Why I’m not sure 4v4 works

4v4 is the third or fourth version of TF2 competitive, after 6v6, Highlander and, whether you consider it or not, Ultiduo. Thing is, it doesn’t quite work. Or at least, I feel that it doesn’t quite work. Alright, I am by no means an expert, I’ve only played a couple of matches, but since I am a somewhat intelligent person, I quickly saw the flaws in what I played. Before we start, there are a LOT of positive things behind 4v4. It is much easier to organize eight people over sixteen or eighteen people, and getting them into a server… [Continue Reading]

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My first look into competitive Team Fortress 2

A while back (actually, the day before the Demoknights VS Highlander event), I was asked by Confusion to play Medic for a 4v4 match. After informing him that 1. I was not actually a very good player, 2. I was a mediocre Medic at best and 3. I’d never played an ounce of competitive TF2 before, outside SPUF events, I decided “what the hell” and agreed to play. Honestly, I didn’t even know that the SPUF-based EU 4v4 team was still alive, let alone still competing. It would have been a missed opportunity if I’d declined, and I’d have let… [Continue Reading]

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ESEA-Invite Season 16 Week 8 Standings and Playoff Scenarios

At the conclusion of Week 6, we only had one team eliminated from the playoff race. Week 7 brought crazy games, including the close upset of Exertus eSports over Classic Mixup on Sunshine. When the dust cleared, Classic Mixup had clinched their spot and three other teams were sent packing their bags. In the penultimate week of the season, we may see the final two LAN spots decided, with two teams comfortably in control of their own destiny and one needing a lot of help to get in. [Continue Reading]

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ESEA-Invite Season 16 Week 7 Standings and Playoff Scenarios

We’re almost two-thirds of the way through ESEA Season 16 with only one last Invite game remaining in Week 6 on Granary, so it’s time to look ahead at Week 7 and the current standings in Invite. At this point, we’ve finally got teams clinching their spots and booking their tickets to LAN, while others are on the brink of seeing the dream disappear. [Continue Reading]

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World Champions – The Cream of the Crop

Perhaps one of the more prestigious accomplishments that a person may be able to claim is being able to compete directly against the best of the best with the world’s eyes locked upon you. In the new world of e-sports, it somehow becomes more prestigious when you’re sitting right next to them as opposed to not even in the same city. In any case, we call those who emerge victorious champions of the world. Team Fortress 2 is a curious case among e-sports of the modern day – it doesn’t have a recognized worldwide competition of its own which can… [Continue Reading]

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The Simmering Over of Long-Held Dislike

If you’ve been keeping in touch with more exotic TF2 news recently (or e-sports news in general), you might have heard of the recent settlement of a case brought by the New Jersey attorney general against E-Sports Entertainment Association, or ESEA for short, a gaming league with major divisions in Counter-Strike: Global Offense and Team Fortress 2. Obviously, if you’re involved in competitive, you’re probably monitoring the situation and seeing what comes of it. If you aren’t, and are wondering why this is such a huge story, consider this analogy: say the owner of a very well-known price guide for… [Continue Reading]

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