STACK #166 Aug 2018

GAMES FEATURE

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Taking place at Melbourne Park over September 1 and 2, the Melbourne Esports Open is an inaugural gaming tournament set to bring pro gamers from around the country to the world’s most liveable city.

M elbourne is known for being the exciting arena for elite cricketers to compete and the Australian Open brings the world's best tennis players to Melbourne every January. So it seems fitting that esports - relatively nascent to mainstream audiences - and its phenomenal popularity, should find a home in Melbourne. And it has. At the beginning of September, the Melbourne Esports Open (MEO), partnered with JB Hi-Fi for the next three years, will open its doors for the first time in what will hopefully become a long term proposition. JB Hi-Fi’s gaming product manager Andre Eivik tells STACK it’s an exciting proposition for the retailer. “Given JB Hi-Fi’s long history in supporting the games category in Australia, and the phenomenal growth of esports both locally and internationally, we’re thrilled to be partnered with Melbourne Esports Open,” said Eivik. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for gamers and esports fans alike to experience first-hand a major esports event in Melbourne and we’re looking forward to being part of the journey.” In its inaugural year, the event is playing host to two major finals; the League of Legends Oceanic Pro League Finals and the Overwatch Contenders Season 2 Finals. sports capital of Australia. The AFL was born here, the MCG provides an

enemy base. Players choose from an ever- expanding list of characters called champions, that all have pre-existing skillsets, and can purchase additional items in game through earned currency. League has been around for nine years now, competing with other MOBA titles like DOTA 2 and Heroes of the Storm . The winner of the OPL Grand Final Down Under, which MEO is part of, will go on to participate in the League of Legends World Championships. Overwatch on the other hand is a relatively

First off – League of Legends . For those unfamiliar, League of Legends – or LoL – is a free-to-play MOBA – multiplayer online battle arena – developed by Riot Games. Though there are a few game modes, the game is competitively played on a map called Summoner’s Rift in a 5v5 format.There are three ‘lanes’ for players to fight against each other in, aiming to take down enemy champions and minions, demolish towers, take down other objectives, and ultimately destroy the

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AUGUST 2018

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