GamerFest returns to Dublin in October

There’s exciting news on the horizon for Ireland’s estimated 700,000 gamers. That’s because the weekend of October 22nd and 23rd 2022 sees the return of the country’s major event for players and fans alike – GamerFest.

Over the two days it’s expected that 5,000 of them will flock to Dublin’s RDS to play, watch and even meet some of the world’s biggest Twitch and YouTube stars.

First held in 2017, over the years GamerFest has grown in size and reputation while also being a community-led event. So organisers promise that there will be more than ever this year of what gamers actually want to see and do.

There are a number of new partnerships for this year’s event – the biggest of which is the sponsorship of Lucozade. The fact that it has attracted such a major brand to support it gives some indication of what an important event it’s become in the gaming calendar.

Stars who’ll be there

Its increasingly high profile has also been driven by the number of leading content creators who attend and this year’s line-up promises to be an especially stellar one. The names confirmed so far include Antitinkerbell, Jamie Jay Car, The Gara Show, Audrey and the event hosts All Cast Irish Gamerswith many more set to be announced in the run up to the weekend.

All the esports action

 

Since the last live GamerFest, the world of esports has continued to grow at an astonishing rate. Not only has the number of players and followers increased exponentially, the money involved in it has too.

Now a variety of Irish bookmakers have started to include esports tournaments in the number of options that they have for fans. So, we can expect to see betting markets developing on many of the main esports challenges that will be taking place at GamerFest.

These are going to take place on the main stage and mark the event’s first ever official link-up with games developer Ubisoft. One of the showpiece tournaments is set to be the €3,000 Rainbow Six Siege Open. This will be open to teams of gamers with ambitions to compete in the Rainbow Six Siege UK Ireland Nationals.

Success at this event will lead to qualification for the prestigious Premier League and the chance to turn professional as a gamer.

Say hello to Hado

 

Another much-anticipated arrival at the event will be Ireland’s first ever HADO Championship. This represents the very latest advance in augmented and virtual reality gaming.

It takes places on a real life court and involves players trading blows using virtual energy balls with only virtual shields and their own cunning strategies to protect them. It’s been described as a kind of dodgeball for the digital age and promises to be as much fun to watch as it is to play.

Best of all, the winning team in the championship will also qualify to represent Ireland in the European championships to be held in France later in the year.

Plenty of other action too

 

It doesn’t end there. Among the other esports to enjoy will be the grand final of a FIFA championship following the completion of earlier rounds online. There will also be a fastest lap challenge for fans of Sim Racing, with bragging rights for the winners.

Even more exciting is the fact that there will be a tie-up with Rocket League Ireland for an inaugural tournament. With heats being played over the weekend, the grand final will take place on the main stage on Sunday October 23rd. First prize will be €600 for the winning team and the competition is expected to attract a large number of entries.

For fans of Riot Games’ Valorant there will also be a weekend-long competition that is expected to be just as fiercely contested.

The organisers have also announced that a new partnership has been drawn up with Legion Collegiate Esports. This is the country’s esports series reserved exclusively for tertiary-level students from Ireland.

It means that many of the brightest stars and prospects for the future will get the chance to prove their mettle across all of the games being played at GamerFest. So it could be the chance to get a first glimpse at a megastar or two in the making.

Cosplay fans get ready

 

Another very popular element that has been very popular ever since the very first GamerFest has been the attendance of cosplay fans.

The organisers are very much hoping that this is going to be the best year ever for attendees to turn up as their favourite characters from gaming, movie and comic worlds. As an extra incentive there’s the chance to win a prize courtesy of Guild of Nerds in the 2022 GamerFest Dublin Cosplay Festival.

So dust down your galactic stormtrooper uniform or discover your inner spider-sense and you could be one of the lucky winners in this too.

Plenty more stuff to see and buy

 

As if all this wasn’t enough, there’s going to be a wealth of other activities and attractions to enjoy. With displays and exhibitions that showcase the latest in gaming tech, you’ll even have the chance to take some home with you from the event’s marketplace.

Tickets for GamerFest at Dublin are on sale now with special deals for families and a great value weekender pass too. So if you want to be part of what promises to be the country’s gamer event of the year, snap yours up today.

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Day 1 Predictions of Valorant Champions 2022

Ladies and gentlemen, the Valorant Champions 2022 is finally kicking off today. We’ve got two promising matches up for show one day one of the tournament. Paper Rex will be facing Edward Gaming to kick off the event. For the second match, Leviatan will be trying their best to clinch a win against Team Liquid. Who will win the two matches of Valorant Champions 2022 according to our predictions? Let’s find out!

About Valorant Champions 2022

The holy grail of Valorant tournaments, The Valorant Champions 2022 is taking place at the Volkswagen Arena of Istanbul this year. The event is kicking off today (31st August) and the finals will take place on 18th September. We have 16 teams participating this year coming from all over the world. Each of the teams qualified either thanks to their regional circuit points or because of winning their regional LCQ.

Valorant Champions 2022 Group Stage: Teams, Schedule, Scores & More

In the group stages, there will be 4 groups having 4 teams each. Top 2 teams from each of the groups will advance to the playoffs. All matches in the group stage will be a best of 3. In the playoffs, 8 teams will be thrown into a double-elimination bracket. All matches are best of 3 yet again except for the lower bracket final and grand final.

Our Predictions

Paper Rex vs Edward Gaming

The debut match of the VCT 2022 will surely be a cracker. It’s a battle of establishing Asian dominance for both the teams. It was not too long ago that Paper Rex picked up the runners-up spot at VCT Copenhagen. While EDG are yet to establish something as incredible, they are still a force to be reckoned with. EDG have won 10 out of their last 10 matches. Most of those wins came without even needing to play all of the maps. Paper Rex had a similar streak as well but that was broken by FunPlus Phoenix at the finals of VCT Copenhagen.

Paper Rex sweep Fnatic at Masters Copenhagen - Dot Esports

Both the teams have never faced each other before, so this might be a little tough to predict. While EDG’s recent performance at the LCQ was impressive, we don’t think it’ll be enough to overshadow PRX. So, our prediction is a win for Paper Rex.

Leviatan vs Team Liquid

We have Leviatan vs Team Liquid for the second match of VCT Champions 2022. Team Liquid had to go down the harder route of having to win the EMEA LCQ to make it here. Meanwhile, Leviatan are showing up fair and square thanks to their LATAM circuit points. Both of these teams have never met before either.

Team Liquid has a better form in terms of recent matches played. They picked up 4 wins in their last 5 matches while Leviatan picked up 3. Team Liquid are also one of the only 7 teams who are showing up at the Champions a second time, so the experience really matters. With all of that in mind, we’re confident about a win for Team Liquid.

With only a few hours, who are you betting on for the predictions of Valorant Champions 2022 ? Do check out our betting academy before you get started with betting!

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Group Stage Action of BLAST Premier: Fall Groups 2022

We are done and over with all the group stage action of BLAST Premier: Fall Groups 2022. The 12 teams of the tournament were divided into three groups this year. It goes without saying that the intensity of BLAST Premier did not disappoint at all thus far.

BLAST Premier: Fall Groups 2022 Group Stage

All of the 12 teams were divided into 3 separate groups this year.

Group A

  • Team Vitality
  • OG
  • Ninjas in Pyjamas
  • Astralis

The tournament kicked off with some dynamic competition coming out of Group A. The way things kicked off, it looked like either Vitality or NIP would be winning the group. But a shocking comeback from Astralis awaited them. Despite moving down to the lower bracket after losing to NIP, Astralis came back strong beating all three teams to directly qualify for the finals of the play-in stage.

Group B

  • Natus Vincere
  • Complexity Gaming
  • G2
  • Team Liquid

Group B also witnessed a comeback of the same level. Complexity got the best of Natus Vincere in the first match of the group but it wasn’t over there. In the lower bracket, NaVi faced G2, barely edging a win against them. They then went on to batter the same lineup of Complexity and then Team Liquid. Thus, NaVi grabbed the second spot of the play-in finals.

Group C

  • FaZe Clan
  • Evil Geniuses
  • Heroic
  • BIG

Group C wasn’t a stroll in the park for anyone either. FaZe Clan started off the group stage the best possible way beating Evil Geniuses and Heroic. But it was the same Heroic that beat them in the grand final of the group stage despite being demoted to the lower bracket.

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Play-In Stage

The Play-In Stage of Fall Groups 2022 will resume from 25th August. The winners and runners up of the group stage grand finals have already qualified for the finals and semi finals of the play-ins already. Here are the fixtures of the quarter finals:

  • OG vs. Complexity Gaming
  • G2 vs. BIG
  • Evil Geniuses vs. Ninjas in Pyjamas

With the way things are turning out, the BLAST Premier: Fall Groups 2022 promise even more madness!

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Team BDS crowned RLCS 2022 World Champions

After 10 days of intense goal-scoring action, Team BDS have been crowned the RLCS 2022 World Champions. This is their biggest achievement ever in the history of the Rocket League roster. The young boys beat G2 4-1 in the finals to bring the trophy home.

RLCS 2022 World Championship

The holy grail of Rocket League tournaments, the RLCS World Championship took place at the Dickies Arena of Texas this month. 24 teams from 6 different regions met to fight it out for the prize pool of $2,085,000 USD. 8 teams directly qualified for the group stage while the rest were wildcard entries. 8 of the 16 wildcard entries qualified for the group stage. All matches followed a best of 7 format.

Team BDS Roster

  • Alex “Extra” Paoli
  • Evan “M0nkey M00n” Rogez
  • Enzo “Seikoo” Grondein

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BDS’s Run

Team BDS directly qualified for the group stage of the tournament thanks to their ranking in the EU Circuit. They started off in Group A along with the likes of Moist Esports and Version1. They breezed past the group stage and qualified for the playoffs beating Renegades and Version1. However, the playoffs were nowhere as easy for the European team. In the quarter finals of the playoffs, they faced Karmine Corps. The battle was neck and neck as BDS barely clinched the match 4-3 in their favor. Next in store was Furia and while they were looking to seal the match, BDS made a notable 4-2 comeback going into the finals. Their worthy competitor in the final was G2 who beat the likes of FaZe, NRG and Furia to make it there. But in the end, Team BDS proved to be too powerful as they beat them 4-1 to become the champions of RLCS 2022 World Championship.

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Seikoo became the World Championship MVP with a score of 424.15.

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FaZe Clan thumps G2 at Six Berlin Major 2022

Things are getting hot at Berlin as the Six Berlin Major 2022 is well underway. But surely most of the eyes were on FaZe Clan and G2 as they faced each other on day 2 of the Six Berlin Major. So, how did the match turn out? Stay tuned to find out more at Gamopo!

FaZe at Six Berlin Major

FaZe Clan have been deemed as the favorite Brazilian representives of the Six Berlin Major. They have been crowned the latest Sweden Major and Copa Elite Six victors after all! FaZe Clan are in Group B against the likes of SANDBOX Gaming, Soniqs and ofcourse, G2. But they have established themselves as a potential Berlin winner beating all three teams so far. Their biggest challenge yet was against G2 at the map Bank.

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FaZe Clan vs. G2

Rosters

FaZe Clan

  • Leonardo “Astro” Luis (IGL)
  • José “Bullet1” Victor
  • Gabriel “cameram4n” Hespanhol
  • Jaime “Cyber” Ramos
  • Lucas “soulz1” Schinke

G2 Esports

  • Kevin “Prano” Pranowitz
  • Ben “CTZN” McMillan
  • Jake “Virtue” Grannan
  • Karl “Alem4o” Zarth
  • Jack “Doki” Robertson

Operator Bans

  • G2 Esports ban Thatcher
  • FaZe Clan ban Nokk
  • FaZe Clan ban Mira
  • G2 Esports ban Valkyrie

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Match Proceedings

The match began with G2 starting on defense. An early kill of Bullet1 eased the round for G2. Soulz1 put up quite the fight but it was too little, too late as G2 picked up the first round. But FaZe responded strongly as they breached the site fast, planting right after picking up kills. The score was then even at 1-1. FaZe then went for an ambitious attacking plan in the next round but it fell into pieces and G2 picked up the round. But the scores were level once again as FaZe won round 4. FaZe did not stop there as they went on to win the next two rounds as well with the scoreline reading 4-2 in their favor.

The roles were now reversed as it was FaZe’s turn to defend. But FaZe replicated their level of dominance in the attacking rounds as they won the first two defending rounds with ease. Round 9 provided quite the entertainment as G2 won a well-deserved 2v3. With matchpoint, FaZe was supposed to win it sooner or later but won it the craziest way possible. An insane ace by Cyber secured the match for FaZe.

FaZe Clan really showed that they’re a force to be reckoned with at Six Berlin Major 2022.

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100 Thieves knock the Sentinels out from NA LCQ 2022

We’re at the business end of the NA LCQ 2022 with the final few days remaining. The lower bracket quarter-finals just took place with 100 Thieves eliminating the Sentinels from NA LCQ 2022. How did the match go down? Who was at the top of his game? What awaits 100 Thieves now? We’ll cover that and much more only at Gamopo!

100 Thieves vs Sentinels

From the look of things before the match, the odds were pretty even between the Thieves and the Sentinels. The Sentinels conceded in their debut match of the tournament against The Guard and were sent to the lower bracket. Their only win came against Shopify Rebellion. 100 Thieves on the other hand won their first match of the tournament against NRG but lost to FaZe Clan. Thus, both the teams met at the lower bracket quarter-finals.

Rosters

Here’s how the teams lined up:

100 Thieves

  • Brenden “stellar” McGrath (IGL)
  • Peter “Asuna” Mazuryk
  • Derrek “Derrek” Ha
  • William “Will” Cheng
  • Sean “bang” Bezerra

Sentinels

  • Shahzeb “ShahZaM” Khan (IGL)
  • Michael “dapr” Gulino
  • Tyson “TenZ” Ngo
  • Michael “shroud” Grzesiek
  • Jordan “Zellsis” Montemurro

Map Picks & Bans

  • Sentinels ban Bind
  • 100t ban Icebox
  • SEN pick Fracture
  • 100T pick Breeze
  • SEN ban Ascent
  • 100T ban Split
  • Haven remains

The Match

Map 1 (Fracture)

100 Thieves started off strong on Sentinel’s pick winning the first 4 rounds rather easily. Things went back and forth from there but the Thieves ended the half 8-4 in their favor. The Sentinels started off the second half trying to level the score and bring the game back in their favor. The score was soon 12-9 with 100 Thieves winning but the game was not over yet. Sentinels turned it around making it 12-12 and it was now overtime. Both teams looked sharp but it was Sentinels that clinched the map in the end winning it 17-15.

Map 2 (Breeze)

100 Thieves started off Breeze strong as well winning the first 2 pistol rounds. From then on, both the teams were pretty neck and neck as the half finished 7-5 in favor of the Thieves. Despite valiant efforts showcase by the Sentinels, Thieves held them off pretty well. They didn’t take long to secure the map winning it 13-7. Sentinels really faced the wrath of 100T in the second map. The match was now 1-1 and Haven was the decider.

Map 3 (Haven)

The Thieves maintained their tradition of dominating pistol rounds with the scoreline reading 2-0 yet again. The first half ended well for 100 Thieves ending it with a scoreline of 8-4. At this point, they were pretty close to victory. They got even closer winning the pistol rounds of the second half. The Sentinels, however, showed great resistance as they won streaks of rounds barely conceding a round to 100T but it was too little, too late. 100 Thieves picked up the map 13-11 and so, they picked up the series.

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100T Nadeshot was quick to compliment the Sentinels on Twitter:

 

100 Thieves vs. Cloud9

100 Thieves will be facing Cloud9 in the semi-finals of the NA LCQ 2022 on 13th August. 100 Thieves have one only once against C9 in the last 5 matches they have faced each other. The last time the two teams met were at the VCT NA S1: Challengers where C9 won 2-0. Cloud9 has the same roster since then with Thieves having 4 player changes. With that in mind, it’s a little tough to predict who’ll win but 100 Thieves might just clinch it.

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Brazil crowned FIFAe Nations Cup 2022 Champions

The outstanding Footballing nation, Brazil have now been crowned the undisputed Champions of the FIFAe Nations Cup 2022. The South American nation beat Poland in the grand-finals to bring the trophy home.

FIFAe Nations Cup

 

The FIFAe Nations Cup is the final event of the FIFAe Nations Series. FIFA is the official organizer of the tournament presented by EA Sports. The last time the event took place was in 2019 with France picking up the title. The event was cancelled the following years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This year, 24 teams from around the world took part in the competition. Denmark were the hosts of the Nations Cup this time. The tournament followed a 2v2 format and 24 teams were drawn into 4 groups of 6 teams each.

Brazil at FIFAe Nations Cup 2022

Brazil’s Lineup

  • Gabriel “Crepaldi” Crepaldi
  • Klinger “Klinger” Correa
  • Paulo “Phzin” Henrique Chaves

Brazil’s Run

Brazil were placed in Group A alongside the likes of Argentina, hosts Denmark, England, Scotland and Singapore.

The Selecaos were off to a rather unimpressive start drawing their first two matches against England and Argentina. Things continued to go South as they lost their next match 1-2 against Denmark. Another draw and a loss against Scotland and Singapore respectively pulled them real close to saying goodbye to the Nations Cup 2022. However, they turned things around going on to win 4 out of their last 5 matches against the same nations. With the help of some luck, they found themselves in the knockout stages. Their first opponent was Spain winning 2-1 on aggregate against them. Up next was defending champions France who also fell a goal shirt losing 1-2 on aggregate. It was then Italy that stood between the South Americans and a chance of making it to the finals. A plethora of goals were scored in both the legs with scorelines reading 2-2 and then 2-3 in favor of Brazil sending them into the grand finals.

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The Grand Finals

The grand finals of the FIFAe Nations Cup 2022 took place between Brazil and Poland. Furman and Damie represented Poland while Phzin and Crepaldi hoisted the Brazilian flag.

In the first leg, the teams seemed to play it safe trying to keep possession of the ball. Both the teams created solid chances throughout the 90 minutes but failed to score a single goal. As was the case of many matches, the first leg of the finals ended 0-0. However, fans were not disappointed with the second leg. In the 42nd minute, Walker delivered an early cross from the right side with Kimpembe slotting in a fine volley making Poland go up 1-0. Brazil picked up the pace and started to play a bit more aggressive in the second half. It soon paid off thanks to some razzle dazzle followed up by a beautiful finish by Messi in the near post. The scoreline was now 1-1 and it was anybody’s game now. The clock kept ticking and as it reached the 90 minute mark, the unthinkable happened. A shot by the R9 Ronaldo deflected off of a defender of Poland and was picked up by Cristiano. A beautiful flick to turn it towards the post and was volleyed past the keeper in the 92nd minute. The final whistle blew right after the kick-off and the arena erupted in celebrations for Brazil.

The first ever South American champions of FIFAe Nations Cup, Brazil is now home with the largest share of USD 400,000.

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FPX Becomes Champions of VCT Masters Copenhagen

The stage was set at Copenhagen as FunPlus Phoenix faced Paper Rex at the grand finals of VCT Masters Copenhagen 2022. It started off with 12 teams but as the dust settled, only 2 remained. In the end after 5 breathtaking maps, it was FPX that were crowned the champions of Masters Copenhagen.

Team Rosters

FunPlus Phoenix

  • Kyrylo “ANGE1” Karasov
  • Andrey “Shao” Kiprsky
  • Pontus “Zyppan” Eek
  • Dmitry “SUYGETSU” Ilyushin
  • Ardis “ardiis” Svarenieks

Paper Rex

  • Benedict “Benkai” Tan
  • Aaron “mindfreak” Leonhart
  • Jason “f0rsakeN” Susanto
  • Khalish “d4v41” Rusyaidee
  • Wang “Jinggg” Jing Jie

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FPX’s Run at Masters Copenhagen

Group Stage

Right from the start, FPX had an impressive run and faced some real mighty teams. They, however, probably missed FaZe Clan who failed to qualify for the Masters. FunPlus Phoenix were one of the eight group stage teams, being one of the two teams from EMEA. They took shelter in group B against the likes of DRX, Northeption and XERXIA. They finished second in Group B winning against Northeption and XERXIA but losing to DRX. Since they finished second, they had to take the longer (and harder) route finding themselves in the lower bracket.

Lower Bracket

In round 1 of the lower bracket, FPX faced Guild Esports who they convincingly beat 2-0 in a Bo3. Moving onto the lower quarter-finals, they faced DRX yet again and this time they took revenge. DRX straight up lost 2-0 to FPX bowing out of the competition. It was then an all EMEA showdown as FPX faced Fnatic. Even though Fnatic took the first map, FPX came back winning the next two moving onto the lower bracket final. FPX were now up against one of the tournament favorites, OpTic Gaming. But FunPlus showed their class annihilating OpTic 3-1 without even having to go for the final map. FPX were now finally in the grand finals of Masters Copenhagen 2022.

Grand Finals

Map Results

  • FPX wins 13-3 on Bind
  • PRX wins 13-7 on Icebox
  • FPX wins 13-7 on Fracture
  • PRX wins 13-7 on Haven
  • FPX wins 13-9 on Breeze

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And with that, FunPlus Phoenix became champions of Valorant Masters Copenhagen 2022. This was the first five map grand final of Valorant Masters history, so it can definitely be deemed as the best one yet.

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FaZe Become Champions of IEM Cologne 2022

The stage was set as Natus Vincere (NAVI) met FaZe Clan in the finals of IEM Cologne 2022. What started off with 24 teams earlier this month now trickled down to only them. The two teams clashed with guns blazing as FaZe Clan emerged as the victor.

Rosters of the Finals

FaZe Clan

  • Finn “karrigan” Andersen (IGL)
  • Håvard “rain” Nygaard
  • Helvijs “broky” Saukants
  • Russel “twistzzz” Van Dulken
  • Robin “ropz” Kool

Natus Vincere

  • Denis “electroNic” Sharipov (IGL)
  • Oleksandr “s1mple”Kostyliev
  • Ilya “Perfecto” Zalutskiy
  • Valerii “b1t” Vakhovskyi
  • Viktor “sdy” Orudzhev

Map Picks

  • FaZe bans Dust2
  • NAVI bans Vertigo
  • FaZe picks Inferno (First map)
  • NAVI picks Overpass (Second map)
  • FaZe picks Ancient (Third map)
  • NAVI picks Mirage (Fourth map)
  • Nuke left  (Final map)

First Map (Inferno)

With Inferno being FaZe’s first pick, you’d expect them to win it. Right from the get go, they played accordingly. FaZe Clan won the first 5 rounds without flinching at all. For the first time in the map, things went NAVI’s way and they won the next 4 rounds thanks to team efforts. Things went back and forth a little before NAVI picked up the lead for the first time making the score 6-7 in their favor. The two finalists kept going at each other as the scoreboard read 12-12. FaZe put it into fifth gear to win 3 rounds back to back making it 15-12. There was a little bit of resistance but FaZE picked up the first map 16-13.

Second Map (Overpass)

It was the first map pick for Natus Vincere but FaZe took the first round. S1mple then took the risk of buying an AK despite losing the first round and it paid off. They picked up the second round thanks to his brilliance. For the first time after the 2nd round, the scores were levelled 5-5 between the two teams. The first half of the second map ended 8-7 in favor of NAVI. After the half, it continued to be balanced for the next few rounds as well and things started tipping in favor of FaZe. But the lead didn’t last for long as NAVI took 7 consecutive rounds. While things seemed a little shaky as FaZe Clan won the next two to make 15-13, perfecto stepped up and defused the bomb right in time to win the map.

A new overpowered boost has been discovered on Overpass - WIN.gg

Third Map (Ancient)

Right from the start, FaZe’s pick seemed to have been NAVI’s. NAVI won the first 8 rounds straight without any problem whatsoever. The form continued as the scoreboard read 15-4. It should’ve been moments before NAVI picked up their second map in a row but this is Counter-Strike! When it matter the most, FaZe responded. They won 11 rounds consecutively to tie the map and head into overtime. Natus recollected themselves and won it in overtime thanks to a 200 IQ defuse by b1t. They were now just one map away from becoming champions.

 

Fourth Map (Mirage)

It was NAVI’s pick again in the fourth map of the finals of IEM Cologne 2o22. They started off well as they picked up the first 3 rounds, no issues whatsoever. But then issues started arising out of thin air. FaZe levelled it 3-3 and then went on dominate the rest of the first half. They ended the first half 10-5 in their favor. NAVI did show some fight in the second half but it just wasn’t enough. FaZE picked up the fourth map winning it 16-9.

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Fifth Map (Nuke)

The fans asked for a fifth map and the finalists, FaZe and NAVI delivered it in the grand finals of IEM Cologne 2022. NAVI started off the best way possible picking up the first 5 rounds. However, they couldn’t hold onto their lead for long as FaZe Clan responded drawing the map 6-6. But the first half ended 8-7 in favor of Natus Vincere. FaZe turned the map around in their favor and had a 4-point advantage making it 13-9. NAVI responded and won 4 straight rounds, the 4th being a clutch by perfecto. 13-13 soon turned into 14-14. And just when it looked like it’ll go into overtime, twistzzz and karrigan stepped up to pick up the next two rounds. And that is how FaZE Clan finally won it all at Cologne!

With yet another major under their belt, FaZe Clan are now the best CS:GO champions of the entire world.

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Shroud joins Sentinels Valorant Roster

Popular content creator and former CS:GO pro, Shroud has joined the Valorant roster of Sentinels. The move comes as a shock to fans as he last played professionally for Cloud9 in 2017. But with the inclusion of the highly-admired popular content creator, a number of questions have arrived. “Who is he replacing? What role will he be playing? How did he even get here?”- and much, much more. Today, we figure out all of that and maybe some more.

Shroud’s Career

Most fans know Shroud as a streamer but before that, the North-American was a well-known Counter-Strike player. Shroud went from a nobody to a CS:GO pro to almost retiring and then retiring to become a full-time streamer and now debuting professionally on Valorant. If that isn’t wild, then I don’t know what is! Let’s dive a little into the illustrious career that Shroud has enjoyed so far.

Shroud in CSGO

Michael “shroud” Grzesiek started off his journey with esports with Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Since the launch of the title, Shroud had been a familiar face in the scene. He first j0ined Manajuma as a professional player, a team from America. Soon after, he was acquired by Complexity Gaming as a stand-in player instead of Todd “anger” Williams. Complexity was soon grabbed by Cloud9 and Shroud was given a permanent contract. Shroud found home in Cloud9 as he spent three eventful years with the organization. The Canadian picked up a number of titles under Cloud9 including the ESL Pro League Season 4 and ESL One: Cologne 2017. However, he was one of the players to get benched when William “RUSH” Wierzba and Tarik “tarik” Celik joined the starting lineup. Cloud9 announced that Shroud opted to serve as a backup and pursue full-time streaming. A few months later in 2018, he officially announced his retirement from playing CS:GO as a professional. At the same time, he left Cloud9 to further explore new fields.

Shroud quits CS:GO game after playing just one round - Dot Esports

Streaming Career

Shroud’s transition from a professional CS:GO athlete to a full-time streamer went smooth to say the least. He started streaming regularly on popular platform, Twitch and enjoyed unparalleled success there. Michael has always streamed a diverse set of games, including but not limited to Counter-Strike (of course), PUBG, Escape from Tarkov, Valorant and multiple single-player games as well. This allowed him to be open to massive groups of gamers who didn’t have a hard time liking his cheeky personality at all. All of this led to Michael climbing his way to be the 7th most followed streamer on Twitch. He is just behind the likes of xQc and Tfue in terms of total number of followers on Twitch. His top-notch content also led him to win the Content Creator of the Year at the The Game Awards in 2019 and Gamer of the Year at The Streamer Awards in 2022. His streams on Twitch regularly host more than 40,000 viewers.

Shroud in Valorant

Even though Shroud has never played competitive Valorant, he has streamed hundreds of hours on it. At the onset of Valorant, Shroud played some of the more laidback tournaments like the Nerd Street Gamers Invitational 2020 and the 100 Thieves Invitational 2020.

Shroud joining Sentinels

In a Twitter post yesterday, Sentinels announced the acquisition of Shroud.  Being years away from the competitive scene and with no previous hint, fans all over social media went berserk after the announcement. And it was not just the fans, Valorant professionals and their teams were taken back as well.

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Sentinels Roster

With Shroud being the latest recruit of the Valorant roster of Sentinels, this is how we can expect the lineup to look like at North America: LCQ 2022

  • Shahzeb “ShahZam” Khan
  • Erik “Kanpeki” Xu
  • Tyson “Ngo” Tenz
  • Michael “Shroud” Grzesiek
  • Michael “dapr” Gulino

ShahZam will continue to serve as the IGL for the American side. Shroud will serve as a Controller for the team.

Will Shroud prove to be a wise acquisition for the Sentinels Valorant roster? Guess that remains to be seen at the NA:LCQ 2022!

 

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