In The News
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s Stage Builder mode is going about as expected. “Users can use the Switch’s touch screen to draw any shape they like for terrain and certain other decorations and obstacles, including writing out words,” GI.biz’s Rebekah Valentine reports. “The combination of these features has led to numerous stages with inappropriate content not only being created and uploaded, but also being promoted on the By Recommended and By Popular sort features, the former of which is immediate visible whenever a user goes to view submitted stages online.”
Viewers watched 2.7 billion hours on Twitch “in the first quarter of 2019, a 35% increase from the first quarter of 2018,” VentureBeat’s Giancarlo Valdes reports. “Microsoft’s Mixer grew from 22 million hours watched in Q1 2018 to 89 million this year. And YouTube Live’s number doubled to 722.5 million.”
Niantic is accepting submissions to “nominate your city using the hashtag #NianticLive2020 on Twitter and Instagram” for “a Niantic real-world event.”
Interviews: id Software’s Tim Willits (GameSpot).
Extra Esports News:
A European Esports Federation is being formed. “National esports federations from 12 countries have agreed to establish an independent esports federation on the European level this year,” TEO’s Graham Ashton writes. “A joint declaration by the federations emphasizes a shared definition of esports and an independent organizational structure.”
Advance has created “Leaders Group. The operating company will bring Advance’s B2B sports, esports, and gaming businesses; SportsBusiness Journal and SportsBusiness Daily, Leaders, Newzoo, and The Esports Observer under one umbrella,” Ashton writes.
High School Esports League and Tillys are partnering, Esports Insider’s Adam Fitch reports. “The deal will see students that compete in HSEL be offered care packages from Tillys, as well as the opportunity to compete in augmented reality for ‘premium prizes.’”
IN: Maurice “Fero” Henriquez and Jacob “Decemate” Cato joined Team Envy’s CoD team, replacing Adam “Assault” Garcia and Bryan “Apathy” Zhelyazkov.
DEAD: Lightning Pandas has ceased operations.
Happy birthdays Xu “Moogy” Han and Adrien “DnS” Bouet!