The newest installment in SNK's long-running 2D fighter, The King of Fighters XV was met with a warm reception from fans of the series. Like many of the games before it though, KoF XV is very hard for newcomers. It doesn't have as big of a player base as Tekken or Super Smash Bros, and thus newcomers will probably be facing players much better than them more frequen

As it stands the map is heavily CT-sided, especially at the casual level. While there are many options for the T-side to combat a lot of the strengths the CT-side has, many players have cited this to be difficult to execute outside of coordinated and disciplined teams. Meta changes since the map's introduction have done little to change this leading to most matches feeling boring and predictable as to the outcome of the g

With the long-term chapter of gambling controversies on the Twitch platform seemingly coming to an end, it is clear that the streaming service is shifting dramatically in appeal and ethos. While many will agree that the move might be in Twitch's best interests, the tension and infighting that it is causing among its most popular streamers may be a very detrimental byproduct of its many gambling controversies finally being laid to r

As one of the few maps created by Valve, Ancient was released on December 3, 2020, as part of Operation Broken Fang. It wouldn't be until May 3, 2021, when the map was moved to the active map pool replacing Train. While Train was a well-liked and balanced map to the CS:GO community, there was some sentiment that it did start to feel a bit stale despite being one of the first maps to be reworked. This was apparent in the decline in pick rate at the professional level, but especially in casual play which is likely the cause for the remo

With this in mind, Destiny 2 remains a decent F2P option for newcomers to try a triple-A experience. Unlike other FPS games, Destiny 2 features a Class system that provides unique abilities, jump options, and even grenade options for players. Not only that, but different weapons and customizable attachments allow players to approach sci-fi combat with a wide variety of freedom quite unlike other FPS tit

Platforms: PC , Android

Think of CrossFire as Counter-Strike but with less emphasis on repetitive maps and technical gameplay, and this time with a lot of emphasis on action and sheer speed . Despite its 2007 release, CrossFire retains quite a large fanbase today, which is testament to its replayable content. Given its age, it evidently has dated graphics. However, the game does shine in terms of character and gun customization, as well as speed-oriented gameplay reminiscent of classic

It wouldn't be until November 18, 2022, that the map would be added to the official Valve active map pool, replacing the iconic Dust II. Immediately the player base voiced its confusion and apprehension as while the map received initial positive feedback it went through many changes and issues were highlighted throughout this time. As it is now Anubis has a long way to go before it is fully mastered and players can truly form an opinion on the potential of the

What started as a Counter-Strike 1.6 community map called de_cpl_strike created by Michael "BubkeZ" Hull, would eventually become the de_mirage known today when it was altered in 2004. Valve would later remake the map for the launch of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive . This version has been featured in every CS:GO Major Championships to date and has consistently been in the top 5 most played maps in both casual and professional play since 2

Platforms: PC , PS5, PS4 , Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One

Despite the sheer depth in terms of lore and mechanics, Destiny 2 remains quite a friendly choice when it comes to newcomer accessibility. Since its release, recent Destiny 2 changes finally gave players a free-to-play option, allowing newcomers to give the SLG game DLC a shot while locking its deeper features, content, stages, and stories behind purchases of DLCs and Expansi

Non-game related gambling remained rampant on the Twitch service despite the aforementioned controversy, with gambling content quickly rising to be one of the most popular topics on Twitch in recent years. With the rise of cryptocurrency coming hand-in-hand with increased attention on gambling on the Twitch platform, the marriage of the two controversial subjects seemed like an inevitability to many view

Websites quickly began exploiting the craze surrounding Counter Strike 's in-game items, with sites like CSGO Lotto allowing players to trade their items for eligibility into raffles for extremely valuable prizes. Many streamers began promoting these kinds of websites, often without disclosing their financial stakes in the services they were promoting. For example, popular streamer Phantoml0rd was famously permanently banned from Twitch for just this reason, despite later winning a civil suit against the platform. Twitch would quickly go on to ban these kinds of raffle or gambling websites related to CSGO , marking one of the first major gambling controversies for the serv