STACK #147 Jan 2017

visit stack.net.au

GAMES FEATURE

Each month, STACK takes a brief look at what’s happening in esports, both locally and overseas. esports Round-Up Junglist with

D espite being the most played game in the world, League of Legends doesn’t pay top dollar in prize money. Not even close. Those headlines are reserved for DOTA 2 and Smite , and that’s due to one thing: crowdfunded prize pools. While Smite ’s over- the-shoulder action camera and encyclopedic roster of gods are attractive in their own right, being second in the world for prize money thanks to a $2.6 million flagship tournament has done wonders for luring skilled players. Teams Pandamonium (Panda) and Avant Garde fought over the local share of that prize money recently, and Panda was no stranger to tough matches, having to claw its way back

from deficits all throughout the competition. Panda’s semi-final stage vs Legacy featured four games in which it conceded the lead, converting three of those into fairytale comebacks. The final played out in the exact same way, with Panda losing the lead quicker than Inspector Clouseau, before seizing an opening for a crowd-pleasing finish. Exciting for spectators, infuriating for betters -- and when

Smite / DOTA 2

Panda finally won, it confessed routinely falling behind against its pre-tourney practice opponents as well. If

– an esports organisation some of them have already played for – in the hopes of funding and organising an overseas boot camp before the Worlds in Atlanta. It’ll take time and practice to get used to the strategic trends of other regions, but if you see them going down a few points in the early game, it might not be time to panic just yet.

falling behind in MOBAs didn’t put you at a very real disadvantage, as if a massive football field could hydraulically tilt in favour of the winning team, I’d say Panda used momentum reversals as some kind of tactic. But that would be silly. Now that the dust has

League of Legends

settled, Pandamonium has signed with LG Dire Wolves

If you’re looking for a headset aside from your run-of- the-mill ‘Deep Space Black’, you’ll want to check out the Logitech G933 Artemis Spectrum Snow. T he first thing you’ll notice about them of sight, and even has a little light on the end indicating whether or not it’s live.

LOGITECH G933 ARTEMIS SPECTRUM SNOW

is the colour. Gone is the black of old (that’s so 2016) – they’re a stark white colour, contrasting them from most

An improvement on the G930s, the G933s feature Logitech’s ‘sports mesh’ instead of leather, offering a comfortable, open-back feel without compromising on sound. From a noise-cancelling perspective, the headset is on point without being overwhelming and restrictive – you won't have to give them a break every few hours, so they're great for a marathon FFXV session. The headset is compatible with pretty much everything – there’s a USB adapter as well as your usual 3.5mm jack, so you can plug it into your PC, Xbox One, PS4, or even your phone. For PS4 or PC, it’s wireless. It’s got a decent stereo sound output, and reaches all the highs and lows no matter if you’re crawling through trenches or planting your farm. Logitech’s G933s have next to no drop outs, and feature a maximum 12-hour battery life. The best part? The Snow Edition is exclusive to JB Hi-Fi. Run in and grab yours today.

of your consoles and appliances (except those lucky enough to own an Xbox One S). The white is illuminated by Logitech’s RGB lighting (on PC, at least), giving you up to 16.8 million

colour combinations to kit yourself out with. It’s

comfortable to wear, with the flexible band fitting snugly over most heads. The padded earcups are even removable, so you can take ‘em off and wash them if they’re suffering from summer fatigue. The mic folds away out

JANUARY 2017

50

jbhifi.com.au