eSports Report for May 21, 2012

COOL SHIT TO WATCH:

StarCraft II –

The GSL Season 2 Code S Finals hit this weekend and holy shit are those some games. This series is not only the best GSL finals we’ve seen so far, but the best series in StarCraft II so far. I can’t recommend it enough. The series starts a little slow but the last few matches are absolute nail-biters — just wait until you see the vortex to end all vortexes.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsMRfislvQE

OnGameNet’s hybrid StarCraft II tournament occurred, bringing longstanding Brood War pros like Flash, Effort, goojila, Rain, and Firebathero (my favorite) to the present. Amusingly, the games didn’t end up being the coming of the strategic messiah like a lot of people expected. Instead, you can see some amazing micro and awkward ass build times and attack timings. You can check out ESportsTV’s YouTube channel for the matchups.

Fighting Games –

Toryuken presented by TorontoTopTiers is a fighting game tournament. I wish I could call out to something special about it but the stream is six hours long and I have so many hours in the day to watch this stuff. Click away if you love seeing virtual dudes hit each other.

Tribes: Ascend –

The NASL Season 3 Tribes: Ascend matches are showing a real improvement over the production and spectating we’ve seen in Tribes: Ascend pro matches so far. They even have some picture-in-picture action going on, which is vital when following a flag runner and showing the defensive plays at the base. I gotta be honest, some of the early Tribes matches were difficult to watch, but it’s getting better all the time.

ANNOUNCEMENTS THIS WEEK:

Tribes: Ascend to Add Live Streaming –

 The latest update for Tribes: Ascend will add in-game links to Tribes streams, including lessons and pro matches. This is a great measure from HiRez to cultivate the community and will hopefully help ease new players into the game.

Machinima Nexuiz PC Tournament –

We’re partnering with 360 Icons to run a Nexuiz tournament, and entry is absolutely free. Just form a 4 man team and apply over at 360 Icons and whip ass. We’ve got a $10,000 prize pool for the winners, with the finals airing live on June 21st from the Machinima game HQ. Sign ups are open until June 8, so jump on it if you want your shot at the cash.