Esports fans are passionate and competitive. They are ready to not only defend their favorite team at any given moment (Go Vancouver Titans), but also their preferred game. Proving this point, the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive audience got quite vocal about their opinions regarding the Overwatch Contenders Finals this weekend.
The crowd at the Intel Extreme Masters Sydney 2019 Semifinals began to chant, “F@#^ you, Overwatch. &^#@ you!” during the match of Fnatic and NRG Esports. This chant made even more entertaining by the fact that the Overwatch Contenders Australia Finals were happening just on the other side of a wall in the same arena.
(Audio turned on needed to appreciate the clip, but NSFW language used)
According to attendees of the event later posting on Reddit, the sound-proofing between the two events was not what one would call “adequate,” with sound leaking both ways. Additional comments pointed out that while the gameplay sounds were less noticeable (both games featuring gunfire and explosive sounds) that the commentators' voices were the main culprit of sound-bleed. In games as important as the IEM Semifinals and the Contenders Australia Finals, hearing a hyped commentator from another game during a tense moment could definitely be seen as frustrating.
Knowing the reasoning behind the chant, it becomes quite clear that there wasn’t any malice coming from the CS:GO audience, but just a voicing of displeasure at the venue’s imperfect attempt to carry on two important esports events at the same time. In fact, this wasn’t the only chant able to be heard throughout the weekend (especially from the CS:GO) side, with many others erupting from the committed Aussie crowd. Making a return from last year’s event, “Henry’s a wanker,” could even be heard again, teasing caster Henry “HenryG” Greer.
This sort of audience definitely makes the event more alive and exciting for those attending and even those in chat. Unlike the annoying copy-paste memes in Twitch chat, crowd chants come from unique voices with a variety of tones outside of CAPS or no caps. Overwatch has seen limited success with chants thus far, but the Battle For LA is definitely the loudest for the relatively new league. There, battling chants of “Wings Out” for the Los Angeles Valiant and “Shields Up” for the Los Angeles Gladiators echo throughout the Blizzard Arena.
We’d love to know your favorite esports chant, or if you feel that they add to the competitive scene. Let us know in the comments below!
(Featured image courtesy ESL and IEM)
