Thomas and Matt break down the last month of esports and how different publishers are approaching co-streaming, followed by the biggest story of the year: Riot Games’ LCS faces its first ever player walkouts after a contentious rule change. Thomas challenges other Matt to recreate the thumbnail in MS Paint (I did great).
Show Notes:
“Most popular tournaments of April 2023”: https://escharts.com/news/most-popular-tournaments-april-2023
“CSGO streamer Gaules reveals he has paid millions for rights to tournaments”: https://www.dexerto.com/csgo/csgo-streamer-gaules-reveals-hes-paid-millions-for-rights-to-tournaments-2147886/
“CSGO’s most-hyped Major held hostage by the Gaules show”: https://www.dexerto.com/csgo/csgos-most-hyped-major-held-hostage-by-the-gaules-show-1984788/
“Riot delays competitive League of Legends season after players voted to walk out”: https://www.theverge.com/2023/5/30/23743198/riot-games-delays-league-of-legends-lcs-summer-season-split-walkout-lcspa
“Sources: CDL teams already designing custom Modern Warfare 3 Operator skins & cosmetics”: https://www.dexerto.com/call-of-duty/sources-mw3-cdl-skins-development-2147875/
“Exclusive: How Call of Duty developers try to create maps around CDL pro player feedback”: https://www.dexerto.com/call-of-duty/exclusive-how-call-of-duty-developers-try-to-create-maps-around-cdl-feedback-2148791/
“The Adulation of Bobby Kotick”: https://www.jacobwolf.report/p/the-adulation-of-bobby-kotick
Timestamps:
1:00 April ESCharts recap
5:52 The evolution of co-streaming
16:36 “Important” Microsoft news
21:30 The LCS walkout
43:40 The Activision-Blizzard corner
UK’s courts come down hard on Microsoft’s ABK merger, with more regulators looking to follow. Overwatch League teams in China befuddled by the lack of the game in their country, with global fans equally befuddled by their decision to keep the broadcast exclusive to Youtube. Also featured: Riot’s Virtual Pass, a mom’s burgeoning esports career, and Dota’s massive New Frontiers update.
Show Notes:
"The UK doesn’t want Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard deal, so what happens next?": https://www.theverge.com/2023/5/1/23702716/microsoft-activision-blizzard-uk-deal-what-happens-next
"This Mom Didn't Know She Was In A $250K Candy Crush Tournament, But She's Killing It": https://kotaku.com/candy-crush-competition-all-stars-2023-prizes-finals-1850353139
"Overwatch 2 community stumped as OWL stays on YouTube exclusively despite no streaming deal": https://www.dexerto.com/overwatch/overwatch-2-community-stumped-owl-stays-on-youtube-despite-no-streaming-deal-2118601/
"The New Frontiers Update": https://www.dota2.com/newfrontiers
"Riot Games reveals 'Virtual Pass' for LoL Worlds 2023 with digital and physical products": https://www.dexerto.com/league-of-legends/riot-games-reveals-virtual-pass-for-lol-worlds-2023-with-digital-and-physical-products-2119684/
Timestamps:
1:00 Microsoft & ABK merger blocked by UK regulator
7:15 Esports for mom
8:41 Chengdu Hunters
10:06 Overwatch League back to YouTube exclusive
12:06 Version 1 looking to leave the CDL
14:38 CoD Mobile signs with ESL for esports
16:19 Sony’s live service ambitions
28:48 DotA’s largest patch since 2015
48:27 Riot’s Worlds Virtual Pass
After a short hiatus, Thomas and Matt chat about the newest Olympic Sport: Just Dance and hash out their own version of an Olympic Esports games list. Activision Blizzard lands in legal trouble (again), and League of Legends potentially says goodbye to two of its most storied esports franchises.
Show Notes:
Our Olympic game list: Pokemon Unite, Gran Turismo, Just Dance, Rocket League, Clash Royale, Honor of Kings, Street Fighter, Marvel Snap, Game for Peace
"Activision settles with Justice Department for limiting esports players’ salaries": https://www.theverge.com/2023/4/3/23668568/activision-blizzard-doj-antitrust-suit-overwatch-league
"Call of Duty League returns to YouTube in non-exclusive deal. Here’s why that’s great for the CDL": https://dotesports.com/call-of-duty/news/cdl-returns-to-youtube-in-non-exclusive-deal
"VCT 2023 International Leagues live viewership performance — Americas takes early lead": https://escharts.com/news/vct-2023-international-leagues-live-viewership-performance-americas-takes-early-lead
"TSM pausing esports efforts in several titles, per sources": https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2023/03/31/Esports/tsm-esports-league-of-legends-championship-series.aspx
"MSG selling CLG’s League of Legends slot to NRG": https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Closing-Bell/2023/04/06/msg-counter-logic-gaming-league-of-legends-nrg-esports.aspx
Timestamps:
00:52 IOC’s Olympic Esports selections: Just Dance, chess.com, & more
6:54 Can we come up with a better list?
19:24 Activision Blizzard settles with the Justice Department
29:43 CDL returns to YouTube without exclusivity
32:45 World Series of Warzone returns
35:42 Valorant’s fractured esports viewership
45:38 League of Legends: CLG makes a franchise exit, TSM to follow?
This week, Matt and Thomas discuss Valorant’s continued struggle for viewership and check in on League of Legends as the game starts losing its dominant status. The Olympics dip their toes in esports with some truly bizarre choices, more esports production houses close, and Chinese company Neo TV might be lying on their resume.
Show Notes:
Olympic Esports: Olympics.com/esports
“Sources: Yes ‘Counter-Strike 2’ Is Real And It's Round The Corner”: https://richardlewis.substack.com/p/sources-yes-counter-strike-2-is-real
“Beyond the Summit Shutting Down”: https://esportsadvocate.net/2023/02/beyond-the-summit-closing/
“ESL FACEIT Group acquires Vindex to support esports event ops”: https://venturebeat.com/games/esl-faceit-group-acquires-vindex-to-support-esports-event-ops/
“NeoTV Planning $55M IPO in the United States”: https://esportsadvocate.net/2023/02/neotv-55m-ipo-nasdaq/
Timestamps:
0:56 Intro
6:11 Valorant’s co-streaming boom
11:20 Valorant across the pond
17:22 League of Legends health check
18:28 Gamepass & League’s onboarding issue
29:33 The Olympic Esports Series
36:32 Is It Esports?
44:33 Counter-Strike 2: 8 years in the making
55:31 Minecraft Steve gets banned
58:15 Beyond the Summit & Esports Engine
1:08:10 Neo TV’s IPO makes strange claims
Multiple esports companies face cutbacks this week, including Wisdom Media and The Guard. Ninja enters the C-Suite as several teams exit the Rainbow Six pro scene. Thomas and Matt discuss the effects of costreaming in and their favorite new esport: RENNSPORT.
Show Notes:
"Tyler 'Ninja' Blevins Joins GameSquare as Chief Innovation Officer": https://esportsadvocate.net/2023/02/ninja-joins-gamesquare/
"FURIA leaves Rainbow Six Siege citing lack of publisher support and effective leadership": https://esports.gg/news/rainbow-six-siege/furia-leaves-rainbow-six-siege-r6/
"Tarik dethrones official VCT LOCK//IN stream with Valorant watch party": https://www.dexerto.com/valorant/tarik-dethrones-official-vct-lock-in-stream-with-valorant-watch-party-2068000/
Timestamps:
0:57 Wisdom Media and The Guard face drastic cutbacks
8:04 Savvy Gaming Group invests $265m in Chinese production company VSPO
14:40 Ninja joins GameSquare as Chief Innovation Officer
23:39 Astralis, Furia, TSM, and Beastcoast exit Rainbow Six
27:49 Valorant’s LOCK//IN viewership dominated by co-streams
40:16 The EG bet
45:31 CDL’s 4th major loses its live audience
50:50 RENNSPORT's grand debut falls flat
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
