Posts

eWave wins it in the closest PUBG finals yet

/0 Comments/in , , , , /by

With the PUBG action concluding over the weekend, we’ve officially hit the halfway mark of the A1 Adria League Weekly tournaments. This means that we have five more weeks to go, with four games in the A1AL Weekly series remaining, ant two games remaining in the A1 Student eChallenge. Time does fly, right? 

Over the last week and weekend, we crowned the champions in two games: A1 Student eChallenge in Rocket League and the regular PUBG tournament. Due to PUBG taking place over the weekend, the finals of the A1SeC in Rocket League were held on Thursday, with four top-placed teams in the qualifiers facing off: EFZG, FER, FERIT and TVZ. EFZG and FERIT advanced through the upper bracket in the first rounds and knocked TVZ and FER into the lower bracket. Soon after, FER regrouped and beat TVZ in the lower bracket, thus advancing to play against EFZG, who lost in their second matchup against FERIT. In the big final, we saw an exceptional reverse sweep from FER , who made up a 2:0 lead by FERIT and secured the title in the final. 

The weekend was focused on PUBG. Because PUBG is not like any other game we’re playing in the A1AL, the tournament structure is also a bit different, and we saw dozens of matches take place throughout the three days of competition. The open qualifiers were a big success. On the first qualifying day, six different teams won the maps, and what makes it even more interesting is that the winner of a match was the first team to be knocked out in the next game on three separate occasions. Despite the lobby being very similar in terms of skill level, two teams, Triema and eWave, managed to come out on top as the most consistent ones. 

Day two of qualifiers saw the third contender to the title emerge: Grove Street. The lobby once again proved that it is unpredictable and the skill levels are very similar, which was shown on the leaderboard: just a couple of points divided the best team after the end of day 2. 

For the finals, Grove Street started out excellent, and built up a good 20-point lead early in the day, but eWave won two maps in a row, and Trieme strung several good rounds, which had us anxiously waiting the last match of the series. Just six points stood between Grove Street, eWave and Trieme before the final loadout, and after Grove Street made a mistake and got knocked out in the early stages of the game, it went down to the last two teams: eWave and Triema for the title. In the end, eWave won it after some of the best PUBG we’ve seen in the region for a long time. 

We can only congratulate the winners and let you know that we’re playing Brawl Stars, eFootball and the A1AL Student eChallenge in League of Legends this weekend; it’s going to be our biggest weekend yet! 

Harmony is the LoL Weekly Champion; A1SeC RL playoffs this week

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

The A1 Adria League Weekly tournaments are now happening at full speed, and we are happy to have watched some great matchups over the weekend in both the League of Legends qualifiers and playoffs, and in Rocket League, where students competed for the chance to participate in the playoffs later this week. Not only that, but we are back again today with the first qualifiers for PUBG, so there is absolutely no time to waste. 

In the A1 Student eChallenge, we saw a couple of changes to the competitive structure. Due to a number of teams participating in the first qualifier (6), we decided to go with a two-group format, with the winners of the groups advancing to the grand finals. In Group A, FER won the finals against Algebra and secured a playoff spot, and in Group B things were made a bit easier by TVZ forfeiting the qualifier, leaving only two teams competing for a spot, which ended up going to FERIT. 

The second qualifier had two total slots to hand out, which went to EFZG and TVZ. The grand finals of the A1SeC in Rocket League are scheduled for this Thursday, May 8th. 

LoL playoff dominance from Harmony

In League of Legends, we had two rounds of qualifiers over the weekend, followed by two further rounds of playoffs to decide who is the winner of the Weekly Tournament series. After the first round of qualifiers, two teams from each round advanced to the playoffs. From the first round, Vibrations123 were joined by Vertis & Friends after both teams dominated their rounds. Interestingly, Cevapi i Kobasice, a team that later made moves in the second qualifier, got knocked out in the first one.

The second qualifier was much better for the meat-friendly roster, and Cevapi i Kobasice won their side of the bracket. On the other side, Secret Club Esports beat Don’t ban Zyra in a great final, and wrapped up the qualiifers. In the playoffs, Harmony was the best team by far, and stomped their way through to the first place. Cevapi i kobasice put up a great fight in the finals, but were no match for Harmony. Third place went to The Secret Club Esports, and Vertis & Friends finished fourth. 

The action in the A1 Adria League continues throughout this week and weekend, with PUBG Weekly starting today, followed by the Rocket League finals in the A1SeC and PUBG playoffs over the weekend. Don’t miss it! 

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

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

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.

Rocket League Aerials 101 w/ A1AL

/0 Comments/in , /by

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

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

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. 

 

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

/0 Comments/in , , , , /by

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 the A1 Gaming Weekend Rocket League!

/0 Comments/in , /by

The A1 Gaming Weekend Rocket League is getting close! To ensure you are ready for it, here is all the info you need to sign up and compete.

A1 Gaming Weekend Rocket League

Rocket League has its place in esports, and there is an excellent reason for it. Plenty of fun for both competitive and casual players. We want to see all of you play and have fun during the A1 Gaming Weekend Rocket League. The only requirement is that you’re from one of the countries in the Adria region: Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, or Slovenia. Just as it is in the A1 Adria League.

Sign-ups are open and free. You can already sign up here. The format will be double elimination and every team is allowed to have three players and one substitute. Casters for this gaming weekend will be Djura and Njole. We’re sure you already know them but if that’s not the case you’ll have the opportunity to meet them on the 13th of August.

Once again. all of the action will be streamed live on the official A1 Adria League channels: Twitch, Trovo, and YouTube. What about the prize pool? Don’t worry. You can find the distribution below.

1st place – 250€
2nd place – 100€
3rd place – 50€

Looking for what to do until the 13th? You can follow the A1 Gaming Weekend Fortnite in the meantime or just watch the last year’s A1 Gaming Weekend Rocket League.

What to do during the summer? Here comes the A1 Gaming Weekends!

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Four games, four tournaments, around 2000€ prize pool, and all during the month of August. A1 Gaming Weekends are here to bring you some casual and competitive fun during the long summer days!

Between the A1 Adria League seasons, we’ve decided to bring you something a bit different. One tournament each weekend during August. That means that you’ll have the opportunity to play and compete in four different game titles as well as win some prize money. Before we go ahead and tell you everything you know make sure to follow all the A1 Adria League channels not to miss anything important. Also, the announcement of the 10th season of the A1 Adria League is right around the corner.

A1 Gaming Weekends

A1 Gaming Weekends will start on Saturday the 6th of August with the Fortnite Solo tournament with GALLASANDALLA, the famous Croatian content creator! The week after we’ll have the opportunity to watch some Rocket League action, on both Saturday and Sunday. The third weekend is reserved for a well-known game in the A1 Adria League community – Clash Royale. The series of the A1 Gaming Weekends will end with some Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege action.

Here are the dates:
a1 gaming weekend2

On more about where and when to sign up as well as more details about the tournament in the next couple of days! Until then, enjoy some sun and outdoors!

Swizz’s team are the new A1GW Rocket League champions!

/0 Comments/in /by

The Serbian team outplayed Goated Clowns and secured the A1 Gaming Weekend Rocket League champions title.

Swizzove srbende were dominant since the start of the tournament. They managed to outplay Crnci u parizu, OC-Esports and Synaptics before playing Goated Clowns for the first time in the bracket. They bested them and OnlyTheFamilyy after that to become the first team in the grand finals of this A1 Gaming Weekend. OnlyTheFamilyy had three wins in the upper-bracket – versus Aqua E-sports, FAMILY., and srecko57. After losing their match against Swizzove srbende, they were sent to the lower bracket where Gloated Clowns beat them 3-1.

The second-placed team, Gloated Clowns, had an interesting run during the weekend. Wins versus The BTK and RL TARIGUZI secured them a spot in the upper-bracket finals where the new champions defeated them. In the lower bracket, the runners-up were better than FAMILY., srecko57, and OnlyTheFamily. The grand finals were a clean sweep for SWIZZ’s team who defeated their opponents 4-0.

The top 4 Rocket League teams:

1. Swizzove srbende – €180
2. Goated Clowns – €105
3. OnlyTheFamilyy – €90
4. srecko57 – €75

 

A1 Gaming Weekend is back with Rocket League!

/0 Comments/in /by

Once again, the A1 Gaming Weekend will host a tournament in Rocket League – everyone’s favorite rocket-powered, soccer-playing esports title!

Last year we tested the Rocket League waters with an A1 Gaming Weekend dedicated to this game that has become a pillar of the competitive gaming scene in the last years. Unlike last time, however, this tournament will feature a 3v3 format. The standard format should attract more players that can sign up with their teams and fight for the main prize. Challengermode is the platform of choice for this Rocket League tournament – the registration link can be found at the end of this article.

The famous regional YouTuber Djura as well as GameHub’s Dean Bošnjak will be our casters for this A1 Gaming Weekend. A prize pool of €450 is up for grabs for the best four Rocket League teams in the region. This edition of the A1 Gaming Weekend will last for two days, the 31st of July and the 1st of August, and teams from the entire Adria region can join in. Good luck!

The prize pool will be split in the following manner:

1. €180
2. €105
3. €90
4. €75

A1 Gaming Weekend – Rocket League – SIGN UP HERE!