Good Morning y'all, Wzia here. I was walking around at work one day, thinking about my recent introduction to Esports, and something kept bothering me in the back of my head. I couldn't quite get a clear vision of it, but I knew something was off. As a member of LeagueGaming for nearing on eight years, I've seen a fair share of events in my time. From the good to the bad, the triumph and the tragedy, and everything in between, media has been a driving force in the enjoyment of the league. Hearing about the ins and outs of the league against the backdrop of unique personalities on podcasts was an experience that led many to wait on pins and needles for each new episode to come out. These podcasts were the heartbeat of LG media, but not the pulse. That was always reserved for written media. That's when it clicked, and I knew what needed to happen: I'm here to introduce the newest foray into NHL Esports media, Three Up | Three Down (T|T) Three Up | Three Down is a weekly media write=up that aims to provide a look at the three biggest storylines happening at both the Main Stage and Contender's Cup levels of each and every Esports event. Impressive performances? Colossal collapses? Drama to put a high school band class to shame? If it's worth talking about, you'll find it here. While it may be hard for many members of the community to tune into the weekly shows or for play-by-play, T|T will be available for everyone to view at the click of a button, while also giving players an in-depth look of both levels of Esports competition. Future installments will also include player and/or staff interviews to pick the brain of some of the most influential and skilled members of the community to give players a chance to get to know the people at the core of this community. On top of all of this, T|T will pick an All-Event Team at the end of each event for both the Main and Contender's Divisions. My personal experience on the Esports side of the site is limited, to say the least. But my desire to make something meaningful for the community to digest is huge. My background in LG media is extensive, but primarily found in the CHL over the past 8 years. In the future, expect more detailed analysis once familiarity starts to take hold in my head. Consider this Pre-Event edition of T|T to be a teaser for everything in the coming weeks. Enough of the introductions that maybe 6 people care about, on to the first installment of Three Up | Three Down. =========================================================== ONE Up: Isles GT proved to be way too much for any team in the main stage of the SJSharks Gaming Pacific Cup to handle on their way to their Fourth Esports title. While Isles GT only score greater than 4 goals in just three of their 19 playoff matches, their defensive ability was a code that also allowed 4 goals on just two occasions. While they were unable to avenge their IGT Open loss to SJSharks Gaming (Legacy), Isles GT left no shadow of a doubt that the IGT Open was nothing more than a speed bump. Unless something changes soon, Isles GT is the odds-on-favorite to take back-to-back event titles in the upcoming Caps Showcase. With $8,000 on the way for the best team in Esports today, Isles GT are head and shoulders above the rest. Down: Chappy's Champions took the Contender's Cup championship for Season 4 of the Pacific Cup, but had to endure a wild test of endurance to achieve this title. From Round 2 onwards, 12 of C|C's remaining 13 matches were one goal games, with the lone exception being a 2 goal game due to a late EN goal. C|C's fortunes almost took a turn for the worse in the Semis and Finals, as they were forced all the way to Game 5 despite holding 2-0 leads against Accuracy and T H R A S H E R S. In the end, Chappy's Champions posted a 1.85 GA/G in their final three rounds to power them towards a title. TWO Up: is BACK. After a long hiatus, found themselves in Top 8 of an event. Despite being a 31 seed, pulled off a huge upset Round 2 against Nationals in a tightly contested 5-game series. While fell to the Isles GT steamroller, they were one of only two teams to take a game off the eventual champions (a 4-3 overtime victory in game 2). will be back for Season 5 of the Caps Showcase, and I could easily see the of old to return to the upper echelon of Esports by the end of the NHL 24 life cycle. Down: Accuracy pulled off their own stunning run to the Contender's Semi-Finals before being felled by Chappy's Champions. The 16-seeded Accuracy 3-0'd BeAn ToWn BraWleRs, 3-1'd the top seed in Endpoint, and nearly came back from a 2-0 hole in the aforementioned semi's. Accuracy's success came as quite a surprise to some in the Contender's division, but they played at a level that makes them more than capable of taking a Contender's title this go around. THREE Up: Caps Gaming has signed @Ethancy to their roster for the Caps Gaming Showcase in a move that is sure to provide an instant boost for the team. Previously on Scary Hours, Ethancy's long list of accolades is sure to fit in nicely alongside @l Geimer l and Co. Coming off a Semi-Final appearance in the Pacific Cup, Ethancy and his 73.9% career Esports win% looks to have the potential to be Caps Gaming's missing piece to reach the LAN Final and take home the crown in their organization's own event. Isles GT may be on fire right now, but Caps Gaming is more than adequately equipped to step up. Down: If you are on the fence about signing up for the upcoming Caps Gaming Showcase, just do it already! Pacific Cup's Grand Finals matchup (C|C vs T H R A S H E R S) featured a total of TEN players with zero career Esports playoff appearances this time 2 months ago. In fact, the only player in the lineup of the Contender's finals with more than three career playoff games was @TakeNotes97, who hadn't taken part of an Esports playoff matchup in over two years. The door is wide open for new and exciting players to make the jump over to Esports, and the experience is well worth your time. =========================================================== I hope everyone enjoyed the first installment of Three Up | Three Down! As stated before, the scope of what I wish to do with T|T is a lot right now. Once I get a better and better grasp of this side of the community, the goal is to create something engaging and useful for anybody at any level of Esports. If you have any comments or questions, just let me know below or in a Discord PM (Wzia.) Thank y'all again for taking the time to read this. Your very own Enforcer Enthusiast, Wzia
@Tris10 @ShortyxLOSE why dont you guys try to bring back more written media to the esports scene? Link it to the discord, make a media staff for the event and some weekly write ups
