oceania and Southeast Asia will compete to earn berths at the 2018 Challenger World Championship Series stop in Valencia. Tomorrow an open qualifier kicks off at 10am AEST (or 6pm CT on Friday), with the top fourteen players from the double elimination bracket advancing to the knockout round where the top sixteen players will battle for two slots in Valencia.
Los Angeles Valiant clinch the OWL Pacific division with a win over Houston Outlaws
Los Angeles Valiant clinched the Pacific division title in the Overwatch League on Saturday, taking down Houston Outlaws in four straight maps. The series was closer than the scoreline looks, but that's little consolation for Outlaws, who now need a miracle in the final week to reach the playoffs.
Los Angeles Gladiators earn their second reverse sweep in 2 weeks
The London Spitfire could have locked in a playoff position in the inaugural season of the Overwatch League earlier today with a win over Los Angeles Gladiators and a Houston Outlaws loss—but the Gladiators took the win in a close five-game series. Los Angeles Gladiators are playing great Overwatch recently, and this win pushes them to 7-1 on the stage. But it wasn't easy against a Spitifre team that looked much improved after a disappointing performance last week.
Seoul Dynasty's playoff hopes are dwindling after a heartbreaking loss to Philadelphia Fusion
Seoul Dynasty were supposed to be one of the best teams in the Overwatch League, but they're outside of the playoffs right now and may need a miracle to make it in after last night. In a match with massive playoff implications, the Dynasty blew a two-map lead. Philadelphia Fusion pulled out a reverse sweep in one of the most important games in either team's season. If Seoul completed the series with a win, they would have vaulted above Fusion into the sixth and final playoff spot.
Shanghai Dragons just blew their best chance to get a win this OWL season
Shanghai Dragons are just two games away from setting a record in pro sports futility by losing every match in the inaugural season of the Overwatch League—and they just blew their best chance to get a win. This week, the Dragons faced their easiest schedule of the stage. On Wednesday, they played the Florida Mayhem—the team closest to Dragons at the bottom of the standings.
Los Angeles Valiant gut out a huge win over New York Excelsior
New York Excelsior have the top spot in the Overwatch League regular season locked up, but they've never put together a perfect OWL stage—and stage four won't be any different. Los Angeles Valiant took down Excelsior tonight in an odd back-and-forth five-game series. New York looked absolutely dominant at times, blitzing through Valiant with ease, but the Los Angeles side pulled out gutsy wins when they needed them most, outlasting their foes to take the victory.
Dallas Fuel thrash London Spitfire in one of the quickest matches of the OWL season
London Spitfire entered the day ranked second in the Overwatch League standings, but they sure didn't play like it. Dallas Fuel dominated London tonight in one of the shortest matches of the season, skunking Spitfire in the first three maps to win the series before they gave up a single point. London Spitfire stubbornly stuck to a full-dive composition on Blizzard World despite playing it into Dallas Fuel's Brigitte—and they paid for it, failing to capture the opening point.
Dallas Fuel in OWL stage playoff contention with a big win over Philadelphia Fusion
Philadelphia Fusion looked like they might be the top team in stage four of the Overwatch League heading into tonight's games. They came into the Brigitte meta armed with a new tank line featuring stellar main tank Kim "SADO" Su-min fresh off a suspension. They seemed to fully grasp the intricacies of the new meta and its rock-paper-scissors approach to team compositions. But tonight, Dallas Fuel came to rock-paper-scissors and played a Rocket Flail.
Seoul Dynasty's OWL playoff hopes are dwindling after a loss to London Spitfire
Looking at the Overwatch League schedule before the season, tonight's bout between the London Spitfire and Seoul Dynasty seemed like a match that could decide which team topped the regular season standings. Both teams appeared to be championship contenders—Spitfire featured the game's most talented lineup, while Dynasty fielded the most accomplished. But both teams have struggled late into the OWL season. That didn't lower the stakes for tonight's battle, however—it raised them.
New York Excelsior secure the top OWL record and a $300,000 bonus
The Seoul Dynasty were in the thick of the divisional race entering stage four, fighting with Los Angeles Valiant for the top spot in the Pacific division of the Overwatch League and the playoff bye that comes with it. Now it looks like Dynasty may not even make the playoffs. New York Excelsior swept Dynasty tonight, putting another nail in the coffin for a team that had championship hopes entering the season.
Los Angeles Valiant hand Boston Uprising their fourth straight loss
Boston Uprising made history during stage three of the Overwatch League, winning all 10 of their matches to secure the league's first and only perfect stage. Stage four, though, has been a nightmare. Los Angeles Valiant handed Boston Uprising their fourth straight loss tonight, and the team is going from an undefeated stage to a winless one thus far. At least tonight there was some silver lining, unlike their 3-0 loss to Dallas Fuel earlier this week.
New York Excelsior showcase Brigitte in win over London Spitfire
In Overwatch, it often takes Korean teams a bit longer to adjust to new metagames. They're great at perfecting team compositions and strategy once they figure out the optimal play patterns, but it takes them a longer time to adopt them than their Western counterparts.
Houston Outlaws show mastery of Brigitte meta by besting Boston Uprising
Yesterday's Overwatch League battle between the Houston Outlaws and Boston Uprising served as a perfect case study on the impact of the new Brigitte meta. Houston Outlaws dominated the series with a 3-1 victory, similar to how they crushed London Spitfire on Friday—using well-planned hero compositions and hero swaps to show a mastery of the new metagame.
San Francisco Shock handle slumping Seoul Dynasty
Seoul Dynasty's struggles continued Friday night in the Overwatch League as they fell to a rising San Francisco Shock side, who dealt a big blow to Dynasty's quest to win the Pacific Division. San Francisco may only have a 13-19 record in OWL after last night's 3-1 win, far behind Seoul's 19-13 mark, but Shock actually placed ahead of Dynasty during stage three, and both teams seem to have maintained that form through the break.
Sydney Drop Bears take inaugural Overwatch Contenders Australia title
Drop bears aren't real, except in Overwatch. Last night, the Sydney Drop Bears became Australia's Overwatch champion, winning the inaugural season of Overwatch Contenders Australia with a convincing performance in the final. Drop Bears absolutely dominated the regular season's top team, Masterminds GC, in a quick 4-0 sweep in the best-of-seven finals in Sydney.
Fantasy studs and duds at the MSI Group Stage
This post is brought to you by Skrilla, esports daily fantasy. Register and compete at the Skrilla website. The group stage of the Mid Season Invitational produced a ton of international League of Legends actions. We saw superstars step up to the plate to carry their teams, epic team and individual performances by the best players in the world against the best players in the world.
Skrilla MSI semifinals Start/Sit
This post is brought to you by Skrilla, esports daily fantasy. Register and compete at the Skrilla website. Tomorrow the Mid Season Invitational semifinals kick off as Royal Never Give Up challenges Fnatic, and so begins a two-day fantasy contest featuring four of the best League of Legends teams on the planet. Today we’re looking at this week’s big League fantasy battles and giving you the picks you need to dominate the fantasy field. We’re going to look at both matches and each position.
Skrilla MSI Group Stage Day 2 and 3 Start/Sit
This post is brought to you by Skrilla, esports daily fantasy. Register and compete at the Skrilla website. The first day of the Mid-Season Invitational group stage is behind us, but there’s still plenty more League of Legends—and fantasy—action ahead. Today we’re going to take a look at day two and three of the group stage and give you the skinny on what matches to watch for and what players to pick to perform this weekend in your daily fantasy contests. The first day was full of surprises.
New York Excelsior prove they're the best team in Overwatch, claim second straight OWL stage title
Entering the stage three finals, Boston Uprising had won their last 15 matches on the Overwatch League stage. But today, that streak came to an end. New York Excelsior thrashed Uprising in a 3-0-1 series to score the OWL stage three title and the $100,000 top prize. This is New York's second stage title in a row. The match should have been a special one.
Boston Uprising, New York Excelsior take care of business in OWL stage 3 playoff semifinals
The two top-ranked teams in the Overwatch League took care of business Sunday afternoon, handling their stage three playoff semifinal foes to earn the chance to battle for the $100,000 grand prize. Boston Uprising obliterated Los Angeles Gladiators tonight. Similar to their regular season match earlier this week, Uprising dominated the first two maps, this time Junkertown and Ilios.
Boston Uprising select Los Angeles Gladiators as their stage 3 playoff foe
The playoff bracket for stage three of the Overwatch League is set after the Boston Uprising selected their opponent: the Los Angeles Gladiators. In previous stages of the OWL, only three teams reached the stage playoffs. As the top seed, Uprising would have received a bye into the final match. But stage three features a new playoff format. Four teams reach the playoffs, and instead of a bye, the top-seeded team got to pick their opening round foe.
Los Angeles Valiant end Philadelphia Fusion's stage 3 playoff dream
Philadelphia Fusion needed a 4-0 sweep to get into the stage three playoffs tonight, but the Los Angeles Valiant didn't accommodate them. Valiant crushed Fusion's hopes in the first map of the series and eventually closed it out in a back-and-forth five-game affair. The match may not have changed anyone's stage three playoff fate, but it pushed Valiant ahead of Fusion in the overall Overwatch League standings.
Ryujehong plays main tank as Seoul Dynasty lose to London Spitfire
When Seoul Dynasty and London Spitfire play, you expect fireworks. The two teams have a rivalry dating back to before the Overwatch League. Lunatic Hai, now the core of Seoul Dynasty, challenged Kongdoo Panthera and GC Busan, London Spitfire's core, as the best teams in Korea. But yesterday, the two titans battled in a mostly meaningless match as they limped to the end of a disappointing OWL stage three for both of them.
Boston Uprising go undefeated in OWL stage 3
The Boston Uprising are the first and only team to go undefeated throughout an entire stage in the Overwatch League. That's an exclamation point on what's been the biggest story of the OWL. When Boston's lineup was announced, most analysts pegged them as a bottom-tier team. Their lineup had potential, but mostly featured players who had never been on high level competitive teams.
Ryujehong leads Seoul Dynasty to sweep Houston Outlaws
Yesterday, a surprising role swap helped the Seoul Dynasty take their first map of the Overwatch League season against the London Spitfire, who swept them in their previous two meetings. Today, Dynasty showed the swap wasn't just a gimmick. Support player Ryu Je Hong was on main tank again against the Houston Outlaws tonight, and the presence of Ryujekong, as fans and commentators are starting to call him, seemed to invigorate the lineup.
Lodik is the top fantasy performer through opening days of MSI
This post is brought to you by Skrilla, esports daily fantasy. Register and compete at the Skrilla website. The Mid-Season Invitational is where the best League of Legends players on the planet ply their trade, but it’s a rookie who’s posted the best fantasy performance after the opening days of the event. The Russian rookie gunslinger Stanislav “Lodik” Kornelyuk dominated on the first day of play at MSI, helping Gambit Esports score three crucial wins on their quest to challenge the world.
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