As we make our first steps into 2022, we look back at 2021 as Riot Games managed to keep us sane during tough times. Eat your heart out Blizzard-Activision because Riot Games are coming up with new things one game at a time while you only rely on nostalgia trips and scrape the bottom of the barrel.
Match-fixing is rampant in the world of pro-sports and keeping organised crime out is a perennial problem. Will it be the same for pro gaming? With the rise of esports comes a huge growth in esports betting, giving rise to organised syndicates muscling into the gaming arenas and looking to rig some of the biggest tournaments to earn some quick and dirty cash. And just like how the pandemic has forced businesses to adapt to the new normal, match-fixers have quickly moved into the exploding esports scene, after the pandemic shuttered professional sports in early 2020.
From gaming’s early, experimental days (think Doom 1993) to gaming becoming a multi billion dollar industry today, first-person shooter (FPS) games have always been a popular staple. The FPS scene consistently graces us with iconic games and franchises (who DOESN'T know Call of Duty?) and has constantly evolved, becoming a hub for game developers to innovate and create new experiences. As we usher in the new year, let’s look back at what FPS games have impacted us the most in 2021.
With Spider-Man: No Way Home indefinitely taking the world by storm ever since it hit the theatres on 16 December 2021, Marvel has undoubtedly got many things going for it, especially with its numerous popular shows exclusive only to Disney Plus. Fans are now collectively looking forward to the next much anticipated movie, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. For those of you that caught Spider-Man: No Way Home, its trailer was featured in the post-credit scenes, and is scheduled to be released on 6 May 2022.
The 2021 Vietnam Championship Series (VCS) Winter Season which took place on 26 December last year, boiled down to a fierce competition between GAM Esports and Cerberus Esports for the highly sought after title of VCS champions. After competing with seven other teams in a round robin group stage and emerging as one of the top four teams which successfully continued on to the playoffs, Cerberus had managed to secure their win with a final score of 17-12.
With their slew of new titles, Riot Games reigned supreme in the esports world, completely dominating the calendar with leagues and tournaments year-round. Much of the year-end international tournaments of note were all down to Riot events - with tournaments like Worlds 2021, VALORANT Champions and Horizon Cup keeping esports fans riveted to the seats.
It seems like we’ve been here before. We approach the new year full of optimism, hopeful of a return to normalcy, yet find ourselves hit with yet another wave of this never-ending pandemic.
Imagine charging into battle with your favourite main mage. Your teammates take the side lanes while you storm the enemy’s middle turrets. Attacks blast through heaps of minions that give you wealth you can only dream of. Connected with a common goal, you and your team overwhelm enemy defences to steal the victory. For 30 glorious minutes, escapism has never been easier.
The end of the year is near and now’s as good a time as ever to pull out our favourite glitch-related memes to wrap up this year’s hand at gaming. Sure, we got many good things for the gaming scene this year, but every good thing has its fair share of big bad’s, too.
This year, Pokemon Unite is joining in the festive spirit with their very own in-game Christmas event, available from 15 December 2021. Players can look forward to new Holowear, Trainer Skins, new themes, and even a new Pokemon! Bountiful rewards are also up for grabs in the Snowball Battle in Shivre City, a unique 4v4 quick battle game mode.
