By Sören ‘Fantasy’ Vendsahm

The dry-spell of compLexity Gaming’s Hearthstone division is broken. After months of big battles in the Inn, coL.HS finally secured their first major title win in a star-studded tournament. Several times in the past month, players of the Hearthstone squad came close, only to end up getting defeated in the Semis or the Grand Finals. Dog suffered that fate in Pinnacle 3 and Battle of the Best, as well as a runner-up spot in the ESL Legendary Series. Alchemixt came close in the big HearthStats opening season, only to end up getting beaten in the Semifinals, while SjoW was close to triumph in Deck Wars second season and the fifth week of ESL Legendary Series. Now the wait is finally over with SjoW beating four of the biggest names in Hearthstone to walk away with the Xfinity Invitational titles.

The relief and joy once the final sliver of Rdu’s life total was gone in the clinching moment of the Grand Finals series was visible. Several months of hard work and dedication to the game paid off, as compLexity’s SjoW played his heart out and had fortune on his side from time to time. That combination carried him through World Champion Firebat, WEC Champion TidesofTime, Mayor of Value Town Trump and DreamHack Summer 2014 Champion Rdu for his first major title in Hearthstone. As mentioned on the cast by Frodan, SjoW joins a short list of eSports personalities to have won high-profile tournaments in multiple games. With his days in StarCraft 2 behind him, his big glory days in Hearthstone still in front of him.

With the triumph of the popular streamer and high-legend player, the overall team result of compLexity Gaming almost gets lost in the shuffle. Not only did the black and red brand win the whole tournament, but they were also only an inch away from an all-coL Grand Finals. coL’s own Dog was leading against Rdu in his Semifinals with 2-1, only his signature Druid left in order to pick up a win – but Malfurion failed him. In the Druid Mirror the rare double Force of Nature and one Savage Roar for ten mana – brought to you by Emperor Thaurissan – did him in. Then Rexxar relentlessly bashed in his face with weapons, Steady Shot and charging minions.

In the end coL walks away with SjoW crowned the champion and Dog collecting another impressive tournament performance. With that, SjoW goes on the trip to Krefeld in order to compete in the SeatStory Cup 3 with plenty of momentum. Congratulations and good luck for the next one – first LAN victory is still on the bucket list.

Today compLexity is proud to announce the addition of a new member to our gaming family, the popular Dota 2 streamer and personality, AsiaAmore. Asia has been passionately streaming Dota 2 for over two years and is part of a new generation of compLexity members, not only representing the competitive space, but rather the larger gaming community. Her entertaining broadcasts mix high level Dota 2 play with her own creative, gaming focused artistic skills, making for a very entertaining show. We’re proud to welcome Asia to the compLexity family, and to our newly formed Stream Team.

AsiaAmore had this to say:

“I am so optimistic and excited to be joining the compLexity organization. I have so much admiration for the dedicated players and minds who have built this team, and can’t wait to start contributing to the growing community of passionate like-minded individuals.”

You can catch AsiaAmore streaming her games of Dota 2 or creating her own works of art at http://www.twitch.tv/asiaamore. Or you can catch her live later this month in Peru, where she will be attending the Ragnarok LAN and Dota 2 event.

Stream

Today compLexity is proud to announce our partnership with one of the fastest growing names in eSports, G2A.com. Over the past year G2A has made quite the name for themselves in the field of competitive gaming, sponsoring massive events, teams, and even individual streamers. Teaming up with G2A will enable our fans to get the best possible prices on their favorite games, gaming currency, and gaming subscriptions, all while supporting their favorite team and players. We’re looking forward to the future with our new partners, and expect to do some awesome things with eSports and G2A!

On the topic of the new partnership, G2A had this to say:

“G2A.com is mainly an innovative platform that offers comfortable and swift access to a wide range of digital products. Our mission is to provide the best digital game licenses and retail service to all our partners and customers. More importantly, we are a team of esports and video-game enthusiasts who know what it means to burn a whole night with a group of friends  just enjoying the game. We are proud to be a part of the fastest growing community in the world and help such a great organization like compLexity Gaming on their way to the top.”

Be sure to use coupon code ‘coL’ at G2A.com to receive a discount on your favorite games and products!

The Hearthstone scene is growing and growing, with tournaments, leagues and LAN events forming a continuous stream of opportunities for players to prove themselves. compLexity Gaming is proud to be a strong force in the scene with players like Dog, SjoW, Noxious and Alchemixt, but is also always looking for new talents and potential superstars.

Today we are pleased to announce Jordan ‘TheJordude’ Hong Tai as the newest addition to the coL.HS roster. The young Canadian Hearthstone pro is one of the hidden gems in the community and we hope to unlock his full potential as a part of the compLexity Gaming family.

TheJordude is not only a solid player on the Hearthstone ladder, with multiple high-legend performances in the past couple of seasons, he is also motivated to make a huge splash in the still developing and growing scene. His previous accomplishments and placements in online competitions such as the Zotac Cups, ESL Weeklies or back in the day the Managrind events are giving us as an organization a good feel in having him as a part of our Hearthstone team.

“One of compLexity’s motives has always been the discovery of unspotted talents in games. TheJordude not only has an incredible work ethic and motivation to make it big in the game, but he is also very talented,” said Sören ‘Fantasy’ Vendsahm, Manager of the Hearthstone team. “As part of our family he will receive all the help we can give him to fulfil his dream and become one of the best cardslingers in the world.”

“Big things are to come; joining compLexity has got to be one of the biggest opportunities I have been given and I am ready to work my butt off to prove myself. I am hyped to kick off my official Hearthstone journey with the compLexity family and do my best to compete at the highest level while producing quality content for everybody,” said Jordan ‘TheJorDude’ Hong Tai.

TheJordude’s first appearance sporting the red-black brand will be on Sunday, as he will get in on the action in the Gfinity Spring Season Qualifier #4.

More Info

• Twitter: @coL_TheJordude
• Stream: http://www.twitch.tv/TheJordude

By Sören ‘Fantasy’ Vendsahm

It is finally time again for a major playoff event with compLexity Gaming’s Dota 2 team fighting for yet another LAN seed. For the last couple of weeks online leagues, weekly cups and scrims against countless teams from North America and Europe were coL’s bread and butter on the quest to rise up in the Dota 2 scene. Now it’s crunch time and they need to show what they are made of.

This time a trip to the Star Ladder finals is on the line; a journey to one of the most prestigious and traditional Dota 2 events on the calendar. Ever since the game emerged, Star Ladder hosted events, giving championships to some of the most iconic teams in the history of Dota 2 including Alliance, Na’Vi and Evil Geniuses. Now the twelfth season is on it’s way and compLexity Gaming is eager to make their mark on the international landscape of Dota 2 teams.

Before they can plan and arrange travel plans to the premier event in Bucharest, Romania, they have to play against some of the strongest teams North America has to offer. In the Upper Bracket Semifinals the purple crew of Void Boys will kick off the event against the red-black brand, followed by a game either against Wheel or Team Tinker. The four-team double elimination format will only grant one single spot for the LAN event, raising the stakes even higher. Only one team from four formidable competitors will leave for Europe to represent the entire North American region overseas.

compLexity Gaming, despite recent roster transactions and some instability in terms of their team, is looking forward to the challenge and is confident. The team looking to ascend like a shooting star has been around for some days now, scrimming and refining their game on a daily basis. The core of Swindlemelonzz, ZFreek and carry player Zyzz is joined by former Fnatic star Simbaaa and North American Dota icon Fogged. Together with those two, the team and the organization is confident that every team can be challenged and every team can be beaten. The Star Ladder 12 LAN could be the first with compLexity Gaming represented.

To catch all the action of the coL team make sure to head over to twitch.tv/dotastarladder_en with the crew of BeyondTheSummit bringing you all the action. compLexity Gaming’s opening contest is scheduled on Sunday, March 22nd at prime time 9 PM EDT / 2 AM CET. Don’t miss it.

Stream

Today compLexity is excited to announce an addition to our family, as we enter the Nexus, and competitive Heroes of the Storm. Blizzard’s Hero Brawler has already begun to establish itself as a competitive title, and we’re proud to partner up with one of the world’s most promising squads, Barrel Boys.

Joining a history of Blizzard eSports titles like Brood War, Starcraft 2, WoW Arena, and Hearthstone, Heroes of the Storm is still in beta, yet already has a thriving competitive scene. Among those competitors, the Barrel Boys have established themselves as a dominant force in both North America and the world. We’re confident that their ascension to the black and red will propel them to even greater heights.

“Heroes of the Storm is one of the new generation of games that have the strong potential to become a major eSport title. The game has mass appeal to the Blizzard fanbase and the casual audience, but still remains competitive at the highest levels.” said Kyle Bautista, General Manager of compLexity. “There were quite a few opportunities to get involved early on, but it wasn’t until we met the Barrel Boys that we were ready to hop in. Their meteoric rise through the North American scene has us excited to not only be involved at the ground level of a burgeoning eSport, but to see potential Championships in the near future!”

Captain of coL.HotS, Stafford “McIntyre” McIntyre, had this to say, “After barreling through the competitive scene in Heroes of the Storm, we are excited to continue our journey here with the compLexity family. We look forward to building a future in eSports together.

The squad will make their debut under the compLexity banner during the MLG Titan Arena 2 later today. There they will face other top NA squads like Tempo Storm as well as Cloud 9 sister teams Maelstrom and Vortex in best-of-five matches, so be sure to tune in. Once again, welcome #coLHeroes and we’ll see you in the Nexus!

coL.Heroes

• Stafford “McIntyre” McIntyre
• Alexei “Blinks” Bazhenov
• Drew “Trummel” Trummel
• Aaron “Erho” Kappes
• Edward “TigerJK” Hong

by Sören ‘Fantasy’ Vendsahm

The presence and love streamers receive in the game of Hearthstone is unprecedented in the world of eSports. No other game is so faithful and loyal to their favorite personalities, no other game has such clash in Twitch chat between fans and haters of particular streamers. In light of that fact, being nominated in one of the three categories Blizzard has put up these days is an honor.

Three categories and a total of six nomination for compLexity stars are the reward for a year of constant entertainment provided on their personal streams. The initial member and original coL cardslinger David ‘Dog’ Caero is not only on a roll in the competition these days, but he also scored big in the nomination process of the award season. Nominated in all three categories, the Texas boy has great chances to further solidify his legacy in the game. Ever since signing with coL his star has been on the rise at an impressive rate, these nominations are validation for his efforts beyond the scope of the competitive arena.

Kacem ‘Noxious’ Khilaji and Jeffrey ‘SjoW’ Brusi are the other two compLexity players that got recognition by Blizzard and go in the race for the prestigious awards. For SjoW two categories are up for grabs, as the popular Swede and streaming workhorse is not just considered as an educational streamer, but also has a fair shot at taking home the “Best Streamer of 2014” award. In that category, maybe the biggest of them all, all three coL players have received the nod, as Noxious’ name is in the list as well. The entertaining stream atmosphere of the Canadian is one of the most beloved features of his, netting him a nomination alongside the big guns of Hearthstone like Trump, Kripp, Hafu, Kolento, Amaz and Savjz.

Now it’s up to the fans to push their favorites ahead and crown them the best streamers of 2014. Raise your votes for Dog, Noxious or SjoW and make them the best.

by Sören ‘Fantasy’ Vendsahm

Usually the Hearthstone scene is visiting the Inn for fierce competition on the virtual tables of Blizzard’s hit game on the weekends. For those days, tournaments are stacking up and the best of the best are competing for the major titles. As the scene develops more and more tournaments are also claiming the spots in between, making this week an action packed one for compLexity Gaming’s Hearthstone division as well. Two players will be in action in three different competitions around the world.

Most anticipated is the debut week of the Kinguin Pro League, one of the first leagues to bring top-notch weekly competition as we know it from real sports like the Premier League. With two groups, a total of 20 players and ten weeks of fierce competition, the avid Hearthstone fan has plenty to look forward to. Taking part in those festivities are compLexity’s own SjoW and Dog, who will fight in two separate groups for a berth in the playoffs. Only six players in total, three from each group, can make it into the postseason, a goal both players will work towards.

Starting his campaign tonight is Swedish streaming icon SjoW, coming off an average performance in the Kinguin Pro League over the weekend. After sweeping the World Champion Firebat, SjoW had to suffer defeat at the hands of Nihilum’s own Lothar, eliminating him out of the competition in the quarterfinals. Now it’s time for redemption, as SjoW tries to start off with a big win in the Kinguin Pro League season. His first opponent is none other than fnatic’s Swedish star Frezzar. The battle of the Swedes will end the first day of the KPL broadcast, that starts off at 6 PM CET / 12 PM EST on twitch.tv/kinguin_net with Noxious and Lothar casting the action.

Later this week will also see Dog entering the KPL competition from China, making his debut against fan favorite and Archon captain Amaz. The battle of the foundation players of their respective organizations might be the absolute highlight in a star-studded tournament with Brian Kibler, Firebat, Lifecoach, Savjz, Kolento and StrifeCro competing. Dog has his game scheduled for Thursday at 7 PM CET / 1 PM EST once more on twitch.tv/kinguin_net.

That is not all that compLexity players have in store for their fans, as Deck Wars and the NEL competition in China are continuing as well. The Wednesday in between the Kinguin Pro League game days will be a pleasure for every compLexity Gaming fan as Dog and the TempoStorm team will take on Kapai-Cabbages in their second outing in NEL. After the clean sweep against Big3, TS-coL will attempt to recreate that success and solidify their claim as one of the teams to take home the NEL trophy. Kapai-Cabbages on the other hand is already qualified for the playoffs in the tournament, being undefeated up to this point. Only TempoStorm can throw a wrench in their  4-0 plans, a mission of which Dog is a part of. Catch the action on Reynad’s personal stream – twitch.tv/reynad27 at 1 PM CET / 7 AM EST.

Following that, SjoW is gonna be competing once more in the third season of Deck Wars. The Swedish player was invited back to the program to showcase his skill. Memory of the Deck Wars event will be delightful for SjoW, since it is the tournament he has seen the most success in so far. Last season the end of the road was the Semifinals, ending the season with a 3rd/4th place finish. Now redemption time is coming around the corner for him, taking on his first challenger in Lifecoach. Ironically it will be a blast from the past once more, as both players squared off in the first round of the season 2 finals as well. Back then it was SjoW taking home the series with a 3-0 sweep of his Warlock, obliterating Lifecoach’s Rogue, Shaman and Druid. Can he repeat? That answer will be given on http://www.twitch.tv/machinima on Wednesday, 6 PM CET / 12 PM EST – followed by a potential appearance on Table Top and Turn 2 right after the games.

The compLexity Family would like to wish a very Happy Birthday to David “Dog” Caero!

David “Dog” Caero is one of the newest Hearthstone streaming icons, and one of the most consistently high-ranked ladder players in North America and Europe. The dual server talent has reached number one on the ladder multiples times and punched his ticket for the Blizzcon Qualifiers with a Top 16 placement in Season 3. Before settling down in the Inn to play some cards against the best in the world, he was competing as a high-tier player in Heroes of Newerth. After taking a break from gaming to pursue his education, he returned last year, picking up Hearthstone and quickly becoming a becoming a fierce competitor and educational streamer. Thousands of viewers tune in daily to watch Dog explain his play, often with his signature Ramp Druid deck. Though known for the ‘Dog Deck’, he is remarkably versatile, something that has helped him on the ladder and also propelled him to clutch victories in his first big competitive appearances.

Once again, we’d like to wish a very Happy Birthday to David “Dog” Caero!

by Sören ‘Fantasy’ Vendsahm

The weekend is approaching and so the Hearthstone Inn is opening up it’s doors for another round of exciting competition of the best players in the world. Two tournaments are on the horizon with Kinguin’s third installment of the Charity Invitational and HearthStats first ever playoff bracket in the Champion’s League. In both tournaments compLexity Gaming will send their representatives into the mix, fighting for the title, money and the honorable cause that is the Child’s Play foundation.

For the second time in a row compLexity Gaming is proud to support the Charity initiative that Kinguin has installed in the Hearthstone scene. After the Christmas special and the Winter Invitational, the spring time is upon us with another round of slinging cards for kid’s across the globe in hospitals, struggling. For those children the Child’s Play initiative is providing games and other enjoyable goods, to brighten up their days and give them back some enjoyment – despite a long hospital stay. Over the year the charity has raised more than 43 million dollars for the operation, a cause to with compLexity Gaming is gladly contributing. Both Jeffrey ‘SjoW’ Brusi and Dan ‘Alchemixt’ Walton will join 14 other players in the fight for glory, the title and putting a smile on children’s faces everywhere.

The red and black cardslingers are still looking for that very first tournament victory for the compLexity Gaming Hearthstone program – what better occasion than playing for charity. Once more the field of opponents is stacked though, as every major organization followed the call of Kinguin to chip in for the good cause. SjoW will have to face the reigning Hearthstone World Champion Firebat in his first round, while Alchemixt is matched up with Nihilum’s German standout Lifecoach. To get in on the action and follow coL.HS and the broadcast, make sure to tune in to http://www.twitch.tv/kinguin_net when Monk and ThatsAdmirable guide you through the show. First up will be SjoW at 6 PM CET / 12 PM EST, followed by Alchemixt at 8 PM CET / 2 PM EST. If you don’t only want to watch, but support the charity event, make sure to donate here.

The play for charity is only one thing on the busy coL.HS schedule this weekend, as Alchemixt is looking to become the first ever HearthStats Champion’s League winner. The American player known for his love of aggresive decks has overcome the odds on several occasions, slugging his way through multiple stages and a plethora of great opponents to wind up in the Top 8. Now the title is only three more wins away.

First player in his way is going to be American ladder sensation PHONETAP, who managed to win Group A, beating out HearthStats Invitational winner ek0p and Austrian player FenTyrris. Alchemixt is warned of the strength the Open Bracket veteran, who’s been having more and more success in recent history. Not only did he managed to get deep into the ESL Challenger League brackets on several occasions, but his HearthStats journey started way back against hundreds of good players.

To catch Alchemixt and PHONETAP battling for the Semifinals spot, make sure to visit twitch.tv/hearthstats with Callum Leslie and Gnimsh taking over the microphone. The action starts at 11 PM CET / 5 PM EST – don’t miss it.