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LoL and RL: what makes for a good tournament game? 

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Not all competitive games are esports, but all esports are competitive games. But what makes a great competitive game?

This weekend, the A1 Adria League continues with the A1 Student eChallenge in Rocket League and the weekly tournament in League of Legends. Both games are fan favorites for a reason — while League of Legends is the world’s most popular esports game, Rocket League is a pick-up-and-play hero and a great success story.  So, why not talk about why they’re both interesting and what sets them apart?

Two approaches to the same formula

The two games we’re talking about here couldn’t be more different: while Rocket League is car football, League of Legends is a MOBA. Rocket League can be played solo or in teams of two or three players, and League of Legends is typically played with five players per team (unless you’re trying out one of the alternate game modes such as ARAM).  Both games grip the viewers and are interesting to watch, but for different reasons: Rocket League is easier to understand from the start (score goals, win games), League of Legends requires much more knowledge to understand — and that’s part of its appeal.

While League of Legends features abstract characters with different special abilities, along with defined team roles like jungler, support, or ADC, Rocket League allows you to put a hat on a car, which is otherwise almost identical to any other car on the field. League of Legends is built around structure — set roles, a shifting meta, and a deep competitive scene, and Rocket League is much more similar to real sports such as football.

In Rocket League, reacting in the moment is critical, and its gameplay is much faster from the first second, leading to quicker matches and better pacing. On the other hand, playing League of Legends can last quite a while — in fact, the longest professional match in League history lasted over 94 minutes. Jin Air Green Wings and SK Telecom T1 played the marathon game during the the LCK Spring Split on January 20, 2018

What makes a game good for esports? Mostly the same things that make real sports watchable: clear objectives, steady pace, and enough tension to keep people interested. Rocket League works because it’s basically football with cars — easy to follow, fun to watch. On the flip side, some games struggle because it’s not immediately clear what’s going on. Take World of Tanks: it’s a strategic game with plenty of depth for players, but from a viewer’s perspective, it often looks like tanks hiding behind buildings. That disconnect makes it harder to follow or enjoy if you’re not already invested. If you need a tutorial to understand who’s winning, that’s a tougher sell for casual spectators.

Watch the weekend matches and judge for yourself

Whether you enjoy the chaos of a Rocket League overtime or the drawn-out strategy of League of Legends is up to you, but if you’re curious how these styles play out in action, this weekend’s A1 Adria League tournaments offer a good reason to tune in.

First Weekly is over – Gale wins the EA FC Mobile Weekly 1!

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The weekend behind us was huge, with three separate events taking place in the League. We saw the culmination of the EA FC Mobile playoffs where Gale took the first trophy of the Weekly tournaments, but also watched the first matches of the A1 Student eChallenge in EA FC and the regular EA FC qualifiers. It was an action-packed Easter weekend with many winners, but unfortunately an even larger number of those not so lucky.

EA FC Mobile Playoffs

Our first playoffs of the Weekly tournament series happened across the weekend in EA FC Mobile. Last weekend, we saw the qualifying rounds where players gathered points and were positioned in two groups: A and B. Group A saw Nikolas, TaleTopG, Cola and Shaq advance to the group playoffs after an exciting group stage. TaleTopG, the best-placed player in the qualifiers, managed to qualify for the playoffs, together with Nikolas. Interestingly, the three top players from Group A all had 12 points, so the goal difference was the decider. Since only two players advance, Shaq was left out due to his goal difference being +1, compared to Tale’s +8 and Nikolas’ +4 differences. This is the first-ever time that Shaq missed out on the playoffs. 

In Group B, Gale won the group stage with a total of 10 points, and was joined by Somzi, last year’s A1 Adria League EA FC Mobile winner. Somzi managed to edge out Lazar purely on goal difference, and earned his place in the big finals played on Easter Sunday. 

On Sunday, we saw Gale’s dream run continue as he dropped Nikolas to the lower bracket in the first round before beating TaleTopG in the next round. In the lower bracket, Somzi won against Nikolas but lost to Tale, setting up a big rematch in the finals. Gale once again proved his class and won again in the grand final, securing the title of the A1 Adria League EA FC Mobile Weekly champion. 

EA FC Qualifiers and A1AL SeC

At the same time as the EA FC Mobile playoffs were unravelling, we watched the first and second rounds of qualifiers for the EA FC Weekly, where some of the greatest regional players tried to secure a spot in the next round. There were more than 170 players participating in the two open qualifiers, but at the end of the day, only the best eight regional EA FC players advanced. In the first round, 101 players competed, but Novo, Marac, PLGNN_MAKSA and Bati were the best ones in the end. Interestingly, Novo beat three players from CLA, a notable regional organisation, on his way to the next stage. Bati, a player who used to play in the Student eChallenge, made the next step and proved he can show up on the big stage as well.

In the second qualifier, one of the best regional players, Cyber_fico, secured a big win, helping CLA secure at least one spot in the next stage. He will be joined by misko_fifa, fika and BackoSRB, making Serbia the most successful nation in the qualifiers with four players in the next round. 

The playoffs for EA FC will happen over the weekend between April 25th and 27th. 

The A1 Student eChallenge in EA FC also impressed over the weekend. The current champion, Tome Trnjanac, will be joined by Borna Batisweiler, the third-placed player from last year, Luka Kontek, and Dražen Srzetić. The Student eChallenge playoffs will take place on Thursday, April 24th.

With the league slowly picking up the pace, we’re looking at many more play days before the Weekly events wrap up in mid-June. If you haven’t done so already, apply for the upcoming events in League of Legends, CS2, Rocket League, PUBG or the second round of EA FC Mobile! 

Rocket League Aerials 101 w/ A1AL

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Rocket League is a game about flying cars and football, but many players get stuck before they even reach the “flying” part of the game. Called “Aerials” or “flying”, the mechanics that enable you to fly are a skill pack that any good player must have. They are used to open up the game, allow for better shots, blocks and much more, and are really a fundamental of Rocket League, just like dribbling or jump shots are in basketball.

But, there’s a catch – many players, especially in their early days, struggle with these because they can often feel unnatural, complex and very tough to pull off. That’s why we’re here to help you out. Make sure to apply for the A1 Student eChallenge if you are a student playing Rocket League! 

Why you struggle

In the first hour of playing Rocket League, you probably understood what boost does. If you jump and boost, you’re actually already flying, but controlling the car in air is where it gets tricky. You’re probably confused because the car either spins out, you can’t turn properly, or you run out of boost in the air. Not to mention not being able to aim the ball. 

Trying to force aerial shots early in your RL career isn’t a good idea, since you should really focus on understanding the game well before trying to be fancy. You should try and do a jump shot here and there, but it’s ok to suck at first.

How to start learning 

Please, don’t try and learn in competitive. Go to Free Play and try to kick the ball around. First, try to jump, boost and just fly in a straight line. Then, try and boost jump off of the wall and land properly. After you’ve mastered that (and it will take time), you’re ready for training maps.

These maps are user-created and allow you to try a lot of things. There are dozens of maps for aerial play, so pick the one you feel okay with. These maps will put a more realistic spin on things rather than just having you kick the ball around – for example, there are flying courses, loops and other scenarios. Focus on hitting a slow ball in mid-air first, and then work your way from there. Once you score your first goal, you’ll be hooked.

If you are feeling extra adventurous, try out BakkesMod, which is a mod aimed at helping you get better at the game. Of course, there are numerous resources such as this one and you might have to research a lot before you find a training programme that suits you, but that’s the same in any sport. 

Tips and tools

Get familiar with the ball cam – don’t just leave it on or off, toggle it when you need to.

Adjust your camera, widen the FOV to see more of the field and adjust distance. These options are in the game menu. 

Experiment with the aerial sensitivity toggle in settings, find one that works with you.

Don’t go and copy pro settings right now, you’ll probably feel confused and lost. It’s good to research, watch games and take inspiration, however. 

Apply for the League

After aerial mastery, it’s time to join the A1 Student eChallenge and compete against some of the best student teams in Croatia. Last year’s LAN finals of the Rocket League tournament were very popular with viewers, and we are hoping for more of the same this time around!

 

How to compete in the A1 Student eChallenge

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In the last few articles, we’ve talked a lot about the prize pools, the format and other details of the A1 Adria League Weekly tournaments, aimed to bridge the gap between the 14th and the 15th season as a big change for 2025.

When it comes to the A1 Student eChallenge or A1SeC, not much has changed, and we’re sticking with two seasons of the tournament in 2025. A1 Hrvatska is once again partnering with universities across Croatia to provide students with a way to represent their college in their favourite game. 

Apply now!

What are the games (and the prizes)

The first A1 SeC of the year (spring) will have an overall prize pool of €3,150, distributed across four games: Counter-Strike 2, Rocket League, EA FC and League of Legends. 

The CS2 tournament will have a €1,125 prize pool with €500 going to the winners, same as the League of Legends tournament. EA FC will have a total prize pool of €225, and Rocket League will have a prize pool of €300. The main idea is to have the winners go home with €100 per person for the first A1 SeC of the season. 

Who is eligible to compete? 

Any and all students are eligible to compete, but there are rules in place for team-based sports:

 

  • All universities from Croatia are eligible to compete
  • Students need to be from Croatia (exchange students are not eligible for competing)
  • Multiple teams from one institution can apply
  • For CS2, four players must be from the same institution, with one player allowed outside the institution (4+1)

When are the competitions taking place?

EA FC

Qualifiers: 19.04.2025., and 20.04.2025. 

Finals: 24.04.2025.

The qualifiers will be hosted in a single-elimination format, best-of-1 with a best-of-3 decider match. The best 2 players from both qualifiers advance to the finals. 

Rocket League

Qualifiers: 03.05.2025., and 04.05.2025.

Finals: 08.05.2025.

The best two players from each qualifier advance. The finals are best-of-5 with an advantage for the upper bracket team.

League of Legends

Qualifiers: 17.05.2025. and 18.05.2025. 

Finals: 22.05.2025.

Top two teams from each qualifiers advance to the finals for a BO3 single elimination round with a third place decider match.

CS2

Qualifiers: 23.05.2025. and 30.05.2025.

Finals: 05.06.2025.

The same format applies as with League of Legends. Two teams advance from each qualifier, with a BO3 final and a decider match taking place on the final day. 

How to apply

To apply for the competitions, all interested students can fill out the details in the submission form, and the captains and EA FC players will then be added to the official Discord server for further information. 

 

How much can you earn by playing in A1 Adria League Weekly?

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We know –  everyone reading this does not think about money when playing competitive esports and A1 Adria League, and your primary motivation is to win just for the sake of winning, right? Still, there’s more going on than simply having us shake your hand and say you are great. Every year, we’re trying hard to improve the prize money so teams and players are better rewarded for their efforts in the League.

This year, the total prize pool will be over €40,000, where the Weekly cups will be €10,550, and an additional €3,150 will go to the best teams in the A1 Student eChallenge. The applications are open to anyone interested! 

The prize pool allocation depends on several factors, the most notable being whether the winner is a single player or a team. This is why team sports prizes, such as League of Legends, Brawl Stars, and PUBG, are larger than EA FC Mobile and EA FC prizes. Let’s dissect the prize pools further for each game according to the number of players participating. 

CS2

The most lucrative tournament to win this year is, as always, Counter-Strike. For the weekly cups, we’ve allocated a total of €3,000 in prize money, which translates to €300 per player in the winning team. The second-place team gets €1,000, and the third-place team will earn €500, or €100 per player. 

League of Legends and PUBG

For LoL and PUBG, we allocated €1,500 for each game, meaning that the winners get €800, second-placed teams get €500, and the third-place team gets €200. It should be noted that PUBG is played in squads of four players, with one substitution player allowed. 

Brawl Stars

Brawl Stars is played in teams of three players, and the prize pool for the Weekly cups stands at €1,350, with €600 going to the winners, €450 to the second-placed team and €300 to the third-placed team. 

EA FC Mobile

EA’s mobile football simulator has proven to be a popular choice in the A1 Adria League. It’s the only title that will have two separate Weekly tournaments, one at the start of the Weekly tournaments and one at the very end. Both Weeklies will have the same prize pools, with €800 distributed to the top three players of both events. The winners will each get €400, the second-placed players will receive €250 each, and the third-place players will get €150. 

EA FC and eFootball

For the two “main” football simulators, both globally and in the A1 Adria League, we’ve kept the prize pools the same as with EA FC Mobile. This means that the winner in both eFootball and EA FC gets €400, second place will earn you €250 and finishing third is rewarded with €150. 

A1 Student eChallenge

For our student competition for Spring, € 3,150 will be awarded to the best teams and players in four games: CS2, Rocket League, League of Legends, and EA FC. 

CS2: €1,125 (1st place €500, 2nd place €375, 3rd place €250)

Rocket League: €675 (1st place €300, 2nd place €225, 3rd place €150)

EA SPORTS FC: €225 (1st place €100 2nd place €75, 3rd place €50)

League of Legends: €1,125 (1st place €500, 2nd place €375, 3rd place €250)

Applications are open for the Weekly cups, so pick your game and get ready for exciting tournaments across all the games! 

FOI is the winner of the A1 Student eChallenge in CS2!

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Last week we had the opportunity to host the CS2 tournament as a part of the A1 Student eChallenge. Six universities and 36 students competed for the right to call themselves champions but only one was victorious. It was FOI that bested their opponents and won the tournament. Overall 260 rounds were played and 11 maps, out of which Dust2 and Mirage were the most played, while we haven’t seen Nuke once this tournament. Continue reading to find out all the details.

FOI in the TOP 4 in every game in the A1 Student eChallenge

As you remember, besides CS2, we hosted two other games as a part of this tournament, Rocket League and EAFC24. FOI was the most successful university in the whole eChallenge, ranking in the TOP 4 in all three games. They were fourth in Rocket League, third and second in EAFC24, and now first in CS2. FOI had to defeat FERIT to win it all. But let’s see how each team got to the finals and who their opponents were in the semis.

The first finalist was FOI. In the semi-finals, they defeated UNIPU from Pula with a 2-0 score, which came from the quarter-finals with a 2-0 victory over FER. Against UNIPU, FOI had an easy first map on Mirage (13:7), but they struggled on the second map Dust2 and defeated UNIPU only in the third overtime with a score of 22:19. The game was a real nailbiter and UNIPU put up a good fight. However in the end FOI prevailed.

The second finalist FERIT from Osijek didn’t have a tough opponent in the semis or they made it look like that. Against TVZ they won 2-0. Even though the second map Mirage was a little close, ending with 16-14, the first was Ancient where Ferit demolished their opponents with a swift 13:1 win.

A1 Student eChallenge FOI

In the grand finals, all three maps were played. Ancient was a FOI pick where they had a good start and a score of 10-4. After that FERIT made a comeback. Shumy’s 1v3 clutch took the game to overtime where in the end FERIT won 16-14. On FERIT’s pick Anubis, FOI dominated with Prozzor as the best player (13-8). The decider was Dust2 where it was close until the end. However, as we know FOI was a better team ending the final map with a 13-10 score and taking the title.

Ranking:

  • 1st place – FOI
  • 2nd place – FERIT
  • 3rd place – TVZ
  • 4th place – UNIPU
  • 5th place – FER
  • 6th place – Algebra

Students, sign up and compete in the A1 Student eChallenge!

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Another season of A1 Adria League is just around the corner and as always we are not just letting pro players and teams compete and have fun playing their favorite games. Once again students from Croatia will have a chance to show who is the best and compete in the student league this June. Don’t wait up as A1 Student eChallenge is very near. Read on to find out how to sign up and which games we are hosting.

A1 Student eChallenge will feature three games

Everyone needs a break from studying and we know that video games are one of the best ways to relax and enjoy your free time. So why not make a little money on the side while gaming, and compete with your colleagues for the right to call yourself the best? If you were wondering where you can do that, the answer is here, in our A1 Adria League tournament.

This season students from Croatia will be able to compete in CS2, Rocket League, and EAFC24. Choose your game and don’t waste any more time, since you can only sign up until June 5th. Contact your student services for application and you’re all set.

Now regarding the games themselves, Rocket League and EAFC24 will be played from the 10th to 14th of June. The games will be BO3 until we reach the semifinals and played off stream. This stage will be BO5. On the last day, 14.06, we will have the grand finals and the fight for third place in both games on stream in the BO7 format.

Counter-Strike 2 is scheduled for the 17th until the 21st of June. The bracket will be BO1 in this case until the finals. Finals and the match for third place will however be BO3 and we will stream both matches on 21st of June. You can watch all the games on our YouTube or Twitch channel.

For more information regarding the A1 student eChallenge, follow our social media accounts on TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Sign up for A1 Student eChallenge!

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The A1 Student eChallenge event is back, and this season you have a chance to compete with your colleagues students in CS2 and EA FC 24 and earn the top prize! You will have to go through the qualifier and secure a spot in the finals which will be held at Zagrebacki Velesajam as a part of the Reboot InfoGamer event in November.

If you’re a student, sign up now!

A1 Hrvatska in collaboration with Croatian faculties is bringing another season of A1 Student eChallenge! First season was a tremendous success and, you could say, a bit of a testing ground for us. This time we are back with a good news: there is no more faculty restrictions and any student can join and participate! Students who are into gaming and like to relax from studying by logging into their CS2 and EA FC 24 accounts are welcome in the league. All you need to do is sign up by clicking on the links below and participate. Gather your team and become the best student CS2 team or EA FC 24 player in the region!

CS2 Qualifier – 29.10.2023 at 17h – LINK

EA FC 24 Qualifier – 28.10.2023 at 17h – LINK

Qualifiers for both games will be played online. The prize pool for CS2 is 1275 euros, while the best EA FC 24 players will have a prize pool of 225 euros shared with the top 4. If you and your team manage to make it to the finals and attend the LAN, save the dates. Best CS2 teams will compete in Zagreb on November 12th, while EA FC 24 is scheduled for November 10th. The chance to attend the Reboot event will have four CS2 teams and four EA FC 24 players.

Moreover, there are some requirements that students need to fulfill in order to compete in the A1 Student eChallenge league which are:

  • all faculties in Croatia are eligible
  • students need to be from Croatia (Erasmus students aren’t eligible for this event)
  • multiple teams or players from the same faculty are allowed (anyone can signup directly on the cup websites, but after qualifications players will have to prove their connection with the faculty)
  • in case of CS2, four players must be from the same faculty, one can be from a different one (4+1)

If you’re not from Zagreb, don’t worry, we cover the expenses for accommodation, but not for travel. Food will also be paid for those staying in hotels, while those from Zagreb attending the event will also have a meal at the Reboot LAN. For more information, reach out to us on Discord.

A1 Student eChallenge: Fun and Growth in Gaming

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A1 Hrvatska has created a completely new format of esports competition, the “A1 Student eChallenge” league, in collaboration with the leading technical faculties in Croatia: the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing (FER), Algebra University College, the Faculty of Science and Mathematics (PMF), and the Zagreb Technical College (TVZ). For the first time, A1 Hrvatska, in partnership with these faculties, offers students a special gaming experience, as well as the opportunity to participate in the organization and administration of this exciting esports tournament.

A1 Student eChallenge to feature CS:GO and FIFA

To support and highlight the importance of the gaming industry and personal development and education of young people, A1 Hrvatska has provided an unforgettable gaming experience for students and passionate video game enthusiasts of CS:GO and FIFA. However, this time, in addition to the role of a gamer, all interested parties can also take on organizational roles behind the gaming screens.

All participants in the A1 Student eChallenge can expect an unforgettable experience in the magical world of esports, which will culminate in the grand finals from 9th to 11th June at the Zagreb Fair, during the 11th season of the A1 Adria League as part of the Reboot Games Weekend powered by A1. There, the best among them will demonstrate their skills on a stage worthy of global gaming stars and compete for a share of the overall prize pool valued at over 1,500 euros.

“As announced, with the qualifications for the finals of the eleventh season of the A1 Adria League, we have entered a completely new and exciting chapter that has brought us an interesting format of the A1 Student eChallenge esports league. We are pleased that we have established collaborations with the leading technical faculties and provided young people with an opportunity to participate in the project to familiarize themselves with all the roles in front and behind the gaming screens. Once again, we have confirmed that we recognize the value of investing in those who show interest in the esports field. Also, we continue our long-standing partnership with Reboot, and we are glad to walk together through the incredible gaming adventures ahead of us,” said Iva Ančić, Head of Brand, Marketing Communications and Digital Business, A1 Hrvatska.

A1 Student eChallenge 1

As a telecom provider that offers a gaming experience with the lowest latency on an optical network, A1 Hrvatska announced the eleventh season of the longest-running regional A1 Adria League this spring, which brings together a large community of gamers with a zero-tolerance policy for hate speech.

During April and May, passionate esports players have the opportunity to show off their best gaming skills in three “main” video games – CS:GO, Rainbow Six Siege, and FIFA-23, as well as in five tournaments already played in games such as PUBG, League of Legends, Fortnite, Trackmania, and Valorant. What awaits them in the finals will remain a secret until the very end, which will delight the best among them with the largest prize pool ever, amounting to 16,800 euros for the winners.