Esports is the name given to the communities built around playing video games professionally. The industry is one of the most lucrative and fast growing in the world of entertainment, and combines aspects of everything from a real world sports final to the spectacles put on during the Oscars.
It is a wholly unique industry, built up and shaped by the fans of each title that falls under the Esports umbrella. And just like anything else from the world of sports or entertainment, the Esports world is capable of throwing up stories of drama, controversy and intrigue that everyone in the scene loves to follow.
The Impact Of Rekkles
Sweden has become one of the biggest epicentres for the growth of Esports ever since its birth, and Martin Larsson aka. Rekkles has been the poster boy of Swedish Esports during this time. Having begun his career back in 2012 with the likes of Playing Ducks and SK Gaming, Rekkles spent over six years playing for Fnatic across three stints between 2013 and 2020.
One of the best AD Carries of his generation, Rekkles established himself as one of the finest players outside of China or Korea in Europe with Fnatic. However, his time with the Swedes would be dominated by a sense of being ‘always the bride’ when it came to the biggest stage. Always one of the favourites for a win at the World Championships in most LoL odds, Fnatic failed to win at any Worlds tournament following their triumph in 2011, despite a runners up finish in 2018.
The Swedes were a fractured and more tame-looking side by the time the 2020 edition rolled around, and their tournament ended in dramatic fashion by dropping a 2-0 lead to lose 3-2 against Top Esports. It would prove to be Rekkles’ last bow with his Swedish side.
The opening weeks of November 2020 were dominated by the rumours that Fnatic were on the verge of a transitional period, and Rekkles was one of the names itching for a change of team. And when Perkz left G2, it was clear which side was most likely to pick up Rekkles’ signature. One of the most hotly followed stories and transfer sagas to ever come about from the LEC offseason, Rekkles’ move from Fantic to G2 could just be the saga to follow over the course of 2021.
When Will CS:GO Get A Major?
September 2019 was the last time the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive world got to feel the excitement of a Major Championship with the StarLadder Berlin Major. The most prestigious and important events in the competitive CS:GO calendar, each year usually houses two Majors with one in the spring and one in the autumn.
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic meant that the ESL One Rio Major, originally planned for April 2020, would be postponed until the fall that year. Its prize pool would be doubled, but as the pandemic continued to put the whole world on pause, even the postponed date proved to be too soon for a return to action.
CS:GO is one of the biggest Esports in the world and easily the most lucrative FPS title in the industry, but it’s clear that the scene has been starved of the grand stages and high intensity of the offline LAN events it used to run so well. The frustration in not having these events has been tough for fans, pundits and players alike, however it doesn’t appear that things are set to get any better anytime soon for the scene with the recent news that the planned April 2021 Major has also been postponed.
Everyone is keen to see a return to normality, but with the likes of Fortnite and Dota 2 really struggling thanks to the postponements of their flagship events over the course of 2020, can CS:GO really afford to continue putting its star events on the shelves for a later date?