Someone's going wild with the downfrags I see, but why downfragging this of all posts?

Damn this is a really cool way to make an announcement. :)

With a video like this I hope they pick a nice contingent of canadian players, and there are plenty.

"We are proud of what we are, an amazing Candian city with amazing Canadian people (which are both true, loved my long stay in Toronto, and Canda in general)" but then you pick a full Korean roster (no idea tbh), it all sorta falls apart.

Really nice, was about time! :)
In other news, OWL is "getting closer" so they are re-buffing again Mercy? -.-

After posting I started actually wondering the same myself, I'll admit my mind will be officially blown if that's the case. :)

That's a fight he can win (or lose) with his skill, I personally think they are more or less at the same level.
Learning Korean, and being accepted in a full Korean roster is a total different set of skills. :)

Yep true, but was there really need to display in-game footage? That's what doesn't convince me, I repeat thou, digging the logo. :)

Good for him it didn't went through, here he has chances to play, I'm having issues imagining anyone non-Korean having much playtime on the new Mayhem roster (yes also TviQ) with a full Korean team + Korean coach.

Blue, red and white meta, our EU team (finally!) let's hope they deliver unlike Flo..erm. :)

I know but if you ask me out of EU he's the player I'll be more disappointed not watching playing in OWL, the guy is a popping machine.

Nice name and logo, a bit of a meh video, using plays from players of other teams... I mean ok it's about OWL, but still.

Asking in OWL pls. :P

GG both nice match!

Damn close match, rooting for WHO, but damn Lynnnnnx is constantly popping off

Another booster?

I mean I know a lot of pros (and not just Koreans) did some boosting at some point in their careers, but at least the ones who get caught, shouldn't really be "rewarded".

Besides most of them are from Korea, the only decent OW pro scene (money/sponsor/org's wise) outside of OWL, if they have to resort to it, what about players let's say in South America?

I don't know if it's a pity or something positive that the org itself didn't transition into the OWL, whatever the reason this is a new era for Runaway, GL guys!

https://youtu.be/xMkUME53go8

Has been one of my nicknames since, well since Internet became a thing, the other is the title of that album (hint: is written on teh cover, in white).

What can I say I loved going to their gigs in the nienties...

Indeed, another great article, thanks Scrubasaurus to shed some lights on this Italian org!

And to them, GL guys! Both PiPou and San Alex are top Contenders level staff material, and those 4 players are already making me happy.

Eh welcome to path to pro, which is absolutely on a singular basis, instead of being team focused.

I'm not to sure if for a team based game that's the best way to go, but at least we can be sure we'll never catch up with the Koreans.

Hehe not like we didn't see it coming.

A bit sad they had to "lie" again, after the Zappis fiasco, but ehi technically they do still have 2 bench DPS players. ;)

Nice one mate!

Personally I believe Hurricanes are the strongest team of the lot, but not by much.
I'm honestly happy the guys of Osh-Tekk Warriors are in, hopefully they won't get ultra horrible pings, as they are good. :)

Then of course, both 'cause they have Midna, but also 'cause I wish they can start having some more stability, I'll probably cheer for WHO.

That's a vintage KnOxXx! :O

I wouldn't say that's direct fault of OWL, or even just Blizzard's thou.

It was a mix of different aspects, but mainly like Kuroi mentions, related to bad management/planning.

I do agree thou, if this is where you are "going" that the way Blizzard is heavily investing in the OWL (and way less in the "Path to Pro"), basically ignoring every other kind of scene didn't help.

At the core thou is more an issue with cultural acceptation of esports.

Sponsors/investors are willing to take the risk with OWL 'because off all the effort Blizzard puts into its merchandise, pubblicization and production, they are way less interested in investing into the T2 scene.

Of course the fact that no strictly esport/IT related brand can actually host a major event, doesn't help, but then look at the Korean scene... They do see, as a culture, esports as a valid working outcome for kids, that doens't happen in the other regions.

He's getting old (well for esports standards), and hits like the one him and the other guys just received don't really boost the will to go on.

The situation is very bad for every player involved, but for him, mainly due to the age is even worse, I really hope he can bring to fruitions the plans he outlines in his TwitLonger.

Thanks mate, just found the video myself, very very nice (ultra sad thou) video. :(

https://youtu.be/3XDeT85-0kg

I'm late, but very intersting (albeit sad) video, with EN subs.

Good luck to everyone involved in this mess, really, from the deep of my heart, I know what's like not getting paid for months, should never happen to anyone.

OH and now I get why all these French players are joining, I was sure they would have been eventually picked up by Eagle Gaming, but apparently the org wasn't actually paying their players?

Or Knoxx said so at least, if it's true, is really sad :/

Damn glad for Osh-Tekk, this might be onesided, but hell, let's go Warriors!

Yes agree I wasn't implying the team was going full FR, wouldn't personally like it either (bit of national pride?) but I like they are picking up very talented, and young FR players. :)

The best part imo (and almost everything is good) is the actual break mid-season, you gotta give players and staff time to recover.

https://twitter.com/MorningStarsET/status/1049981637814030338

Apparently we are going the FR way, which isn't bad at all!

Good luck to the new team, but damn sorry for our Midna, kicked from the team, picked back up 2 days later 'cause Chubz left, and now 1/2 of the team left...

Is not like he did play bad at World Cup either.

#pugchamp

Btw nice one Gizmo!

Damn Asking not in OWL... Still a great pick, but oh man if this dude pops off.

Wow hot stuff!

Still hoping they keep something Italian (besides the general management) but the team is strating to look very competitive.

Forza ragazzi! :D

Another thing that may or may not be commonly known is that despite 3rd party orgs being restricted in what they can run for tournaments, owl franchises aren't (at least not in the same way).

This is a huge issue, that while understandable before the actual launch of OWL, now after the league being a nice success as it was, should cease to exists.

It hampered the growth of regions like SA and the Pacific ones, and it almost killed even the EU one, I get the reasoning behind it, you don't want to have competiton for viewership while you are trying to hype and launch your own league (to be part of which some investors paid tons of cash), but it lead to many orgs leaving OW scene and that certanly didn't help, worldwide.

For regions like yours or South America it wasn't then neither replaced by actual prize pools at least comparable to NA and EU.

This is a real pity, but is understandable, the older you get the harder it is to pay for you life, unlesss you havea job/work that can actually cover it.

A bit of a shame esport pros, all those outisde of the "bright lights", can't really do so. :(

I know comparing classic sports to esports is like apple to oranges, still, a local team of football (soccer), the ones that play only vs other local teams in Italy (which is like 4, 5 leagues below the top 1, Serie A) pay thier players on average like if they were performing a normal job, around 1k Euros/month, you won't get rich for sure, but you can live while doing what you like.

The detail here is that he's not getting a 2-way contract, which is what's happening on other teams at this very moment.

So I really believe he's oging to be playing quaite a few and someone else will get moved a bit out of rotation, maybe Babybay? In the end Rascal is a very flexible DPS.

If I were Paris I'd try my best to get him honestly, but yes I bet he's pretty expensive right now, and have also to consider if the player himself would prefer to play in a new team (albeit of his own country) or in a team that just got 2nd place in the first OWL season.

Well this also allows them to keep saying "we are not going full Korean + TviQ". ;)

But anyway is a good thing for players, better being abel to play in Contenders than sitting without playtime on an OWL bench.

I agree on Russia and Denmark was a really nice "surprise", but Sweden? Honestly they underperformed like crazy.

Good luck moving forward to everyone involved! It's always sad reading about disbandments. :(

If they are at the level they were the last EU Open Division or have improved even if slightly, I'd say without crazy pings they could be a pretty stable Contenders team.

As long as they or some other team picks up Asking, I'm happy. :)

GG France, couldn't go any different with such a great crowd!

Great guys, in the last Open Division (not the current one) went pretty far, also amazingly friendly.
GG Guys!!

Poko hard carry, out of this world how many gravs and kills he got on that Blizzard's World map.

So here's for the 1st spot and avoiding Korea, 'cause no idea why but I feel the 2nd of this group will end up vs Korea.
GL Both!!

EDIT: Also the crowd, oh my... gotta love you French guys!!!

UK looking hot, curious to see that last match vs FR.
GG both teams anyway!

In DragonEddy's words... Nicy Try! :)
GG France, but proud of our guys as well.

And people says this group is boring... another nice match. :)