Today is both difficult and exciting for us here at compLexity Gaming, as we are announcing changes to our League of Legends roster. Effective immediately, Robert “ROBERTxLEE” Lee and Neil “pr0lly” Hammad will move to the team’s reserve roster.  Both will remain contracted and salaried members of the compLexity organization while they determine what their futures may hold.

After completion of the NA LCS Summer Split, Robert informed management of his desire to step down from the active roster to decide if he wants to continue competition, or move to a full-time streaming role. Robert was one of the league’s premier AD Carry players during the most recent split, helping the team secure victories against the likes of Cloud 9 and Curse. In accordance with Robert’s wishes, we are moving him to the team’s reserve roster. While we are sad to see that Robert’s competitive career may be at an end, we are confident that he will find success in whatever his future may hold.

The 2014 LCS Summer Split was a difficult period for the fresh compLexity squad. Stresses from living in a new environment, constantly competing at the highest of levels and trying to avoid relegation caused tensions to run high throughout. With the upcoming opportunity to qualify for the LCS, the coaching staff and management have decided to take the team in a different direction. As a result, pr0lly will be moved to the reserve roster, opening up the middle lane for a new approach and a fresh start for the squad. Neil’s individual skill and experience were integral to the squad’s success and we are thankful for his contributions to our organization.

Filling the void in the mid-lane will be Greyson “GoldenGlue” Gilmer, formerly of compLexity Red, Dignitas, and Team Coast. After Greyson’s recent success with Coast in the NA Challenger Series, we are confident that the young mid player has a bright future in competition. We look forward to his development as a player and as a part of the compLexity League of Legends division.

Tryouts for a replacement in the ADC position are ongoing, as the team looks for a new member that will give us the best chance at qualifying for the LCS through the upcoming expansion tournament.

As always, thank you to our fans for your continued and unwavering support.

by Sören ‘Fantasy’ Vendsahm

Most of the attention in the Hearthstone community is currently aimed at China, where Noxious, compLexity’s newest member, has joined players from around the world to strive for glory at the WCS festivities. Back in America the preparations for the Blizzcon qualifier have started, and in Europe the two house tournaments are looking to turn October into a Hearthstone festival month.

Part of this festival in the cozy environment of the TakeTV studio will be coL.Dog. The first member of coL.Hearthstone managed to pull through the second qualifier today, clinching a seed in the prestigious SeatStory Cup #2. After missing the cut by just inches a week ago, Dog was brought into the second phase this week, skipping the Swiss tournament stage. He proceeded to capitalize on that small advantage and swept both of his first opponents, bringing him into prime position for a spot in Krefeld, Germany.

Three spots were open, and for a while it looked like the streak of bad luck would continue for the popular player. The semifinals were lost with an incredible streak of Innervates by Freakeh, who clinched a Finals appearance with his Druid deck. Dog was down to the third place match- the all-deciding match. He and Danish player cookie were entering a battle in which only the winner could represent himself at the SeatStory Cup. Dog lost the first matchup, but then clutched the second and third with his glorified and known Ramp Druid deck – earning himself an invite straight to Dennis ‘Take’ Gehlen’s studio apartment.

The SeatStory Cup #2 will be even more of a highlight than it’s predecessor – a tournament that was studded with most of the ESGN Fight Night talent back in March, 2014. Since then the Hearthstone scene has evolved and grown, a change that will also reflect in the new look of the SeatStory Cup.

In March only eight players competed for $15,000 USD. This time the house will be filled by four times as many people. Dog will join known and popular players like defending champion StrifeCro, Finnish superstar Savjz, Tempo Storm members Gaara and Reynad and many more in his quest to capture the $10,000 USD for first place. The action will go down live in Krefeld, Germany starting on Thursday, October, 16th and by the end of that weekend the second SeatStory Cup champion in Hearthstone will be crowned.

Professional DOTA 2 player Zakari “Zfreek” Freedman hosts this guide to changes in the 6.82 patch including map/path changes, and new warding locations.

 

Two weeks after officially opening coL Hearthstone, we are proud to announce our second member, and first partnered personality, Kacem “Noxious” Khilaji. Noxious embodies the fun and entertainment that is central to Hearthstone, and we are excited to have the popular streamer and community figure under the compLexity banner.

Hailing all the way from Quebec, Canada, Noxious will represent the black and red during his entertaining streams and appearances on community shows. Since early beta, Kacem has provided a unique take on the world of Hearthstone. While most other streamers are constantly on the climb, looking for the high Legend ranks or trying to break the 12 wins in Arena, Noxious plays the game differently. As may be expected of the inventor of the popular Randuin Wrynn RNG deck, he is all about fun, triggering obscure in-game situations, and putting his faith in the cards.

Whatever he is doing, fun is always Noxious’ first priority. The fan favorite is also well-known and respected outside of the virtual table. Recently he used his extensive Blizzard and miscellaneous Hearthstone knowledge to win Jeoparino, while in the more distant past, Noxious was known as one of the founding members of the “original” Hearthstone community – ManaGrind. That background will serve him well in his invite appearance for the upcoming World Cyber Arena event in China. There the streaming personality will put on his competitor’s cap, looking to show that his game knowledge can be used in a very different way.

“I’m very excited about having been invited to the growing compLexity Hearthstone family.” said the newest comLexity member. “From now on, and as usual: may the fun (and the luck) be with us. Bring your RNG on!”

While the focus of coL Hearthstone will remain on competitive play, we recognize that Hearthstone is not just about tournaments, but also about fun. Over the coming weeks we look forward to bolstering our Hearthstone roster with the addition of more highly competitive players, and entertaining personalities.

Be sure to follow Noxious’ stream for an entertaining journey through the world of Hearthstone, guided by a player that loves to explore game mechanics and push the envelope on how random the game can be. And be sure to check out Noxious in the upcoming WCA event, representing the coL black and red starting on October 2nd.

More Info

Twitter: @coL_Noxious
Youtube: NoxiousHearthstone
Twitch: noxious_hs

by Sören ‘Fantasy’ Vendsahm

The honeymoon phase for compLexity Gaming and their newly signed Dota 2 team is over, as the team is getting down to the nitty gritty in several tournaments. For the past weeks the squad has been seen in multiple cups, earning respect from casters, opposing teams and fans. The young team with captain swindlemelonzz under center was able to take maps off Fnatic, Power Rangers, Meet Your Makers, Moscow Five, Hellraisers, and Team Coast.

Most of those wins came in the second edition of the  Excellent Moscow Cup, in which coL is still without a win (outside of a default win over Na’Vi US, who dropped out without playing a match). Most of their games ended in a tie, with compLexity Gaming being able to learn from their mistakes and take the second map. The learning experience is good for the team and casters are recognizing the steady improvements – like Pimpmuckl did on one of the most recent Excellent Moscow Cup games. Winning a match in the Russian tournament is still a goal, but the opportunities are limited. Only one game remains, against NVMI, who recently reached a deal with Virtus Pro – now known as Virtus Pro.Polar. For the Russian team, a trip to the offline portion of the tournament is still at stake, making the match this Saturday a must-watch for everyone.

While the Excellent Moscow Cup is cooling down with coL almost finishing their schedule, other events are heating up. Most notably the Canada Cup and the ESL One New York NA Qualifiers for a trip to the Madison Square Garden Theater.

The Canada Cup returned on Friday, when compLexity clinched a place in the semifinals with their decisive win over Hothands Hand Warmers. The performance was classified as a “statement match” by the HGTV casting crew, as the second game was over in just 12 minutes. So far the record in the Canada Cup #3 is positive for compLexity, who only threw in the towel against Sneaky Nyx Assassins in Group C. A possible rematch is likely, with SNA a heavy favorite in their quarterfinal match. That trip down memory lane is slated for next Thursday. A win over SNA would turn some heads, and put the new DOTA team in their first ever Grand Final for a professional event.

coL.DOTA vs Hot Hands in Canada Cup on Twitch

The Grand Final in the ESL One NY Qualifier is not the goal, nor necessary to make it to the Big Apple. Only one win separates swindle and his boys from their tickets, with an old “friend” standing in their way. The Upper Bracket semifinal will be a grudge match of sorts, from old times with former HoN players squaring off on a new turf. PPD and zai` will lead their EG team into the rows of coL.Dota 2 – a match which swindlemelonzz declared as his most anticipated showdown in Dota 2. The storylines are staggering and the test for the young coL squad will be immense. After all EG recently came back from a trip to China with a briefcase of cash and the WEC trophy in their luggage. Sunday is the day it will go down, so make sure to check out the first of many battles between those teams on JoinDotaRed.

After the excitement of the weekend, the team can refine their teamwork in scrims or take a little breather, at least for a couple of days until three new big leagues kick off. WePlay Season 3 begins with placement play on this upcoming Thursday, where coL will take on UG, and possibly rematch SNA once more for the right to advance to Division S. This all leads into six weeks of regular season play, playoffs, and a LAN Final in Kiev early next year. Stay tuned for more info about coL matches in the $200,000+ WePlay Season 3.

Another Russian event, the $50,000 Synergy League, kicks off on Saturday, the 27th. The first week for coL features a matchup with big names and former HoN teammates from Lajons – Era (Fnatic), MyNuts (stayGreen), Fittske (Trademark), Jonassomfan (BMG) – as well as two matches against VPP. Other top contenders in the league include Virtus Pro, Empire, mYm, M5, and Power Rangers. And finally, Dota Pit Season 2 was recently announced, featuring coL as one of the star-studded 16 teams on the roster. The $75,000 online only tournament kicks off very soon, and will feature coL in one two-game-series per week over the next seven weeks. Stay tuned for more scheduling info!

Things are certainly heating up for the boys in black and red, so be sure to keep up on all the action with more updates here on compLexityGaming.com

Want your chance to score one of the sweet new Creative SB Inferno headsets? We’re giving one away to a lucky winner this week, and all you need to do is Tweet.

We want to know when you’re watching a compLexity stream, reading a piece of compLexity content or just cheering for one of our players as they compete. That’s right, mention @compLexityLIVE on Twitter during the next few days and you’ll be automatically entered into the giveaway. The giveaway will end on Friday, September 26th.

For example, this Tweet would be eligible.

@compLexityLive @coL_Bubbadub @ROBERTxLEE @Col_HsDog @coL_MoonMeander so hard to pick which one to watch Dx

— Jake Stein (@jakeypo0) September 17, 2014

 

About the Creative SB Inferno

The Creative SB Inferno represents the best audio for serious PC, Mac, PS4 and smart device gamers. 40mm Neodymium drivers deliver powerful audio while the plush earpads and lightweight headband provide excellent comfort. Lastly, the headset boasts a detachable easy flex microphone, as well as easily accessible in-line controls.

Check out the review of the Creative SB Inferno by Examiner.

by Sören ‘Fantasy’ Vendsahm

Last week compLexity Gaming proudly gathered in the Inn and picked Dog as the founding member of the coL.HS squad. The first ever tournament under the red-black banner started out promising for Dog, but ended in heartbreaking fashion. In the North American BlizzCon qualifier the coL player fought his way to Day 3 of the competition and was just a single victory away from the Hammerstein ballroom. So close, yet so far. In the end, a crushing 2-3 loss to Filipino Staz ended the tremendous 4-game winning streak and put Dog’s match score to 6-3, and game score to 23-12.

• 3:0 prodigy
• 2:3 Diesel
• 3:1 Dart
• 1:3 DeathstarV2
• 3:0 Neptune
• 3:1 bma
• 3:0 zRusher
• 3:1 Freshca
• 2:3 Staz

The ball in New York City is off, but the next challenge already awaits Dog. As one of the premier ladder players he managed to get an invite for the second installment of the Prismata Cup. The first one interation of the event marked Dog’s entrance to the big competitive scene, a debut in which his inexperience came back to bite him. This time around he looks to be the one doing the biting, making a statement for all the competitors around.

Dog will even get a chance to take revenge against one of the players that ended his Prismata Cup #1 experience. German player and DreamHack Bucharest Champion Gaara from Team Tempo Storm will be in the mix, as well as several other highly accomplished players from the North American and European scene. Big names like Rdu, Kolento, XiXo, Hyped, Reynad, Thijsnl and Firebat are lined up for the star-studded tournament, each looking forward to a chance at up to $1,000 USD.

Initially the tournament was set to take place last weekend, but spectacle of the BlizzCon Qualifier in both main regions forced it back. The new time is this weekend, starting Saturday, September, 20th with NA and EU starting at different times. coL.Dog will start his journey noon on Sunday and is looking to make another run to the end of a tournament. Only the best 12 players from the first day will make it into Championship Sunday, when Frodan with co-caster Reynad or Gnimsh will bring you all the action from the tables of the Hearthstone Inn.  If you want to get involved and help the organizers behind Prismata on their quest of making this cup a monthly fixture on the Hearthstone calendar, support the stream and check out the crowdfunding initiative here. All the money will go directly into the prizepool and will be used to pay the costs associated with running such an event.

Over the past few days, coL.SC2 has been competing in the CHEO Invitational, a charity driven tournament which features only top tier StarCraft players from around the world to raise money for the CHEO Foundation. 

It is hosted by Kerry “Halcyon” Murray as a form of appreciation for the hospital and the people who work there, after his youngest son underwent life saving surgery and therefore spent the first two weeks of his life in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

The tournament is played online and will be broadcasted starting at 8pm EST September 12th-13th 2014 during which, donations can be made.

The CHEO Invitational will also act as a launching pad for an ongoing charity drive. Every month, 100% of all donations made towards Halcyon’s stream will be donated to CHEO.

Format

It is an eight player, single elimination tournament.

• Quarterfinals are a Best-of-three
• Semi finals are a Best-of-three
• Finals are a Best-of-five

Map Pool Details

The current 1v1 map pool will be used.

The first map played of each series will be chosen at random, with the loser of the first match choosing the next map. Map choices then alternate between both players regardless of who won or lost.

The same map cannot be chosen twice in the same series.

Results

Kevin “qxc” Riley

coL.qxc	0	VS	2	Apocalypse
Round 2

coL.qxc	2	VS	0	Arium
Round 1

Henry “hendralisk” Zheng

coL.Hendralisk	3	VS	1	Apocalypse
Finals

coL.Hendralisk	2	VS	1	Guitarcheese
Round 2

coL.Hendralisk	2	VS	0	puCK
Round 1

Stream

Beginning today, compLexity DOTA begins their run through Canada Cup 2014. The event features 16 of North America’s top teams, including Na`Vi, coL and Sneaky Nyx Assassins. compLexity will begin the event in Group C along with Sneaky Nyx Assassins, Union Gaming and kStars.

Results

coL.DOTA	2	VS	0	Hot Hands
Group C

coL.DOTA	1	VS	0	kStars
Group C

coL.DOTA	0	VS	1	SNA
Group C

coL.DOTA	1	VS	0	UG
Group C

Stream

by Sören ‘Fantasy’ Vendsahm

This week I was able to talk with the new compLexity Hearthstone superstar, David “Dog” Caero. We dove into topics such as the current Hearthstone meta, upcoming events, as well as yesterdays announcement that he’d be joining the compLexity Gaming family.

Hello Dog, thanks for taking the time for this quick interview, as you were just introduced as the first member of coL.HS. Some people might not know you, can you introduce yourself?

Well I’ve been playing Hearthstone since early beta. I started streaming a few months ago, and have developed a decent sized viewer-base. I’ve hit #1 Legend multiple times on and off stream (I think almost every season).

Your stream boasts a rapidly increasing viewer base. How do you explain that growth? What do you think is the trademark of your stream?

Well when I was first learning Hearthstone I would watch streams and try to learn the game better, however I wasn’t getting enough information from the streamer generally. I kind of focus my stream to show a more informational side to help people learn (and yes there are chat riots).

What are your ideas for the future of the stream? Do you have any special plans, any sub icon ideas in mind to even grow a larger following?

Well my first priority is trying to get a schedule, but that has proved somewhat difficult with classes (my tests are generally in waves). However I have been working on sub-emotes for a while and I have quite a few that will be released soon (Bite the pillow, Pound town, and Thalnos!)

Dog playing Hearthstone on stream.

Switching gears from streaming to the actual game. What are your thoughts on the current meta?

Everyone always complains about the meta, saying one class if overpowered and BLIZZ please nerf. Just remember, if 90% of the people you play are a specific class/deck, you can easily counter it. Not to say that Hunter is not overpowered, and BLIZZ please nerf. That being said, I dislike it. it seems there isn’t much room for improvement in a lot of classes just because of the rushy nature of Hunter (and because of flare).

What are your ideas to fix the Hunter then? Many people complain about Unleash, about Buzzard or about traps now. What is the thing you would do to make it more “enjoyable” to ladder again?

Buzzard, Unleash is nowhere near the problem it used to be. Most of the reason Hunters gained popularity again is because they were lacking early game, and Naxx brought them that with Undertaker, Mad Scientist, and Creeper. Prior to Naxx, Hunters were not able to stabilize the board early enough and would die by Buzzard turn. I think most of the problem lies with flare and Hunters mark. Hunters mark is just… amazing, haha. Flare is a problem because it’s class specific, what do you do when you are getting owned by traps? Play Hunter! Plus it makes all those poor Mages cry out there :/

Despite the “imbalance” of the ladder, you’ve managed to get to very high legendary ranks during a number of seasons, and on two server regions. On stream you mostly use your “famous” Ramp Druid – why do you like that particular deck so much?

Well first off, it’s a control deck and I love playing control decks. But Ramp Druid is a deck that can sweep an opponent if they are not prepared. It’s a type of deck – like Handlock – that if you don’t have some minor techs in it, you are going to get roflstomped. Also Ramp Druid has some things that almost feel “cheap”. Wild Growth and Innervate are cards that are just amazingly overpowered if drawn at the correct time. Plus there is nothing more satisfying than getting that perfect curve ^^ hnnnnnggggg.

Would you say it’s your favorite deck?

My favorite deck changes a lot from time to time, due to the meta shifting and me getting burned out if I play a certain deck too long. At the moment though, no. Hunters mark got me down bro.

What is your current favorite then – and why?

HURRR DURR Hunter, because I want to win! However, I’d probably have to go with Paladin. I haven’t explored control Pally in all my time playing Hearthstone and it’s refreshing to play.

May the fatigue guide you! Another thing I want to discuss with you is the competitive scene. You have dipped your toe into that world in one big event so far. How was that experience for you?

It was fun, just like any other Hearthstone tournament. I wasn’t too alarmed with anyone I had to play because I have played every single one of those players on ladder – I play ladder a lot. The only thing different from ladder is that there are a lot of decks that you don’t see played a lot in ladder (because of the banning format) and I was punished for that in my last few matches against Gaara and Strifecro.

More of Dog playing Hearthstone. What else?

Switching gears from streaming to the actual game. What are your thoughts on the current meta?

That inexperience came back to bite you, but also taught you a valuable lesson. What are tournaments you looking forward to compete and apply that new knowledge? Anything you would be really eager to compete in?

I’m really looking forward to the Blizzcon World Championships and the Primsata Cup 2. Both of these are really great tournaments because they reward gameplay (ladder). Sadly, Blizzcon does not have a banning format so I cannot apply the knowledge there. Something like Deck Wars would be cool to compete in.

In general, the HS community is still trying to figure out the best way to balance the RNG of a card game. What mode do you like the most?

I really enjoy Swiss format and banning one class. The ban system just adds another level of strategy that I love!

Last topic of discussion obviously is compLexity Gaming. You’ve joined us now – how did you decide to go with the black and red brand?

Well I’ve seen compLexity around the eSports scene and have followed them during my time playing HoN and CSGO. It just really seemed like a good fit for me after talking to many of the people that are part of the operation. I’m really excited to start for one of the biggest eSports names out there!

Were other organizations or teams knocking at your door as well?

Yeah, I’ve gotten a lot of offers from a lot of different teams. I just though coL would be best for me.

You have any shout-outs or final fighting words?

Yeah, shout-out to Firebat. He is one of my better friends in Hearthstone as well as my brother for getting me into this game. I’d also like to thank my new family, compLexity Gaming, and all of our sponsors Sound Blaster, CyberPower PC, Creative, Twitch, Corsair, DXRacer, Scuf Gaming, and PWNIT WEAR. As for fighting words… get ready to bite the pillow boys!