[AnimeGamer]

Eternal Return Cobalt Cup - Ignite the Fires of Competition

Figure 1. Eternal Return

Live service games and gacha games are the current major trends of the gaming industry with even titans such as Sony trying to get some of the profit. But in the long run, these games can not survive as the player base can only be engaged with the core gameplay loop for so long. A prime example of this can be seen by comparing the current fanbase of Genshin with the one from four years ago. Nowadays it only contains dedicated fans or whales that have sunk unholy amounts of money into the game. Which in turn is another aspect these games fail at. But one that MOBAs seem to have conquered as early as the 2010s. It also happens that a MOBA game that came into the mainstream spotlight last year has already positioned itself for success. What is this game I am talking about you ask? Well, my dear readers, it is the genius creation of the developers of Nimble Neuron, Eternal Return. A game many old fans of the genre are calling a return to form. And judging by the current popularity of the game in the Asian esports scene one can see why. It also holds the honor of having constant company and community-organized esports events where the best of the best duke it out for supremacy. One such event currently underway is the Cobalt Challenge Cup.

Figure 2. Eternal Return Gameplay

The Cobalt Challenge Cup #3 is one of the new style format tournaments that Nimble Neuron has introduced to find out what works best with the target audience. These also act as testers for formats that could be adopted for the Master's level of esports. In the case of this specific tournament, the game mode is Cobalt Protocol mixed in with a Pick / Ban system. This means that it is a Cobalt format game with 4v4 teams and the player to choose first can not only get his favorite character but also ban a specific one for the enemy team. While it might seem redundant at first glance, after taking the playable cast into account one can easily see how it lends itself to a whole new-level strategic play. This seems to be the overall new direction of developers as they want to keep the game feeling fresh while also having its core gameplay loop intact.

Figure 3. Eternal Return Worldwide Esports Shoutcasters

For those who want to partake in the tournament, I have some sad news to tell you. The last date for the tournament registration has passed and now on the 27th of January at 10 PM (UTC) the best of 8 will be played. Then later on 28th January at 10 PM (UTC), the Semifinals and Grand Finals will take place. For more information on the best of 8 fans can head to the official discord, whereas if you want to see the semi-finals and finals then you can easily catch the broadcast live with commentary on the official Eternal Return Twitch and Youtube Channel. It is also important to mention that due to the backing of the developers, the first-place team will earn a total of 450 dollars and the runner-ups will get a fraction of the total cash reward. The winner will also have a direct place in the top 8 of the next tournament. So if you want to see the live evolution of the MOBA genre then Cobalt Challenge Cup #3 is the one for you.

Figure 4. Eternal Return Cobalt Challenge Cup

@"everyone"