The HGC Western Clash pins the top four HotS teams from North America and Europe in a bracketed tournament (more on that shortly). The winner of the tournament will win the Western Clash trophy, the $30,000 cash prize, and an additional spot at the HGC Finals, which will be held between October 25th – November 4th of this y

Like any team game, a consistent group of players is almost a necessity. Besides being able to keep a consistent roster of characters, the bickering among friends rarely progresses to the point where people leave, as the composition is stronger. Since the game is free, you can simply ask some friends to start with you or hop in a game or two. Don’t be afraid to talk to your team in random play too, as some great teams form through random ga

On a slightly cheerier note, Galactic Cafe’s funny and cerebral indie title The Stanley Parable also scored four nominations, as did the dystopian bureaucracy simulator Papers, Please , which is up for a Best Game award. Other nominees for Best Game include Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag and Super Mario 3D World . Tomb Raider has three nominations, as does mobile title BADLAND and Beyond: Two Sou

The second runner-up in the BAFTA nominations race is Tearaway , which is impressive considering for a game only available on a mobile platform. Released on the PlayStation Vita and developed by Media Molecule, the studio behind the LittleBigPlanet games, Tearaway is set in a paper world that definitely seemed to charm the Academy, based on the eight nominations it received in categories such as Game Innovation, Game Design and Best G

Moving onto Bot or PvP games is where your training will show, as out killing your lane opponent will allow you to both push the lane, meaning their tower gets the kills on your minions, or leaving their champion without backup to allow you a free shot or two. You should always keep in mind if your Jungler or teammate asks you to pull back on CS, to allow for a group attack howe

Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto V isn’t lagging too far behind, with a respectable nine nominations in categories including Best Game, Best British Game, Best Performer (for Steven Ogg, who voiced Trevor) and Game Innovation. Released to both critical acclaim and the usual controversy, Grand Theft Auto V was the first game in the franchise to feature three protagonists, with the player able to move between each of them at almost any t

A favorite to win this year’s Phase 2 Western Clash, HeroesHearth Esports has been dominant this season as one of two undefeated teams. Additionally, they have only lost three of the 21 games they’ve played so far. The team has really made a name for themselves, even though they were drafted from the Open Division just last y

The first match was on Dragon Shire where the French Canadian team absolutely killed it. Although it was a bit scrappy, both Wouka and Earth brought their “A” MOBA Game esports news racking up kills and aiding their team to get the level advantage. At no point did UK have a chance as they failed to commit during team fights and could not attain a Dragon Kni

One of the worst things you can do in a team game is get angry. The LoL community is toxic enough as it is, so if someone makes a mistake or rubs you the wrong way, just tell them constructively. Shouting down the mic or mad typing not only takes time away from the game but it also messes up everyone’s concentration on the g

Team Freedom had just beaten out Team Octalysis for the 3rd seed spot and giving themselves a slight advantage; by that, I mean they won’t have to go against Team Dignitas in the first round. They have had an okay season thus far with a 5-2 record and qualifying for the Western Clash – Phase 1 earlier this year. Team Freedom will be facing the EU 2nd seed, Team Liquid. Although they’ve done well throughout the season with a 6-1 record, they have yet to really make any significant moves so

In the second match, set on Tomb of the Spider Queen, we see a surprise pick bringing Heroes of the Storm ‘s newest character, Deckard Cain , out on the battlefield. Buffalo has the advantage throughout most of the match, even after Cal Poly gets first blood 9 minutes into the game. It seemed like Cal Poly didn’t have the confidence in team fights. Buffalo was able to coordinate their attacks with more finesse leading to their first victory in the ser

Distributors clearly have a lot to gain from online multiplayer games, especially with the popularity of microtransactions and the increasing popularity of DLC—more maps, more costumes, and more weapons often tempt gamers into paying more. This works well for free-to-play games like League of Legends or other MOBAs, but announcing DLC before a game’s release often draws criticism. Many players argue that paid DLC encourages some developers to omit necessary or desired player content for higher prof

More revenue. Another, less benign, reason for this shift to online multiplayer is money. Many distributors cite piracy as a major cause of declining profits , and increased DRM restrictions make sharing games with friends much more difficult. Decreasing the amount of local multiplayer means that friends who want to play together need their own copies of the game, their own system, and their own subscription. The result is increased costs for gamers and increased revenue for distribut