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Esports

Once a niche subculture, esports and competitive gaming have now become a mainstream phenomenon. The Overwatch League and Call of Duty League feature wealthy owners from the NFL, League of Legends and Dota 2 regularly sell out stadiums, and Fortnite has its own World Cup. The next big sport could be a video game.

The Overwatch League’s troubles continue as top team drops entire rosterThe Overwatch League’s troubles continue as top team drops entire roster
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Entertainment
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ESPN to air live NBA 2K League gamesESPN to air live NBA 2K League games
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Jay PetersCommentsComment Icon Bubble
EVO 2020 will be an online-only event due to the pandemicEVO 2020 will be an online-only event due to the pandemic
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Valve indefinitely delays Dota 2’s The International 2020Valve indefinitely delays Dota 2’s The International 2020
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Fortnite esports: the World Cup and beyondFortnite esports: the World Cup and beyond
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There won’t be a Fortnite World Cup in 2020There won’t be a Fortnite World Cup in 2020
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Entertainment
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Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka will play in a celebrity Mario Tennis tournament on FacebookSerena Williams, Naomi Osaka will play in a celebrity Mario Tennis tournament on Facebook
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Tech
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Twitch gets an esports directoryTwitch gets an esports directory
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Tech
Bijan StephenCommentsComment Icon Bubble
Overwatch’s biggest star is moving to ValorantOverwatch’s biggest star is moving to Valorant
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Faze Clan launches new studio for original film and TV projectsFaze Clan launches new studio for original film and TV projects
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Pro gaming leagues are seeing a huge spike in viewershipPro gaming leagues are seeing a huge spike in viewership
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Call of Duty: Mobile is getting an esports tournament with $1 million in prizesCall of Duty: Mobile is getting an esports tournament with $1 million in prizes
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Inside the Overwatch League’s remote production studioInside the Overwatch League’s remote production studio
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The Premier League will return as a FIFA tournament on NBCThe Premier League will return as a FIFA tournament on NBC
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MLS will host a virtual tournament using FIFA 20, continuing industry-wide trendMLS will host a virtual tournament using FIFA 20, continuing industry-wide trend
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Julia AlexanderCommentsComment Icon Bubble
Blizzard is making changes to Overwatch’s hero poolsBlizzard is making changes to Overwatch’s hero pools
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Entertainment
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Riot’s Valorant isn’t even out yet, but it’s already looking like an esports sensationRiot’s Valorant isn’t even out yet, but it’s already looking like an esports sensation
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Nick StattCommentsComment Icon Bubble
ESPN becomes the official broadcast home for League of Legends’ Spring Split PlayoffsESPN becomes the official broadcast home for League of Legends’ Spring Split Playoffs
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Julia AlexanderCommentsComment Icon Bubble
100 Thieves makes its entire apparel line available in Animal Crossing100 Thieves makes its entire apparel line available in Animal Crossing
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The Call of Duty League comes back on April 10thThe Call of Duty League comes back on April 10th
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ESPN will air 12 hours of esports including Rocket League, NBA 2K, and MaddenESPN will air 12 hours of esports including Rocket League, NBA 2K, and Madden
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Entertainment
Julia AlexanderCommentsComment Icon Bubble
How the biggest gaming leagues are adapting to an online-only worldHow the biggest gaming leagues are adapting to an online-only world
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Pro drivers are competing with gamers after F1 and NASCAR canceled races

Virtual replacement races are drawing stars — and tons of eyeballs

Sean O'KaneCommentsComment Icon Bubble
Esports are back: how to watch the top League of Legends and CS:GO competitionsEsports are back: how to watch the top League of Legends and CS:GO competitions
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Tech
Jay PetersCommentsComment Icon Bubble
Call of Duty League and Overwatch League are shifting to online-only gamesCall of Duty League and Overwatch League are shifting to online-only games
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Andrew WebsterCommentsComment Icon Bubble
Blizzard cancels all Overwatch League events in March and AprilBlizzard cancels all Overwatch League events in March and April
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Entertainment
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Riot is trying to make Monday Night Football work for League of LegendsRiot is trying to make Monday Night Football work for League of Legends
Esports
Esports
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The coronavirus’ human impact on esports

Fans, players, and broadcasters are all dealing with the fallout

Aron GarstCommentsComment Icon Bubble
Overwatch’s first banned heroes are Orisa, Hanzo, Mei, and BaptisteOverwatch’s first banned heroes are Orisa, Hanzo, Mei, and Baptiste
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Entertainment
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Epic delays Fortnite tournaments until it fixes performance issuesEpic delays Fortnite tournaments until it fixes performance issues
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Tech
Jay PetersCommentsComment Icon Bubble
Chinese League of Legends league will play games online due to coronavirus concernsChinese League of Legends league will play games online due to coronavirus concerns
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Entertainment
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Overwatch League games in South Korea canceled amid coronavirus concernsOverwatch League games in South Korea canceled amid coronavirus concerns
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Blizzard moves previously canceled Overwatch League games from China to KoreaBlizzard moves previously canceled Overwatch League games from China to Korea
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This League of Legends team is inspiring others to do goodThis League of Legends team is inspiring others to do good
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Entertainment
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The Overwatch League’s new season means travel, YouTube, and a constantly changing game
CS:GO’s new team-owned league points to a different future for esportsCS:GO’s new team-owned league points to a different future for esports
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Faze Clan is launching a Quibi reality show to sign its next gaming starFaze Clan is launching a Quibi reality show to sign its next gaming star
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Entertainment
Nick StattCommentsComment Icon Bubble
Overwatch League cancels February and March games in China following coronavirus outbreakOverwatch League cancels February and March games in China following coronavirus outbreak
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YouTube is using massive e-sports leagues to take on Twitch in big live-streaming betYouTube is using massive e-sports leagues to take on Twitch in big live-streaming bet
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Entertainment
Julia AlexanderCommentsComment Icon Bubble
YouTube signs exclusive streaming deal for Activision e-sports like Call of Duty and OverwatchYouTube signs exclusive streaming deal for Activision e-sports like Call of Duty and Overwatch
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