The First Purge!

On Episode 30, Ramses and Lobosco dive into all of the week’s major topics, including free agency moves, Gauntlet updates, and some recent Blizzard international controversy. First, we talk about the week’s free agency stories, as OWL fans saw the first major wave of player releases. We talk about which players are being dropped and their possible reasons for droppage. We also discuss our predictions for where these players may end up and what their careers may look like after OWL.

Next, we talk about the Contenders Gauntlet tournament, which took place in Korea over the past weekend. We talk about the outcome of the finals match-up between Atlanta Academy and Element Mystic, and the match’s potential impact on OWL. We discuss some notable player and team performances, analyze this OWL rookie class as a whole, and assign some APEX viewing homework.

Lastly, we discuss the recent controversy concerning Blizzard’s handling of Pro Hearthstone player’s pro Hong Kong statements after a recent tournament. We talk about Blizzard’s rush to deliver an alarmingly strong punishment, and how it affects the company’s relationship to China and the Western gaming community. We discuss Blizzard’s response and amendment to the player punishment, as well as the company’s precarious social position going forward.