In an adrenaline-charged showdown that saw sparks fly and hearts pound, the audacious Brazilian squad LOUD clinched a jaw-dropping victory over regional contenders NRG Esports on May 28. This accomplishment reaffirms LOUD's standing as a formidable force in the VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) Americas, setting the stage for their impending clash at the Tokyo Masters.

After tasting bitter defeat in the VALORANT LOCK//IN, LOUD roared back with a vengeance to claim the title of VCT Americas champions. The team's unwavering determination saw them blaze through the regular season, tasting defeat only once against NRG - their inevitable rivals in the grand final.

The playoffs found LOUD in a relentless mood, tactfully dismantling fellow Brazilians FURIA, before shattering the dreams of the resurgent Evil Geniuses with a definitive three-map victory. When LOUD faced off against NRG in what has become a legendary 'El Clasico' of the Americas region, the thrill was palpable, the stakes high, and the rivalry fiercely reminiscent of years past.

The grand final battle marked the ninth face-off between these VALORANT titans, with the scores seemingly in a perpetual deadlock. But this time, LOUD's relentless barrage proved too much for NRG, ultimately paving the way for a clean 3-0 sweep. However, the bare figures barely hint at the razor-thin margins that colored the entirety of the thrilling finale.

LOUD sweated every inch of the way to claim victory on both Bind and Fracture maps, needing all of the 25 regulation rounds to tame their indomitable foe. An electrifying moment that will be etched in the annals of esports history was during the Fracture at 9-9: Saadhak, the declared MVP of the finals, single-handedly clinched a four-versus-one ace to stun the audience, in an awe-inspiring exhibition of precision and instinct.

LOUD's monumental VCT Americas victory further embellishes their glittering trophy case, already boasting of their VALORANT Champions triumph in Istanbul, Turkey, and numerous regional accolades since their formidable debut in 2022.

Looking ahead, LOUD is geared up to storm the VALORANT Masters Tokyo in June, alongside esteemed teams such as Team Liquid, Fnatic, and Paper Rex. Their VCT Americas title secures them a place in the forthcoming VALORANT Champions LAN, set to unfold in August 2023.

In an adrenaline-charged showdown that took the competitive Call of Duty scene by storm, the New York Subliners emerged as victors at the Mattamy Athletic Centre, proving their mettle after a grueling match against Atlanta FaZe in the CDL Major Grand Finals.

Over four days of nail-biting action and unexpected twists, the Subliners painted an unforgettable saga of resilience. Suffering a surprising initial defeat against Toronto Ultra, they recovered with an iron will, battling their way through the lower bracket to seize their second CDL title of 2023 on May 28. This triumph positions the Subliners as the only CDL team with dual titles under their belt this year.

Through the heated battlefield of the Toronto tournament, players HyDra and KiSMET took center stage, their exceptional performance playing a pivotal role in their team's eventual victory. Their unshakeable fortitude and raw skills were crucial in overcoming the formidable FaZe squad.

The grand finale was a true testament to the Subliners' resolve. The energy in the air was palpable as the teams battled for supremacy. Tensions rose when the series was tied at 2-2. Atlanta FaZe, masters of the El Asilo Search and Destroy game, took an early lead. Yet, the Subliners' tenacious comeback turned the tides, securing them the win and an advantageous position in the series.

HyDra, the Subliners' formidable powerhouse, made his mark, leading both teams in both kill/death ratio and kills. His speed and prowess on SnD played a decisive role in the Subliners' victorious streak.

As the dust settles on the battlefield of the CDL Major, the Subliners ride the wave of their victory toward the looming Championship Weekend. But they know their journey is far from over. The ultimate goal, as Priestahh and Sender stated, is the 2023 Championship in Las Vegas. There's no room for complacency.

As they set their sights on the upcoming championship, the Subliners stand firm, strengthened by their recent triumph and the lessons learned along the way. They have demonstrated that they are a force to be reckoned with, and with their indomitable spirit, they just might clinch the ultimate title in June.

In a potentially historic, industry-rattling move, the North American League of Legends Championship Series Players Association (NA LCSPA) announced today an overwhelming player vote for a walk-out, marking the first industrial action of its magnitude in esports.

This decision strikes in response to Riot's recent controversial announcement that it will no longer mandate league franchised teams to maintain an academy team for the North American Challengers League (NACL), the breeding ground of LCS. Such a choice could potentially displace five aspiring players and their support staff from each team that opts out, creating a shockwave across the esports ecosystem.

Among the ten teams contesting in the LCS, only three, Team Liquid, FlyQuest, and Evil Geniuses, chose to keep their academy teams intact. A shocking revelation by Phillip Aram, the executive director of the PA, intensifies this dramatic turn of events. Aram accused Riot of deceit about the future of the NACL, claiming they were blindsided by the changes that were purportedly set for 2024 but were implemented prematurely.

The Players Association's statement further elucidated the rationale behind their extraordinary decision. The players find themselves in an impasse, citing a lack of communication and consultation from Riot regarding these disruptive changes. They remain hopeful that Riot will step up and engage in open and transparent discussions, forging a path to a solution that respects the interests of all parties.

The LCSPA has made their demands clear in a prior tweet. These include implementing a 'Valorant Style' promotion/relegation system, committing to a $300k per NACL team per year revenue pool for player salaries, allowing LCS organizations to form affiliate partnerships for cost-sharing, guaranteeing LCS minimum contracts for the following year for LCS summer finals winners, and establishing a 3/5 roster continuity rule prioritizing displaced NACL players in the upcoming season.

The LCS currently remains silent, leaving the esports world holding its breath for their response to this groundbreaking walk-out. With negotiations likely to continue in the coming days and the LCS summer split looming on June 1st, all eyes are set on the unfolding drama in this esports saga. The players have made their stand, and now the ball is in Riot's court.

Uncrowned Gaming, our gaming and esports platform, is delighted to announce the launch of our new Clubs feature in conjunction with a significant overhaul of our existing main forum. This tandem introduction aims to provide an enhanced and clutter-free environment for users to engage, communicate, and grow their gaming knowledge.

Uncrowned Gaming's Clubs feature creates dedicated mini-communities centered on individual games, giving users the opportunity to interact with like-minded gamers. Alongside the Clubs feature, the revitalized main forum aims to streamline general gaming discussions and present a more organized and user-friendly interface for broader gaming topics.

Our forum revamp and the new Clubs feature go hand-in-hand, while the Clubs offer a focused space for specific game discussions, our refreshed main forum provides a more structured, easy-to-navigate environment for broader gaming debates. By doing this, we're ensuring that our platform remains a vibrant and engaging hub for all things gaming.

The renovation of the main forum reflects Uncrowned Gaming's commitment to providing an engaging and user-focused platform, with improved categorization and a refreshed interface for ease of navigation. At the same time, the new Clubs feature game-specific discussions in dedicated spaces, reducing clutter on the main forum.

Both the Clubs feature and the forum revamp represent our commitment to continually enhancing the Uncrowned Gaming experience. Our aim is to ensure that our platform remains the top destination for gamers worldwide who wish to engage, share, and learn in a clutter-free and highly organized environment.  Feedback is always welcome and we can't wait to see your there!

Join your favorite game's club here: https://www.uncrownedgaming.com/clubs/
Or check out our new forum layout: https://www.uncrownedgaming.com/forums/

Read on Uncrowned Empire

The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has put a stop to Microsoft's $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, citing potential harm to cloud gaming competition. The regulator expressed concerns that the deal could lead to reduced innovation and choice for UK gamers.

The acquisition would bolster Microsoft's already dominant position in cloud gaming, where it holds a 60%-70% global market share. The news impacted Activision's shares, which fell more than 11%, while Microsoft's stock rose 8%.

As the producer of major games like "Call of Duty," "World of Warcraft," and "Overwatch," Activision Blizzard's merger with Microsoft has faced resistance from antitrust regulators worldwide. The US Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit to block the takeover last December, and the European Union is currently evaluating the transaction.

The CMA fears that Microsoft could make Activision's games exclusive to its own platforms and raise the cost of Game Pass subscriptions. Both Microsoft and Activision Blizzard plan to appeal the decision, but their chances of success may be limited due to the high bar for overturning such rulings.

Epic Games faced an uphill battle in its legal feud against tech giant Apple over alleged monopolistic practices. The Ninth Circuit Court, however, largely rejected Epic's appeal, maintaining the previous ruling with just a few updates.

In a David versus Goliath showdown, Epic Games accused Apple of maintaining a monopoly by controlling the revenue developers earned on in-app purchases. Despite the gaming company's best efforts, the court ultimately upheld most of the previous rulings. One notable exception was the decision that Apple had violated anti-steering laws, effectively prohibiting the company from preventing users from being directed to other websites for purchases. Additionally, Epic may now be responsible for covering Apple's legal fees.

The outcome was largely anticipated, and Epic Games, with its deep pockets, should be able to handle any legal expenses incurred. As for the company's reputation, CEO Tim Sweeney admitted via Twitter that Epic failed to prove its case.

The future of this legal dispute remains uncertain, leaving fans to wonder if Fortnite will ever return to the App Store. While Apple could decide to permanently exclude the game from its platform, there's still a glimmer of hope that iOS users may once again enjoy Fortnite on their devices.

In a captivating battle, the Los Angeles Thieves emerged victorious against OpTic Texas, clinching their first Call of Duty championship of the season and their third since the 2022 campaign. The grand finals saw the two teams face off in a series of matches, with Los Angeles Thieves winning 4-2 overall.

The opening match on Hydro witnessed Los Angeles taking the lead early on, but OpTic quickly narrowed the gap. However, the Thieves managed to hold onto their advantage, securing a 250-200 win in their third straight Hardpoint match. OpTic rebounded in the second map, Hotel SnD, with Shotzzy leading the team to victory and tying the series.

As the competition moved to Expo for the first of two Control maps, Los Angeles turned the tables, taking the map 3-1 and regaining the lead. Despite their previous Hardpoint losses, OpTic found success in Fortress Hardpoint, thanks to a dominating performance by Ghosty, and a strong showing from Huke and Dashy.

The El Asilo Search and Destroy saw Los Angeles on the brink of victory with a 5-1 lead. Although OpTic fought back, the Thieves ultimately triumphed 6-4. The final Control match on El Asilo saw OpTic start strong, but Kenny's exceptional play for Los Angeles helped secure their win and the championship title.

The Los Angeles Thieves' latest win marks their third CDL championship in franchise history and demonstrates the team's growth since their 2021 season.

As anticipation builds for the 2023 Overwatch League's opening weekend on April 27, fans are expressing their disappointment over the choice of streaming platform. The league's announcement, made on April 20, revealed that the event would be exclusively available on YouTube, despite the expiration of the platform's exclusivity deal.

The community's response was mixed, with many fans lamenting the absence of Twitch as a streaming option. One user even compared the Call of Duty League viewership on YouTube and Twitch, showing a stark contrast in popularity between the two platforms (45.5K on Twitch vs. 19K on YouTube). While the CWL returned to Twitch in 2023, the Overwatch League will continue to stick with YouTube.

The Overwatch League initially broadcasted on Twitch but switched to YouTube Gaming in 2020 as part of a two-year exclusivity agreement. This move caused controversy among the community, as Twitch is the preferred platform for gaming and esports streaming, and the change limited fans' choice.

The opening weekend will feature match days from Thursday, April 27 to Sunday, April 30, with three best-of-three series played each day. Six teams from the East region will have one match day per week, while the West region will participate in four. Fans watching the games live can look forward to special drops, including a name card, spray, and OWL tokens.

The 2023 Overwatch League is set to begin on Thursday, April 27 at 3pm CT with San Francisco Shock facing off against Toronto Defiant, exclusively on YouTube.

Do you hear that? It's the sound of old hard drives getting a much-needed speed boost. Microsoft has rolled out version 1.2 of its DirectStorage SDK, surprising developers and gamers alike with improved support for legacy hard drives.

Originally, DirectStorage aimed to enhance data streaming from high-speed NVMe SSDs to GPUs, bypassing CPU bottlenecks. However, Microsoft listened to developers who expressed a desire for better support for older hard drives that still have a place in many PC gamers' rigs.

DirectStorage 1.2 now allows developers to use the same code for both SSDs and HDDs. It supports a buffered mode for legacy HDDs, masking long seek times and enabling games installed on slower drives to take advantage of OS file buffering features and speed enhancements.

In addition to catering to HDDs, Microsoft has also improved GPU decompression of textures in DirectStorage 1.2. This enhancement, initially introduced in version 1.1, lightens the load on CPUs by offloading asset decompression work to graphics cards.

While these updates to DirectStorage are undoubtedly exciting, widespread game adoption is still in its early stages. Forspoken is currently the only game with DirectStorage support, boasting load time improvements of around 30 percent or more. With Nvidia, AMD, and Intel geared up to support the latest GPU decompression techniques, it's only a matter of time before more game developers jump on the DirectStorage bandwagon to breathe new life into slower hard drives.

In an unexpected turn of events, recent changes to Twitter's API have forced Microsoft to disable Xbox screenshot and clip sharing directly from the console and Windows Game Bar. However, avid gamers can still share their memorable moments on Twitter via the Xbox app for Android and iOS.

Numerous Xbox users have taken to Twitter to voice their concerns about issues uploading screenshots to the social media platform. In response, Xbox's official Twitter account explained that the functionality had been disabled, but they offered a step-by-step guide on how to share captures through the Xbox mobile app.

The exact reason behind Microsoft's decision remains unclear, but it's worth noting that Twitter's API price changes in March 2023 have led to a significant increase in costs for companies like Microsoft. With access to 50 million tweets via the API now costing around $42,000 per month, it's no wonder that Microsoft is reconsidering its options.

This decision also aligns with Microsoft's recent move to remove Twitter from its advertising platform. As of April 25th, Microsoft will no longer support Twitter, although other platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn will continue as usual.

Meanwhile, Twitter has been busy making changes of its own, including the removal of all verified legacy checkmarks.