Booming e-sports industry faces contract challenges
By Yifan Wu Jeroen “Xaliea” Klaver is a 21-year old veteran in his field. During his four-year career competing in “Smite”, a popular online multiplayer game, the Amsterdam native earned $46,170 in prize money. But the paychecks from Team Paradigm, where he played in the 2016 Smite Pro League, never added up. Lydia Picknell, Paradigm’s […]
Northwestern aims to reach new heights in Big Ten Tournament
By Yifan Wu Between a Hail Mary buzzer-beater to beat Michigan and a nationally televised nail-biter loss Sunday to Purdue, the first week of March has provided plenty of drama for the Northwestern Wildcats. Their plan for the sequel? Pack confidence and toughness accumulated from the regular season and bring it to the Big Ten […]
Wildcat gamers take the floor at Welsh-Ryan
By Yifan Wu Northwestern Esports club hosted its first official event at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Saturday. Between raffles and pizza, more than 40 students competed in “League of Legends” and “Super Smash Bro. Melee,” with winners taking home gaming equipment and cash prizes.
When girls go gaming, the trolls soon follow
By Yifan Wu Ellen “DreamCrazzy” Elizabeth learned a lesson early in her life: Boys can be sore losers. The professional “Call of Duty” player preferred a controller to a Barbie Doll at 3, after watching her 11-year-old brother, Chris, drive a “Mario Kart” on a Super Nintendo. Their living room, in Waukegan, Illinois, heated up […]
LeBron or Kobe? ‘Call of Duty’ players asked to compare themselves to athletes
By Yifan Wu ATLANTA – Thousands of fans came to Georgia World Congress Center to watch about 140 teams compete at Call of Duty World League Atlanta last weekend, with more than 150,000 watching on Major League Gaming’s online stream at peak, according to Adam Apicella, executive vice president at MLG. The e-sports economy is projected to grow […]
The number-cruncher behind the ‘Bama of college e-sports
By Yifan Wu In a season-opener against an unranked and little-known opponent, a college powerhouse fell behind by one point for less than two minutes. However, the head coach, who just came off a brief stint in the pros, buried his face in his hands and sighed in disbelief before rifling through the team analyst’s […]
Big Ten Network enriches students with launch of e-sports tournament
By Yifan Wu The next Northwestern Wildcat starring on Big Ten Network might not be Justin Jackson or Scottie Lindsey, but someone playing “League of Legends,” the most popular computer game in the world. Big Ten Network and Riot Games, the creator and developer of “League of Legends,” announced last week that 12 of 14 […]
Collegiate e-sports athletes seek more audience through live streaming
By Yifan Wu Wearing a varsity sweatshirt and blue jeans, Samer Bassam looks like an average college freshman. Like most 18-year-olds new to campus, he plays video games after his classes. Unlike other students, Bassam broadcasts his gameplay as the most visible face of Robert Morris University’s e-sports program. Bassam turned down admission to Northwestern […]
