Australian esports is a large, ever-changing panorama. Teams and star players come and go, aggressive titles rise and fall, and by way of all the topsy-turvy adventures of esports Down Under, loyal Oceanic gaming followers preserve their ardour burning, turning out in droves throughout time zones to assist their favorites.
Here’s all the pieces you need to know about trendy Australian esports, from our greatest gaming stars to all our groups Down Under, and the pro titles all of them play.
Esports titles in Oceania
There are a number of aggressive gaming titles Australians compete in, each at house in Oceania and internationally. These embrace first-person shooters, battle royales, MOBAs, all method of combating video games, sports activities franchises, and extra.
These embrace Aussie-based competitions and esports efforts overseas.
Australia’s greatest successes have are available MOBA arch-rivals League of Legends and Dota 2, in addition to Counter-Strike. These identical franchises have a heavy presence in home leagues, particularly the LCO (League) and a number of CS:GO tournaments like ESL ANZ Champs and PGL occasions.
Other native competitions embrace the Oceania Tour (VALORANT), the Oceanic Nationals (Siege), E-League (FIFA), and Rocket League’s Oceanic Championships.
Here are the main video games Australia competes in.
- League of Legends
- Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
- Valorant
- Rocket League
- RLCS
- Rocket League Oceania
- The Gauntlet Series
- FIFA
- E-League
- FIFAe Club World Cup
- PUBG
- Rainbow Six: Siege
- Oceanic Nationals
- APAC League South
- Apex Legends
- Global Series: APAC South
- FGC occasions
- OHN
- CouchWarriors
- Melbourne Melee
Australia’s trendy esports stars
What’s a gaming area without its finest players and greatest names?
Australia could also be a small nation—now we have 26 million residents and just 17 million gamers among them—however we constantly punch above our weight. It’s turn into quintessentially ‘Aussie’ since we hit the international sporting stage 100 years in the past, and that “underdog” standing has stayed firmly put in gaming too.
The following players are the finest present (or just lately retired, in a single or two circumstances) aggressive stars Australia has produced, ranging from League and Dota 2 champions to veteran Rocket League skills, and even CS:GO’s biggest ever mortgage.
Without additional ado, our reigning Aussie esports stars.
Anathan “ana” Pham (Dota 2)
No Australian esports star has enamored mainstream audiences fairly like two-time Dota 2 champion Anathan “ana” Pham, primarily due to his monstrous $6,008,163 winnings pockets. Dota’s Humblegod is retired, however by no means say by no means; ana gained The International in 2018, retired, then got here again to win in 2019 too.
Most of ana’s Dota 2 glittering profession was spent with Red Bull-backed OG, the place he performed carry (Position 1). He is the highest-earning Australian esports star ever.
Justin “jks” Savage (Counter-Strike)
When you consider Australia Counter-Strike, veteran star Justin “jks” Savage could be the first that comes to thoughts. He is the solely Australian to ever win an S-Tier match in the esport, a feat he achieved as a stand-in with FaZe at IEM Katowice this yr, and is the solely Aussie to ever make the illustrious HLTV Top 20 Players of the Year Ranking —a feat he managed in 2019 and 2020.
Jks most just lately performed for Complexity Gaming however is presently inactive. Before that he represented 100 Thieves and Renegades as a part of the “Boys” lineup.
Victor “FBI” Huang (League of Legends)
From web cafe hero to North American League of Legends champion, Victor “FBI” Huang’s rise to the prime of esports has been nothing wanting sensational. The 23-year-old performs for 100 Thieves in the United States league and represented Oceania with Bombers at the Mid-Season Invitational in 2019.
FBI is the first Australian to be topped home League champion in any main area exterior Oceania. In 2021, he was named LCS All-Pro AD carry for his efforts.
Amer “Pred” Zulbeari (Call of Duty)
There’s been one query in Australian Call of Duty these previous few years: why isn’t Amer “Pred” Zulbeari in the CDL? Well, in 2022, that injustice was lastly resolved. The 20-year-old joined the Seattle Surge this yr and has been frying ever since.
Ethan “Crunchy” Laker (VALORANT)
Crunchy flirted with a Counter-Strike profession in the late 2010s earlier than discovering his true esports calling: VALORANT. The younger star performed for regional standouts EXO Clan in the early days earlier than the roster joined NA org Soniqs.
The Soniqs lineup is being reshuffled after lacking NA VCT, however Crunchy is anticipated to stay. His most performed brokers are Astra, KAY/0, and—fittingly—Skye.
Joshua “Sora” Lyras (Smash)
Sora—participant Joshua Lyras, that’s, not the character—is taken into account the nation’s finest Super Smash Bros. participant. He reigns supreme atop the Australian Melee Power Rankings and is C-Tier on MPGRContenders North America. The Melee star mains Fox, and represents Mindfreak at esports occasions.
Sean “Probe” Kempen (StarCraft II)
Protoss star Probe has been a key determine in Aussie StarCraft II from Wings of Liberty all the method to his current run at IEM Katowice 2022. Between 2013 and 2022 he has claimed 14 main medals and boasts a 56.9 % win file.
In 2021, the 25-year-old stated he was retiring. He is, nonetheless, nonetheless enjoying.
Etienne “Mag” Rousseau (Rainbow Six: Siege)
If there’s one Aussie title that stands above the relaxation in Siege, it’s Fnatic’s Etienne “Mag” Rousseau. The 23-year-old started on Mindfreak in mid-2017 earlier than switching to Fnatic and turning into the international org’s mainstay Rainbow Six star.
Daniel “Torsos” Parsons (Rocket League)
On longevity and titles, none have flown increased from Rocket League’s present players than Daniel “Torsos” Parsons. The Ground Zero star is the final remaining icon from the well-known Alpha Sydney-come-Chiefs roster from the late 2010s, outlasting Drippay, Jake, and Kamii. In his profession, Torsos has represented Oceania in practically a dozen Majors.
James “TGLTN” Giezen (PUBG)
TGLTN started his PUBG esports profession with the Chiefs in 2018 earlier than hitting the North American big-time with Soniqs by way of a brief stint with Elevate. He has represented the Soniqs battle royale division since 2019 and hit a monster excessive level with the org in 2021 by profitable PUBG Corporation’s $7m PUBG Global Invitational.S in Incheon. Just take a look at that massive golden trophy!
Noyan “Genburten” Ozkose (Apex Legends)
Considered by many in the aggressive Apex scene to be one among the biggest controller players in the world, Genburten has quickly turn into a staple in the Australian battle royale scene since selecting up the sticks in 2020.
Genburten’s crowning second got here at the ALGS 2022 Championship in Raleigh. There, with wingmen Rhys “Zer0” Perry and Rick “Sharky” Wirth, the Aussies have been topped new monarchs of the Apex Legends scene and international champions. The $500,000 victory got here simply weeks after the squad—enjoying as Reignite earlier than their DarkZero transfer—gained the ALGS 2022 Split 2 Playoffs and pocketed $250,000 for his or her troubles.
The Australian star has earned greater than $218,200 in prizes. ‘Goatburten’ certainly.
Jesse and Jordan Eckley, “x2Twins” (Fortnite)
Brothers Jesse and Jordan Eckley might delve fairly closely into content material creation and gaming movies over esports, however the impression they’d on the Fortnite scene, particularly round the World Cup in 2019, can’t be understated.
Between the pair, they’ve gained $244,000 of their battle royale of selection.
All the greatest Oceanic esports orgs
The Australian esports scene spans a number of various titles, genres, and franchises, however these competitions are sometimes inhabited by the identical groups once more and once more — long-standing organizations with vested pursuits in our area.
Like the participant base, the area’s organizational roster is topsy-turvy.
Ask any Oceanic fan, and they might checklist a half-dozen corporations which have risen, constructed aggressive rosters, joined video games, and disappeared months later. This partially is what makes the heavyweight Australian orgs so particular; they’ve survived altering landscapes, league closures, and participant reshuffles. The works.
Here are the greatest esports orgs in Australia proper now.
Chiefs
Founded in August 2014, the Chiefs Esports Club is one among the solely remaining ‘old-guard’ organizations nonetheless proudly flying the Australian flag in trendy gaming.
Over the years, the blue-and-white org has competed in—and in lots of circumstances, gained championships in—League, CS:GO, Rocket League, VALORANT, and Rainbow Six Siege. Other titles of their wheelhouse have additionally included Fortnite, PUBG, and Halo Infinite. In their early years, the Chiefs have been the crew to beat in the OPL.
The Chiefs esports model was acquired by ICON Esports in mid-2019.
Mindfreak
Mindfreak has had a heavy hand in Oceanic esports for greater than a decade now. The group was first based in 2010, with Albert “Naked” Nassif buying the firm quickly after. MF’s focus over the years has been on aggressive shooters, together with Halo, Overwatch, VALORANT, and in fact Call of Duty.
The org has dominated Oceanic Call of Duty, profitable CWL London Open 2019 and CWL Anaheim Open 2019, and claiming an additional 12 home titles. Mindfreak appeared at six CoD Championships, the equal third by any esports org.
In 2021, Mindfreak was acquired by esports veteran Michael Carmody.
ORDER
ORDER first burst onto the scene in 2017. The firm initially bought itself as “The Melbourne Org” and rapidly set about establishing itself as a critical competitor in League of Legends and Counter-Strike. Since then, the southern crew has added FIFA, VALORANT, and Siege to its arsenal.
In more moderen years, ORDER has regarded to “form the way forward for gaming tradition,” à la an Australian 100 Thieves, by signing extra Twitch stars and creators.
Renegades
Renegades could also be an American-based group, however its desire for Oceanic players and lineups over the years places it firmly in the Aussie esports dialog. The iconic “Boys” roster in Counter-Strike flew the Renegades banner for years, together with a prime 4 end at the StarLadder Berlin Major in 2019.
The org nonetheless boasts Oceanic-heavy lineups in Counter-Strike, Rocket League, and just lately constructed a Call of Duty roster stuffed with CDL alumni to play domestically.
Pentanet.GG
Perth-based PGG primarily competes in League of Legends and represented the area on the sport’s worldwide stage at the 2021 Mid-Season Invitational in Reykjavík. The org was established in 2020 and stays a one-game outfit.
Despite their restricted involvement in different titles, nonetheless, PGG based a cult following abroad by way of their Icelandic run and boasts a significant Brazilian fan base.
Other large Aussie gaming orgs embrace:
- Dire Wolves — League, FIFA, Valorant
- Fury — Siege
- Ground Zero — Rocket League, Siege, Smash
- Kanga — League, Counter-Strike, Smash
- Peace — League, VALORANT
- Team Bliss — PUBG, Siege, Rocket League
- Team PWR — Fortnite, Rocket League
- Immunity — PUBG, Halo
- Vertex — Counter-Strike, Siege
There are additionally a number of fallen giants which have shuttered doorways throughout the years, for varied causes. Major defunct Australia esports orgs embrace:
- Athletico, 2006–2020
- Avant Gaming, 2011–2021
- Bombers, 2017–2019
- Dark Sided, 2016–2020
- Legacy, 2014–2021
- Tainted Minds, 2013–2017
- Vox Eminor, 2010–2016
And there you have it: all the star players, groups, and aggressive titles in the ever-changing Australian esports scene. Join us for the experience; it’s by no means boring!