Hi everyone, here is my review of 2018. I hope you enjoy it. Let me know your own personal highlights, lowlights, memories and reflections from the year...
January - Plus ca change
Viper had ended 2017 as the undisputed world number 1 at the conclusion of KoTD. Would 2018 see the rise of new champions to dethrone Viper and Tyrant? Well...
February - Bring in the clowns
We were all entertained by MoA5 where the arena specialists managed to embarrass themselves in their own tournament, complain about the rules and settings and take the ball home with them when they were all eliminated... Bringing us trash talk, drama, an entirely 'new' arena map and even more restricted clown tournaments.
March - Would Viper's reign fall in Africa?
Battle of Africa was the first major team game tournament to feature the wololokingdoms expansions. High quality games and high quality entertainment. New civs, new drafts, new maps, new meta. But in the end... Viper wins
April - Showmatch heaven comfort me
In the void left after BOA we had many of the worlds best in top shape but no tournaments to play. Showmatches quenched the audiences thirst with 1v1's and team games hurling prize money around to anyone with time to play a BO7.
May - Announcing an announcement
Escape gaming told us that they were about to tell us something... And then they told us something. A new year long team competition with $60k prize money and a Microsoft sponsorship. It gave birth to some new teams and created endless debate, as well as bringing us some of the best games of the year.
June - Nerf the Trush
Between North and South Korea, the demilitarized zone prevents troops from gathering. What's the major deterrent? Towers. If towers have kept Korea divided since 1945 then the civilization deserves a bonus in this area... Or does it?
July - AoE meets Big Brother
Imagine being in a world where your every move is caught on camera and an entity dictates the details around your life... And in the end Viper wins. The first Apartment Cup was such a unanimous success that qualifiers for the second installment would be underway before the year is out.
August - We're Esports now
The hugely popular Tyrant clan disband as 5 of its most prominent members launch team Secret. How would this change the competative AoE landscape?Highlight reel player videos and snazzy t-shirt introduced the former despots but as yet, no other teams have experienced a marketing rebrand.
September - Do you know who I am?
Twelve of the best players in the world became victims of identity fraud at the Hidden Cup were they played each other without knowing their opponents. The identies were revealed after the final when the audience learnt that.... Viper wins.
October - Don't make me go old skool
Top players were sent back to 2005, playing endless games of hun war on Arabia in Legacy of the Huns 1v1 tournament. After the breakout year for WololoKingdoms, a mono-map mono-civ competition felt a bit antiquated but lots of big names partipated and (mostly) played at their best. Mbl achieved the rank of Atilla, strengthening his burgeoning reputation as a genuine contender for the number 1 spot.
November - Spicey Salsa
2018 saw big investment from corporations like Pheonix gaming and, significantly, Microsoft to sponsor tournaments. But nothing captured the imagination like the series of large donations towards the culmination of the Viper vs Daut Bo21 (later extended to a Bo37). Expect your favourite AoE streams to be available on different platforms in 2019.
December - Merry Maxmas
Just when we thought 2018 would end as it started, up in his Lapland home The_Max (and Suomi) crashed Viper's party. Following up on an earlier victory in Nomad Battlegrounds, the Fins twice beat Secret to claim both the World Cup and the East Asia ECL 2v2 tournaments. The competative AoE scene appears in rude health. Lots of tournaments will be conti uimg or bringing us new editions in 2019 and I can't wait to see how the players perform.
Finally, I'd like to thank the team and individuals behind the WK updates, user patches and balance changes. They do an amazing job behind the scenes of continually improving the platform that allows us to enjoy this great game.
January - Plus ca change
Viper had ended 2017 as the undisputed world number 1 at the conclusion of KoTD. Would 2018 see the rise of new champions to dethrone Viper and Tyrant? Well...
February - Bring in the clowns
We were all entertained by MoA5 where the arena specialists managed to embarrass themselves in their own tournament, complain about the rules and settings and take the ball home with them when they were all eliminated... Bringing us trash talk, drama, an entirely 'new' arena map and even more restricted clown tournaments.
March - Would Viper's reign fall in Africa?
Battle of Africa was the first major team game tournament to feature the wololokingdoms expansions. High quality games and high quality entertainment. New civs, new drafts, new maps, new meta. But in the end... Viper wins
April - Showmatch heaven comfort me
In the void left after BOA we had many of the worlds best in top shape but no tournaments to play. Showmatches quenched the audiences thirst with 1v1's and team games hurling prize money around to anyone with time to play a BO7.
May - Announcing an announcement
Escape gaming told us that they were about to tell us something... And then they told us something. A new year long team competition with $60k prize money and a Microsoft sponsorship. It gave birth to some new teams and created endless debate, as well as bringing us some of the best games of the year.
June - Nerf the Trush
Between North and South Korea, the demilitarized zone prevents troops from gathering. What's the major deterrent? Towers. If towers have kept Korea divided since 1945 then the civilization deserves a bonus in this area... Or does it?
July - AoE meets Big Brother
Imagine being in a world where your every move is caught on camera and an entity dictates the details around your life... And in the end Viper wins. The first Apartment Cup was such a unanimous success that qualifiers for the second installment would be underway before the year is out.
August - We're Esports now
The hugely popular Tyrant clan disband as 5 of its most prominent members launch team Secret. How would this change the competative AoE landscape?Highlight reel player videos and snazzy t-shirt introduced the former despots but as yet, no other teams have experienced a marketing rebrand.
September - Do you know who I am?
Twelve of the best players in the world became victims of identity fraud at the Hidden Cup were they played each other without knowing their opponents. The identies were revealed after the final when the audience learnt that.... Viper wins.
October - Don't make me go old skool
Top players were sent back to 2005, playing endless games of hun war on Arabia in Legacy of the Huns 1v1 tournament. After the breakout year for WololoKingdoms, a mono-map mono-civ competition felt a bit antiquated but lots of big names partipated and (mostly) played at their best. Mbl achieved the rank of Atilla, strengthening his burgeoning reputation as a genuine contender for the number 1 spot.
November - Spicey Salsa
2018 saw big investment from corporations like Pheonix gaming and, significantly, Microsoft to sponsor tournaments. But nothing captured the imagination like the series of large donations towards the culmination of the Viper vs Daut Bo21 (later extended to a Bo37). Expect your favourite AoE streams to be available on different platforms in 2019.
December - Merry Maxmas
Just when we thought 2018 would end as it started, up in his Lapland home The_Max (and Suomi) crashed Viper's party. Following up on an earlier victory in Nomad Battlegrounds, the Fins twice beat Secret to claim both the World Cup and the East Asia ECL 2v2 tournaments. The competative AoE scene appears in rude health. Lots of tournaments will be conti uimg or bringing us new editions in 2019 and I can't wait to see how the players perform.
Finally, I'd like to thank the team and individuals behind the WK updates, user patches and balance changes. They do an amazing job behind the scenes of continually improving the platform that allows us to enjoy this great game.