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

"This Mom Didn't Know She Was In A $250K Candy Crush

"Overwatch 2 community stumped as OWL stays on YouTube

"The New Frontiers Update": https://www.dota2.com/newfrontiers

"Riot Games reveals 'Virtual Pass' for LoL Worlds 2023

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":

Timestamps:

00:52 IOC’s Olympic Esports selections: Just Dance,

6:54 Can we come up with a better list?

19:24 Activision Blizzard settles with

29:43 CDL returns to YouTube

32:45 World Series of Warzone

35:42 Valorant’s fractured esports

45:38 League of Legends: CLG makes

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.

Game of the week: Liiv Sandbox vs. KT Rolster https://youtu.be/M7hAmO9PwXo?t=11703

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