In 2022, esports stars are hardly strapped for cash. While pro gamers were fighting for minuscule amounts of money and peripherals just a decade or so ago, today’s players at the highest level fight for millions of dollars each year.
In the last decade, thanks in large part to the popularization of Twitch, fans have started tuning into esports events at a stunning rate. The growth has been impressive for each consecutive year since and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down.
Nine years ago today, Riot Games released a champion that, at that time, the company did not realize would change the way League of Legends was interpreted in other forms of media. Today, fans celebrate Vi’s storied history within League and how her image has grown outside of the game.
Vi, the Piltover Enforcer, was released in League on Dec. 19, 2012. She was the newest addition to the growing pool of fighter-class champions, though her kit stood out as being much more suited for the top lane rather than her role as a jungler as we know her today.
Ever since Vayne released in League of Legends back in 2011, she has been one of the flashiest marksmen in the game, especially in the hands of the most talented players.
If given enough time to get items and scale, this hyper carry can shred through entire team compositions, whether they’re a tank champion, a squishy champion, and everything in between. But those who step into the Night Hunter’s shoes will need to deal with the Vayne-spotting that will eventually occur as the game moves forward.
Battle royales became one of the most popular games in 2017. With the release of PUBG and Fortnite, the genre took off and even mobile variations started dominating the mobile gaming market.
Considering two new names pushed the genre into popularity, existing shooter titles like Call of Duty, Battlefield, and CS:GO had to play catch up. The developers of these games took their time to develop their own takes of the genre since they needed the perfect formula to draw players from battle royale’s pioneers.
A new season of Fortnite always comes with a battle pass that’s packed with various cosmetic items. Based on the storyline, players meet new characters who are a part of the adventure through battle pass skins and other cosmetic items.
Fortnite’s battle passes tend to be packed with skins, harvesting tools, emotes, wraps, gliders, and even sprays. If you have time to max out your battle pass, it’ll pay for itself since there are also V-Bucks rewards.