The hottest Esports Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Technology Topics

Welcome to Origins Postseason 16

The Lunacian • 46 implied HN points • 18 Mar 26
🔮 Crypto Esports
  1. The Elite 4 finals take place on March 22 with a livestream at 7PM PH / 6AM EST where four top players will compete for the season crown.
  2. Tournament rules require each player to register three distinct teams of three axies, follow part-overlap restrictions and no swapping, and matches use a double-elimination, first-to-3 format with a twice-to-beat Grand Finals advantage for the undefeated player.
  3. Prizes include a 1,200 AXS purse plus an Origin Axie for the champion, and a separate 10,000 AXS season pool will be distributed based on collectible tickets (15,838,917 tickets at 0.63135629 mAXS each), with AXS sent to players' Ronin addresses in the coming weeks.

No, I Don't Want To Come To Your Pity Party

Richard Lewis • 1906 implied HN points • 31 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Esports
  1. The games and esports industry has experienced a significant number of layoffs due to unsustainable practices and behavior.
  2. Many individuals in the industry exhibit toxic behavior, including forming secret blacklists and engaging in power plays for personal gain.
  3. Esports industry executives have mismanaged funds and made poor decisions, leading to financial instability and a negative impact on the industry as a whole.

The Hunden Files 1: The Many Contracts Of Hunden

Richard Lewis • 2712 implied HN points • 27 Mar 23
🎾 Sports Esports
  1. Nicolai 'Hunden' Petersen was in dispute with Heroic while also agreeing to join Astralis before his contract ended
  2. Astralis courted Petersen and sent him contracts before his contract with Heroic expired
  3. Petersen attempted to leak tactical documents to Astralis ahead of playing against Heroic at IEM Cologne in 2021
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Gonzo Awards: Worst Manager Of The Year

Richard Lewis • 1356 implied HN points • 14 Jan 24
🎾 Sports Esports
  1. In esports, there are often inexperienced people leading big projects and teams.
  2. Nicole LaPointe Jameson won the Worst Manager Of The Year award for a string of concerning actions at Evil Geniuses.
  3. Despite failures, some in the industry excused her behavior, leading to negative impacts on those working in esports.

Upcoming Release: The Hunden Files

Richard Lewis • 2338 implied HN points • 27 Mar 23
🎾 Sports Esports
  1. The Hunden Files reveal private communications shedding light on the behavior of Nicolai 'Hunden' Petersen.
  2. Petersen faced consequences for cheating in competitive matches and leaking strategic documents to Astralis.
  3. Legal actions against Petersen are ongoing, with evidence showing his involvement with Astralis while still employed by Heroic.

Gonzo Awards: Worst Decision Of The Year

Richard Lewis • 1316 implied HN points • 10 Jan 24
🎾 Sports Esports
  1. Esports can be full of drama and downfalls due to incompetent narcissists.
  2. Astralis made a series of questionable decisions involving a coach named Hunden.
  3. Astralis' actions resulted in denigration of their own legacy, angering the community, lawsuits, fines, and no improvement in tournament results.

The Great Saudi Arabian State “Pay To Play” Scheme

Richard Lewis • 1022 implied HN points • 06 Feb 24
💼 Business Esports
  1. Esports World Cup program provides financial assistance to organizations in exchange for participation in tournaments and generating viewership.
  2. Saudi Arabian state heavily involved in funding and controlling Esports World Cup, aiming to increase global recognition through esports.
  3. Esports organizations receiving stimulus payments from Saudi Arabia may face conflicts of interest and compromise on integrity due to financial ties.

The Hunden Files 2: The Leak

Richard Lewis • 2044 implied HN points • 28 Mar 23
🎾 Sports Esports
  1. Nicolai "Hunden" Petersen faced a ban for sharing strategic materials with a rival team.
  2. The leaked Google Drive incident involved detailed strategies used by Heroic, possibly shared with Astralis.
  3. The court filings suggest Petersen may have shared confidential material irresponsibly, influenced by his desire to join Astralis.

Gonzo Awards: Biggest Scam Of The Year

Richard Lewis • 1120 implied HN points • 20 Jan 24
🎾 Sports Esports
  1. Esports can be a world of hustles and scams, attracting both opportunists and grifters.
  2. Overwatch 2 and the Overwatch League faced significant challenges and failures in 2023.
  3. The Overwatch esports league experienced financial troubles and controversies, ultimately leading to its downfall.

The Hunden Files 3: Hunden The Recruiter

Richard Lewis • 1768 implied HN points • 29 Mar 23
🎾 Sports Esports
  1. Court filings show Hunden working to build an Astralis roster while still under contract with Heroic.
  2. Conversations reveal Hunden providing feedback on player recruitment and assembling an Astralis team.
  3. Questions arise about loyalty as Astralis management tasks a Heroic employee with duties that benefit Astralis.

The Appropriately Mediocre Send Off For CS:GO

Richard Lewis • 1749 implied HN points • 25 May 23
🎾 Sports Esports
  1. The competitive scene for CS:GO is stagnant, and a true farewell may not be around the corner.
  2. The format of CS:GO Majors and the seeding system have major flaws that impact the fairness of the competition.
  3. The broadcasting, show concepts, and overall production quality of CS:GO events have become bland and lack the excitement and innovation of the past.

The Hunden Files 4: Legal Battles

Richard Lewis • 1749 implied HN points • 31 Mar 23
🎾 Sports Esports
  1. Text messages suggest Astralis helped Petersen in a legal dispute with Heroic.
  2. Astralis showed strong support for Petersen, even assisting in legal matters.
  3. There were questions about Petersen's loyalty and Astralis using proxy tactics in player transfers.

CS:GO: Talent Wars

Richard Lewis • 1356 implied HN points • 06 Jun 23
🎾 Sports Esports
  1. ESL and BLAST are implementing different talent hiring strategies for CS:GO events
  2. There are discussions about talent exclusivity and increased fees in the industry
  3. ESL is making strategic moves in esports to position themselves as a leading service provider

Origins S14 is LIVE!

The Lunacian • 506 implied HN points • 06 Aug 25
🕹 Technology Esports
  1. Origins S14 is now live, offering players a chance to win part of an 80K AXS prize pool and an Origins axie.
  2. The leaderboard has changed, now only the top 2,000 players will earn increased AXS rewards, making it more competitive.
  3. Collectible chest rewards have increased from 7,000 AXS to 10,000 AXS, giving players more incentives to participate.

Axie Classic Competitive Season 10 is LIVE!

The Lunacian • 460 implied HN points • 03 Jul 25
🕹 Technology Esports
  1. Axie Classic Season 10 is now live, giving players a chance to win from a huge prize pool of 36,000 AXS until July 24th. Jump in and see how well you can compete!
  2. The Battle Passes and Premium Passes are back, letting players earn extra rewards while they play. Keep winning battles to enjoy the best loot!
  3. Some features are getting updated or removed, like the SLP Chest. The game is constantly balancing things to improve the player experience, so stay tuned for more changes!

Origins S13 Postseason has begun!

The Lunacian • 414 implied HN points • 09 Jul 25
🕹 Technology Esports
  1. The Origins S13 Postseason has started, and the top player is TCO Nub. Thanks to everyone who participated in the competition!
  2. The Elite 8 tournament kicks off on July 13th, offering a prize pool of 3,000 AXS. Participants will also get Morph Tickets to help prepare.
  3. Don't forget, your collectible Axie tickets determine your rewards and AXS distribution. More tickets mean more prizes!

Origins S12 Epic Era is LIVE!

The Lunacian • 322 implied HN points • 05 Mar 25
🕹 Technology Esports
  1. The Origins S12 Epic Era has started, where players can compete for a prize pool of 24,000 AXS. It's an exciting time to be part of the game.
  2. Collectible Axie holders can earn special rewards by finishing the Epic Era at a high rank. If they hold their collectible Axie for the entire time, they'll receive bonus chests.
  3. There's a new Axie check-in feature that helps players earn points for neat items like Runes and Crafting Materials. Collectible Axies give way more points, making them super useful!

FaZed and confused

SuperJoost Playlist • 238 implied HN points • 26 Oct 23
💼 Business Esports
  1. FaZe Clan's $19 million sell-off signals challenges in the esports industry
  2. The coming earnings season for gaming companies will focus on revenue growth and innovation
  3. Issues like brand safety, revenue diversification, and platform changes impact esports growth

The Origins S11 Postseason is LIVE!

The Lunacian • 276 implied HN points • 08 Jan 25
🎾 Sports Esports
  1. The Origins Postseason has started, with players now competing for top prizes. Aremzy is leading the leaderboard and will face off against others in the Elite 8.
  2. The Elite 8 Tournament offers a prize pool of 3,000 AXS, and it takes place on January 8th. It's a big event for the best players in the game.
  3. Morph Tickets are new items that let players change axie parts easily. They will be given out during the tournament and are a helpful addition to the game.