While everyone was having a break, the casters explained the state of the latest metagame to the people who were watching on site and online. After all, they have ten minutes to do this thing and they also wanted to share knowledge of the game to those who wanted to learn about it.

The play-by-play caster began by asking his partner, “So what are the best metagame practices in today’s game?”

The partner answered, “Some players like to use a combination of Zeus and Gekkos in their hangar. These setups allow them to fight away from the center of the action while helping their teammates in return.”

“What else?”

“The Molot/M2/Tempest or Punisher/P2/Tempest combination is also really annoying against enemies at long range. If you survive the short range salvos of the death button setups, then these dudes will pelt you will nails, pins and needles until you just explode in frustration.”

Molots, Punishers and Tempest are all projectile weapons that are effective from 0-800 units. A heavy robot who can take up punishment such as a Fujin, Leo, Lancelot or a Raijin, or in the case of mobile platforms, the Dash bots or the Griffin – are the ones who take up on these weapons and use them in the field of battle.

“How about the Death Buttons? Are they still effective?”

“You need skill to use them. However, once you do have a certain usage threshold, they are really fun to use.” At this point, someone in the audience shouted, “BAN DEATH BUTTONS!”, followed by mixed reactions from the other spectators. Some shouted profanities while others just laughed at the awkward moment.

A Death Button setup is any kind of weapons lineup placed on bots that can either take up a lot of punishment or are mobile enough to deliver the payload to the enemy. A well-placed salvo can either reduce a bot’s health bar by 80% or even kill the bot outright, especially if it does not have enough armor. The only downside is that they’re only generally effective up to 250 units and even the extended versions of the system can only be played at 500 units. In comparison, mid-range and projectile weapons can play beyond 500 units.

“So, what is the best troll lineup that you’ve ever played?”

“I must say that I had fun with a Butch Trebuchet on open maps such as Canyon, Yamantau and Springfield. RIP if you are unlucky enough to be caught out in the open with your pants down.”

Many people in the audience laughed at this answer. They clearly enjoyed the response by the in-game commentator.

“Finally, what is the most cancerous build for you?”

“Well, I must say that Fujin Hydras are a nightmare that I would rather never use or face in the battlefield. It is boring as heck and honestly, it’s a pain in the ass. Sure, it will just tickle you, but it does tilt players to death. Believe me, I’ve seen this even in Champions League level.”

A Hydra is a guided missile system that can go beyond nearly any obstacle, thus ensuring a hit on the target. It can be used up to 600 units and it is most effective against slow robots who don’t have any Anciles. Meanwhile, Ancile-bearing robots and fast mechs with jump or stealth abilities can shake off the missiles quite easily.

The audience was shocked, with many of their faces turning red in surprise. Then, the two commentators proceeded to talk about the backgrounds of some of the players.

“Now, it’s my turn to ask questions. What do you know about the players who have played so far?”

“Well, not quite a lot, but I’m going to try. After all, it’s part of our job portfolio, right?”

Members of the audience clapped shortly in appreciation of the commentator’s sincere remarks. Going on, they discussed some of the professional players in the championship.

“So, here’s the first thing. How do you find the Vampire?”

“I’d like to say that the Vampire is among the best tacticians in the game today, along with the Ancilking and the Swedish captain.

“How about up-and-coming talent?”

“If I were you. I’d be scared of the Philippine team. Many of them are still young and they haven’t reached yet their peak gameplay.”

“That’s interesting.”

“As a matter of fact, all the members of the Philippine team finished college, with some even getting Latin honors! And they did it by the time they reached 20 or 21 years of age!”

“Wow! That must explain why they are smart!”

“Indeed.”

“And did you know that the Koreans were playing a lot of different games since they were young?”

“Of course, how in the world would they become the esports mecca of the world?”

Electronic sports, also known as esports, is a genre of competitive video gaming that attracts hundreds of millions of viewers as well as a ton of players from all over the world. It has been described as an “up-and-coming multi-billion dollar industry” by many, including Newzoo, Forbes and ESPN.

Then, the color commentator paused and said, “We’ve just received news that the second match is about to get underway.” Then, he turned to the audience and asked loudly, “Are you ready?”

Everyone inside the hall cheered loudly. It was now time to decide the fate of Korea and the Philippines in the second map of their quarterfinal match.

You can read the next chapter here! As for the previous one, you can always go back!