Youtubers spending big on new esports orgs, Activision-Blizzard's games banned in China, and why media outlets keep shuttering profitable games journalism. All this and more on this week’s episode of The Sick Esports Podcast.
Show Notes:
Documentary on Valve: https://youtu.be/s9aCwCKgkLo
Ash Parris via The Verge, "Blizzard Games go offline in China": https://www.theverge.com/2023/1/23/23567868/activision-blizzard-china-netease-world-of-warcraft
Jacob Wolf, "Overwatch League Teams Start Collective Bargaining Process Against League": https://www.jacobwolf.report/p/overwatch-league-teams-start-collective
Game of the week: Liiv Sandbox vs. KT Rolster https://youtu.be/M7hAmO9PwXo?t=11703
Subjects:
1:08 The pressure valve
4:53 Youtubers founding their own esports orgs
11:33 Activision-Blizzard loses publishing rights in China
18:03 Collective bargaining & revenue in the Overwatch League
24:30 Behind-the-scenes numbers
26:36 The streaming platform war
30:15 Washington Post's Launcher & games journalism cutbacks
35:15 The fatal flaw in esports journalism
39:37 Overwatch World Cup
43:33 The highest viewed esports: League of Legends's LCK and...the FIFA EA Sports cup?
48:48 Game of the Week: Liiv Sandbox vs. KT Rolster in the LCK
54:10 The LCK and broadcasting
