Roundup – Esports News From June 2019

Jio eSports

Summer is finally here – even if not quite officially. There has been a lot going on in the world of eSports.

Intertops had SK Telecom T1 as favorites, in the 2019 MSI but G2 eSports took the crown. Let’s look at some of the other things that have come up over the last couple of weeks.

Super Mario Maker 2

Super Mario Maker 2 is soon to be released on Switch. June 28th, to be exact. And recently at the Nintendo World Championships in Los Angeles, the game was the life of the party.

Abdallah “AbdallahSmash026” Elayan ran faster than all the rest through a Super Mario Maker 2 course designed by Nintendo. The Youtuber stated that he could ‘totally feed of the energy’ [in the packed out Theatre at Ace Hotel. He also said that it was ‘pretty amazing’ and that he thought it was ‘really exciting, just hyping up the crowd.’

If you aren’t familiar with the original Super Mario Maker, it is a simplistic side-scrolling game that pretty much anyone can understand and follow along with, even kids. Basically, it’s an obstacle course. Both competitors start at the same time and try to navigate the pitfalls, jumps, and booby-traps to see who can reach the flag first.

Sure, Smash Bros. Ultimate was the headliner, but the simplicity of speed running in Super Mario Maker 2 makes it quite enjoyable not only to play but for spectators as well. The oohs and ahhs when a competitor would fall or make it past a difficult obstacle, created palpable energy.

We can’t wait for the official release so that everyone can get their hands on this fun little game.

Immortals Gaming Club Makes Big Acquisition

Sources say that OpTic Gaming and Infinite Esports & Entertainment (the group that owns OWL’s Houston Outlaws) has been absorbed by Immortals Gaming Club.

Essentially, this could mean the end of OpTics Gaming in League of Legends because Immortals would effectively take over not only the team but their League of Legends slot. It looks like the Houston Outlaws will remain intact as part of the agreement was to facilitate a separate sale of the Texas Overwatch League team.

If you are wondering how deep the pockets go in eSports, according to ESPN, Infinite Esports & Entertainment paid the LCS eight million dollars and still owes five million, totally thirteen million dollars. They also dropped a cold ten million dollars to the Overwatch League, all of which Immortals is now responsible. OpTic sold 90 per cent of its shares for seventeen million dollars and they will now be a part of the Immortals portfolio.

OpTic Gaming fans shouldn’t worry too much. Yes, for the moment it looks like they are out of the LCS, but Immortals is looking into buying OpTic into the CWL (Call of Duty World League).

OWL: Excelsior Beats Outlaws (Barely)

Speaking of the OWL and the Outlaws, they took the New York Excelsior right to the edge as massive underdogs. The only reason the Excelsior won is because they got their star DPS Saebyeolbe back.

As an aside, the NY Excelsior should change their name to the Seoul Excelsior, as every member is from South Korea. The upset would have been sweet. Seeing the North American ranked #50 and World ranked #596 take down the #5/#20 Excelsior. We should expect big things from the Outlaws if they don’t get too distracted by all of the ‘corporate mergings’.

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