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“The struggle has to exist!”: The FGC is finally realizing games don’t have to be hard to be good

The fighting game community has a gatekeeping problem. When Evo attempted to bring in a mainstream gaming audience by inviting streamers to have showmatches at the large fighting game event, the FGC reacted with rage. The FGC wants things to be authentic, genuine, and passionate. They only want streamers at the event who actually care … Continued The post “The struggle has to exist!”: The FGC is finally realizing games don’t have to be hard to be good appeared first on Es

Esports Insider 05.08.2026 22:43 Uhr

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Does gaming really burn calories? What the science says

Anyone who’s crawled out of a tense ranked match or double-overtime game knows an all-too-familiar feeling. Your palms are sweaty, your heart is pounding, and you leave the match feeling as though you have been put through the wringer. The only problem is that, apart from moving a mouse and tapping a keyboard, your body … Continued The post Does gaming really burn calories? What the science says appeared first on Esports Insider.

Esports Insider 05.08.2026 14:50 Uhr

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I’m either a psychic or I cursed 2XKO to fail: Riot’s fighter could be on its last leg at CEO 2026

I’ve been saying that 2XKO is a dead game for a while. I know we all love to say that in the esports industry, but it just felt like a matter of time. While my colleague has argued with me that Riot’s 2v2 fighter will always have a place in the FGC, I’ve always felt … Continued The post I’m either a psychic or I cursed 2XKO to fail: Riot’s fighter could be on its last leg at CEO 2026 appeared first on Esports Insider.

Esports Insider 04.08.2026 22:03 Uhr

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“It’s important to foster the grassroots nature of TCGs”: T1 CEO Joe Marsh talks entering Rifbound, T1 bundle cards, and grassroots communities

Back in June, T1, the most decorated esports organization in League of Legends, revealed it had signed Nick “LS” De Cesare as its inaugural Riftbound signee. For those unaware, Riftbound is not an esport, but a TCG version of Riot Games’ League of Legends. It was a significant move, and perhaps one of the hallmarks … Continued The post “It’s important to foster the grassroots nature of TCGs”: T1 CEO Joe Marsh talks entering Rifbound, T1 bundle cards, and

Esports Insider 04.08.2026 21:29 Uhr

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Supernova and CEO are coming, but the discourse has muddied the excitement. The FGC complains way too much, I’ll admit it

I never thought I’d say this, but the FGC complains too much. Yes, even for me. There are a ton of fighting game events coming up. The Esports World Cup (if you care) has Tekken 8 and Street Fighter 6 this weekend. Supernova is happening at the same time if you’re a Smash fan. CEO … Continued The post Supernova and CEO are coming, but the discourse has muddied the excitement. The FGC complains way too much, I’ll admit it appeared first on Esports Insider.

Esports Insider 03.08.2026 23:13 Uhr

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Community is the key to the esports industry’s success, not winning tournaments, says Fnatic’s former CEO

Esports is going in the wrong direction, if you ask me. And nobody has asked me. But all this focus on bravado, mainstream appeal, and flashiness won’t spell long-term success. To make esports viable, we need community. Wouter Sleijffers was the CEO of Fnatic from 2015 to 2019. He was there for many iconic moments … Continued The post Community is the key to the esports industry’s success, not winning tournaments, says Fnatic’s former CEO appeared first on Esports Insider

Esports Insider 31.07.2026 23:00 Uhr

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Riot Games’ suspension of League of Legends player Syzyf raises questions

Last week, Riot Games announced the suspension of Polish League of Legends player Jakub “Syzyf” Ruta. Riot announced a 12-month ban for the player, who allegedly allowed family members to bet on his matches.  The ban appears to be either too long or too short, depending on what bets the family member placed on Syzyf’s … Continued The post Riot Games’ suspension of League of Legends player Syzyf raises questions appeared first on Esports Insider.

Esports Insider 31.07.2026 15:49 Uhr

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It’s time for Call of Duty esports to return to an open ecosystem

Over the past decade, the Call of Duty esports scene has experienced a wealth of peaks and troughs as a result of format changes that have managed to gatekeep one of gaming’s most passionate communities.  While the Call of Duty League (CDL) has slowly started showing signs of success, the return of an open ecosystem … Continued The post It’s time for Call of Duty esports to return to an open ecosystem appeared first on Esports Insider.

Esports Insider 31.07.2026 15:41 Uhr

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AI vs expert: Human to bounce back for LEC Week 2 against Claude, Gemini and ChatGPT?

Week two of the LEC Summer Split is here, and so is round two of —drum-roll, please—humans versus robots. Last week, I handed Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini the opening-weekend LEC fixtures, plus the handicap markets and Over/Unders, and asked each to build a $10 accumulator. Craig Robinson vowed to beat the bots and triumph for … Continued The post AI vs expert: Human to bounce back for LEC Week 2 against Claude, Gemini and ChatGPT? appeared first on Esports Insider.

Esports Insider 31.07.2026 11:56 Uhr

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EWC 2026 viewership recap: which games attracted the most viewers?

The Esports World Cup (EWC) returned in 2026 with a life-changing $75 million prize pool, spread across 25 tournaments and a cross-title Club Championship. However, even the magnitude of an event like the EWC cannot guarantee that every competition will attract the same attention. Among the completed tournaments included in this analysis, League of Legends … Continued The post EWC 2026 viewership recap: which games attracted the most viewers? appeared first on Esports Insider.

Esports Insider 31.07.2026 10:55 Uhr

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Marvel Tōkon Fighting Souls beta broke Steam records, but its future in the FGC seems dire

If you thought the fighting game community was going to have a quiet, peaceful weekend during the Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls open beta, you clearly do not know the FGC. Between massive regional controversies before the servers even opened, unprecedented player numbers, stuttering PC performance, and pros screaming at each other on social media over … Continued The post Marvel Tōkon Fighting Souls beta broke Steam records, but its future in the FGC seems dire appeared first on Esports Ins

Esports Insider 30.07.2026 20:28 Uhr

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Fighting games are getting too slow, and (breaking news) the FGC is conflicted and salty about it

Fighting games have been around since the late 90s, with tournaments following shortly. Like other esports scenes, this one is undergoing constant evolution. Fighting game tournaments are also unique in that, unlike other esports such as VALORANT or League of Legends, every tournament features a collection of games rather than a single title. However, this … Continued The post Fighting games are getting too slow, and (breaking news) the FGC is conflicted and salty about it appeared first o

Esports Insider 30.07.2026 16:08 Uhr

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“Take out your feet and do it”: Whether it’s for $0 or $100,000, Huntsman will never stop competing in the Smash 64 Combo Contest

There is one frustrating downside to having too many hobbies: you miss things. I missed the massive Supernova Super Smash Bros. tournament last year for Monterey Car Week, and sadly won’t make it for the same reason this year. This has meant missing the Combo Contest, my favorite event of all time. And this year, … Continued The post “Take out your feet and do it”: Whether it’s for $0 or $100,000, Huntsman will never stop competing in the Smash 64 Combo Contest appe

Esports Insider 29.07.2026 19:33 Uhr

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Dota 2 Meepo hotfix targets game-breaking item duplication exploit

On Jul. 28, 2026, Valve released a Dota 2 hotfix addressing a critical Meepo exploit that allowed players to duplicate items and generate practically infinite amounts of gold during matches. After the exploit was identified, Meepo was temporarily removed from the Dota 2 hero pool, preventing players from selecting the hero manually or receiving him … Continued The post Dota 2 Meepo hotfix targets game-breaking item duplication exploit appeared first on Esports Insider.

Esports Insider 29.07.2026 11:28 Uhr

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League of Legends World Championship tickets are appearing for over $3,000, but Riot may not be the one to blame

The esports community is raging after the 2026 League of Legends World Championship finals tickets went on sale. Passionate fans set their alarm, verified their account through three different two-factor apps, waited in a digital queue with thousands of other people… Then saw almost every seat vanish in 30 seconds. As you may have guessed … Continued The post League of Legends World Championship tickets are appearing for over $3,000, but Riot may not be the one to blame appeared firs

Esports Insider 28.07.2026 19:19 Uhr

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“I want to be known as a winner”: Top MLBB pros like Ashlay are dying to compete, but there are no tournaments in North America

The benefit of winning matches comes with the glory of playing more high-stakes matches and the opportunity to grow. In 2025, Gaimin Gladiators became the first North American team to make it to the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang international final at the Esports World Cup Women’s Invitational. The team featured four American players – Ashley … Continued The post “I want to be known as a winner”: Top MLBB pros like Ashlay are dying to compete, but there are no tournaments in

Esports Insider 27.07.2026 22:32 Uhr

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“Our preparation was pretty intense”: How Team Vitality’s MLBB roster breaks stereotypes about mobile gaming and women’s esports 

France-based esports organization Team Vitality fields one of the most successful rosters in the history of competitive gaming. And it’s not what you might expect. Team Vitality’s women’s Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) team just won its fourth championship title at the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026. According to esports data platform Esports Charts, 565,483 … Continued The post “Our preparation was pretty intense”: How Team Vitality’s MLBB roster breaks stereotypes about

Esports Insider 27.07.2026 20:56 Uhr

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Moonton’s Ray Ng on MLBB at the Esports World Cup, growing mobile in the West, and AI coaching tools

Mobile Legends: Bang Bang is not the first game that slips off the tongue when you ask a Western esports fan to name one of the world’s largest competitive titles. The mobile MOBA, however, consistently draws some of the largest viewership numbers in esports. MLBB’s M7 World Championship reached a peak viewership of 5.6 million … Continued The post Moonton’s Ray Ng on MLBB at the Esports World Cup, growing mobile in the West, and AI coaching tools appeared first on Esport

Esports Insider 27.07.2026 14:52 Uhr

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“The spirit of the FGC is still there”: Cuddle_Core talks old-school gatekeeping, grassroots to mainstream, and making a career out of Tekken

Let’s be uncomfortably honest for a minute. There’s definitely a kind of person that pops into your head when you hear “top Tekken player.” And that person may not look like Jeannail “Cuddle_Core” Carter. But that’s okay, she isn’t here to cater to anybody nor seek their validation. She is here to play. And stream. … Continued The post “The spirit of the FGC is still there”: Cuddle_Core talks old-school gatekeeping, grassroots to

Esports Insider 24.07.2026 21:26 Uhr

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Esports fans want to predict tournament results but states (and Faker) are fighting it

This week, as ever, there were more developments in the legal battles against prediction markets. But data released from Riot Games and GRID suggest they are fighting a losing battle. Fans want to predict the outcome of events and will undoubtedly find a way to do just that.  More than 1.7 million players engaged with … Continued The post Esports fans want to predict tournament results but states (and Faker) are fighting it appeared first on Esports Insider.

Esports Insider 24.07.2026 15:39 Uhr

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AI vs expert: Claude, ChatGPT and Gemini take on our LEC week one predictions

The LEC returns today with the 2026 Summer Split getting underway in Paris, France. There will be a nine-week run between now and the finals in September, and from there, we’ll see which three European teams head to the League of Legends World Championships. This week, we’re introducing something a bit different editorially. Inspired by … Continued The post AI vs expert: Claude, ChatGPT and Gemini take on our LEC week one predictions appeared first on Esports Insider.

Esports Insider 24.07.2026 11:27 Uhr

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It’s time for soundproof booths to return to esports

Integrity in esports remains a hot topic of conversation among fans and industry stakeholders looking to ensure the world’s biggest events are contested on a level playing field. The world’s best teams frequently compete on stages surrounded by supporters cheering on their favorite players. Despite the use of noise-canceling headsets and in-ear monitors to prevent … Continued The post It’s time for soundproof booths to return to esports appeared first on Esports Insider.

Esports Insider 23.07.2026 16:17 Uhr

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“Keep fighting for your dream”: Team Vitality MLBB pro Vivian reflects on overcoming challenges and judgement to become a top esports pro

Team Vitality Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) player Vivi “Vivian” Indrawaty changed her life and her family’s by banking on her esports career. The Indonesian athlete comes from a rural household, where she struggled with insecurity and fear of judgment about her living situation throughout her childhood. Vivian’s incredible MLBB success, however, allowed the player … Continued The post “Keep fighting for your dream”: Team Vitality MLBB pro Vivian reflects o

Esports Insider 23.07.2026 16:04 Uhr

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Hans Jagnow on Paris, politics, and building fandom across 24 games at the Esports World Cup

The Esports World Cup‘s third edition landed in Paris this year, following a last-minute relocation due to geopolitical tensions. The Esports Foundation faced an unenviable task: moving 25 tournaments, thousands of competitors, and all the infrastructure behind them to a new country and city in a matter of weeks. The tournament itself does not present … Continued The post Hans Jagnow on Paris, politics, and building fandom across 24 games at the Esports World Cup appeared first on Es

Esports Insider 23.07.2026 12:14 Uhr

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