As we close out the decade it’s time for our yearly wrap, and a look back at what we accomplished this year.

In 2019, we went through some major growth at Snowball in a couple of areas. At the beginning of the year, San Hoang and Chelsea Moss became the first content producers outside of myself on the team since Snowball began. Having them on board allowed us to maintain the same quality while continuing to pump out more content, especially during the OPL splits.

We hit up IEM Sydney, the Melbourne Esports Open and PAX Australia this year, and brought our flavour of coverage to those events.

In September, we announced that Snowball will partner with META High School Esports next year. We’re really excited to work with Nigel Smart, Woody Wu and the rest of the team on this for their 2020 season, providing high quality content and regular coverage.

I took a different approach with my year in review, going month to month and picking some key pieces from each to give you some insight into our year.

January

OPL

Presenting Snowball’s Scuffed OPL Tips!

by Josh Swift

January 17, 2019

The likes of Andrew Wray and numerous others try and cheekily convince me to take on ridiculous time consuming projects all the time. After finding out there would be no tipping system for OPL like in 2018, we’d had discussions about trying to fill that gap and do something via Snowball but ultimately decided it wouldn’t be worth the time and effort to set up and maintain a competition.

We now know how weak-willed I can be when the community yearns for something. I ended up building an entire tipping league just days before the OPL returned in January. Over 200 OPL fans participated in the competition during the Split 1 regular season and some won some great RP prizes courtesy of Riot.

February

CS:GO

ARTeMis and refreshed lineup lay Carnage across WESG and IEM Qualifiers

by Reece Perry

February 8, 2019

A great feature from Reece Perry on Jessica “ARTeMis” Majrouh and Carnage after their efforts at the WESG qualifier in Perth. This piece was also produced by one of our talented new additions at the start of this year in Chelsea Moss.

March

OPL

An impossible Dream – How Ronan Swingler made it to the OPL

by Ellis Longhurst

March 22, 2019

I am intensely proud of this piece from Ellis Longhurst. Ronan’s story is one that resonated with League of Legends fans both here and overseas, and is one of the most viewed Snowball pieces of all time. Ellis took a unique approach composing this story as if it were to become a six-part Netflix series, it’s an intensely inspiring read.

Also during March was the OPL playoffs for Split 1, which marked the return of Snowball’s Gauntlet Run series, kicked off by Harry Taylor.

April

OPL

‘The stars aligned for us’: Order forge OPL history with 9-1 miracle gauntlet run

by Isaac McIntyre

April 2, 2019

I’m fairly sure this is the longest OPL recap of all time from Isaac McIntyre, and with good reason. It tells the tale of Order’s run through the OPL gauntlet, after barely scraping into the playoffs and taking down each team against all predictions on their path to the final.

Also worth noting in April was an interview ahead of the Mid-Season Invitational with Bombers coach Westonway which garnered international attention as people looked to find out more about the oceanic representatives, and announcing our IEM Sydney coverage, with the intent to bring a team to the event for the first time in Snowball’s history.

May

IEM Sydney 2019

IEM Sydney: Celebrating a Legacy

by Ash Whyte

May 31, 2019

Along with a myriad of written and video interviews with CS:GO’s biggest names, we had one of our newest writers Ashley Whyte put together a great feature on IEM Sydney, and the legacy that it’s created in our region after we talked with Michal ‘Carmac’ Blicharz.

As part of our IEM Sydney coverage, the popular Survival Guides made a return, this time with Sydney local Bernadette Wong at the helm.

June

OPL

FBI becomes first Australian in the LCS system: ‘It’s what I’ve always dreamed about’

by Isaac McIntyre

June 6, 2019

After a stellar split in the OPL, Victor “FBI” Huang became the first Australian to make the journey to North America following in the footsteps of New Zealand’s Lawrence “Lost” Hui as told by Isaac McIntyre.

Other notable pieces from June include Emma van der Brug putting a spotlight on the Girl Gamer Festival coming to Sydney, a foray for us into Hearthstone with Legacy signing Grandmasters star FroStee, and the acquisition of the Chiefs Esports Club by ICON.

July

CS:GO

Global Offensive & The Importance of Grassroots in Australia – BrisVegas LAN Preview

by Ash Whyte

July 3, 2019

Building up grassroots esports in Oceania has always been a focus for us at Snowball, so when Ashley Whyte pitched a feature on the latest BrisVegas LAN in July and why it’s important to have these kinds of events, it was a no-brainer.

August

OPL

‘Nothing else matters’: Chiefs eye return to the top – OPL Final Preview

August 31, 2019

OPL

Can Mammoth deliver on the superteam promise? – OPL Final Preview

August 31, 2019

The Melbourne Esports Open was Snowball’s biggest event by far of 2018, and this year was no different. Armed with a team of 7 at Melbourne Olympic Park, we worked to bring high quality coverage to as much of the event as we could.

I’ve spotlighted the two OPL final previews, on Chiefs and Mammoth, because it marks something really important to myself, and the wider management of Snowball. These pieces show more than most the growth in both Harry Taylor and Emma van der Brug. Both of them were added as community panelists for Snowball’s OPL Power Rankings in Split 2 of 2018.

These features are a testament to their hard work and dedication to growing themselves, and I’m intensely proud of that. Pair that with some stellar creative work from producer San Hoang and you have some bar-setting content.

September

MEO 2019

Yuki: A decade in esports

by Andrew Amos

September 16, 2019

Although we capped off MEO coverage in early September, also with the unfortunate debut of Roaming Wray, this feature from Andrew Amos on James “Yuki” Stanton is my highlight for September. It’s not often you see players have careers spanning this long, and it’s even rarer when they span as many titles as Yuki has, and Ducky did an excellent job bringing this story to life.

Also at the tail end of September, Go Next Media was announced to the world.

October

Interviews

Raid: The five thousand mile pilgrimage

by Andrew Amos

October 30, 2019

I believe this feature is the crown jewel of Snowball’s 2019. It was an absolute pleasure to produce, and was a complete product of circumstance. Andrew Amos was in Korea to cover the Overwatch Contenders Gauntlet right in the middle of Raid’s stay in Busan.

This is the calibre of content we strive for. You don’t often see this kind of unbridled view from retired esports pros in Oceania, and I can’t thank Julian enough for sharing his story with us.

Another notable mention from October was our PAX Australia content, my personal favourite of which was Ellis Longhurst’s look at the Mortal Kombat tournament finals.

November

CS:GO

[Updated] Australian CS:GO divided over scheduling controversy: The full story

by Andrew Amos

November 5, 2019

In one of the most worked-on investigative pieces in Snowball’s history, Andrew Amos with the help of Isaac McIntyre and myself aimed to tell the full story of the scheduling controversy between multiple Oceanic orgs and ESL Australia.

It’s a story we didn’t take lightly, and took the time to make sure we reported the facts of the situation after obtaining full email transcripts between the teams and various other parties.

Other notable pieces from November include my report on the Essendon Bombers leaving esports and selling their OPL slot to Pentanet.GG, Ellis Longhurst’s visit to the Red Bull Fight or Flight PUBG event in Sydney, and Kevin Walker’s Snowball debut with pieces exploring Overwatch 2 and its impact on competitive and a chat with New Zealand’s Overwatch World Cup team.

December

League of Legends

Triple joins FlyQuest Academy ahead of 2020 season: “Australian, American, Korean, I have to beat them all now”

by Isaac McIntyre

December 12, 2019

I love this feature from Isaac McIntyre, and it’s a good one to grasp the scale of the offseason oceanic League of Legends has had. We’ll have a piece recapping every move of the ‘OCE exodus’ as its been dubbed in the new year, but his chat with Stephen for this piece shows how dedicated these pros are, and I’m super happy to see so many of them head overseas next year.

Andrew Amos put in some work on the Australian Overwatch offseason this month, announcing the Sydney Drop Bears new roster and telling the story of a new super team being built on our shores.

This year, PAX AUS was dominated by esports. The exhibit floor was awash with tournaments, player meet and greet sessions, merchandise, and casual games. Everyone was chasing the high of a chicken dinner, a victory royale or a GGWP. Everyone that is, except for a handful of university students. They were chasing a plain old victory and the cash prize that accompanied it.

Beats Fan Club, a League of Legends team comprised of five university students, had traveled to PAX AUS to compete in the University Esports League (UEL) finals. Backed by a range of sponsors, the UEL gives Australian TAFE and University students the opportunity to compete in League of Legends, Overwatch or Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournaments for cash prizes. Beats Fan Club was very familiar with the UEL – they won the League of Legends tournament last year.

Gian “Styled” Leon, who plays in the bot lane for Beats Fan Club, was confident the team would repeat their success. “When we entered this tournament, we knew that anything but winning would be a bad result,” he said.

Given the resumes of the individual team members, it is hard to disagree with Gian’s prediction. David “Beats” Nguyen-Dang and Michael “Minhcam” Cam, who play in the top lane and jungle respectively, competed for Chiefs Academy in the 2019 Oceanic Challenger Series; Gian competed for Avant Academy; mid-laner James “Halo” Giacoumakis competed for Mammoth Academy, and Support player Jordan “Kpop” Hazeltine has competed for a range of OCS teams since early 2017. Once rivals on the rift, now a mere best-of-three series stood in their way of a joint victory, a novelty check, and a trophy.

Their experience as competitors gave Beats Fan Club an edge over their opponents, but it wasn’t as easy as walking up to the enemy nexus and blowing it over. Prior to the finals, only Kpop and Beats had met face to face (such is the nature of online teams), and playing in a LAN tournament posed other unexpected challenges. “Playing on the ASUS/Hive stage with the casters yelling and the crowd right in front of us meant that we couldn’t hear each other,” recalls Gian.

The ability to keep your emotions in check and cope with pressure is critical to success in League of Legends. This is something that Curtin University student, Gian understands well. “I don’t usually feel too much pressure when I’m playing on stage or in front of a crowd,” he says. “However, the fact that we couldn’t communicate effectively during the game was really problematic. This tilted us and was the reason we lost the first game.”

In qualifying, the team didn’t lose a series, and they were not about to start now. Relying on their individual skill as competitors, the team were able to bounce back to a two to one victory. For the second year in a row, Beats Fan Club earned the title of UEL Champions.

For these five players, the UEL provided an opportunity to hone their skills during the competitive off-season. Gian views every tournament experience as an opportunity to grow. “Every tournament is a stepping stone. For example, the OCS is a stepping stone into the OPL,” he explains. “Hopefully I can perform well individually and I can perform well as part of a team in the OCS next year… and then, who knows…”

“The thrill of competition and that strive for perfection keeps me going, but it’s also about balance. For me, it’s all about keeping a schedule – University in the morning and League at night.”

Like a typical Uni student, Gian assures me that the $1200 cash prize would be spent on food. And RP. It’s all about balance.

After the exhibition hall doors of PAX Aus were closed to the public and the noise of the Saturday crowds had finally dissipated, the ESL stage, alone, remained lit – a beacon to anyone who wasn’t ready to call it a day.

Roped off and with only a couple of hundred seats available, it felt like an intimate and exclusive experience awaited. The free food and open bar coaxed me further, but it was the epic scenes that played out over the next four hours that kept me glued to my seat.

Eight players took to the stage to compete in the finals of TOTAL KOMBAT AUSTRALIA – a Mortal Kombat XI tournament organised by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and ESL.

Three of these players earned flights, accommodation and a place in the tournament by winning a regional qualifier. The others earned their place at the last minute through the PAX tournaments.

Now, they were all in touching distance of the top prize – flights, accommodation, and free entry to compete at the NEC 20 Pro Kompetition qualifier in Philadelphia, USA, as well as a share in over $20,000 worth of prize money.

Tasman “Waz” Stoker was one of the players around which much excitement was generated. Representing the esports organisation Dark Sided, his achievements include a 5th place and 9th place finish at Combo Breaker 2018 and 2019, respectively.

He was also one of only fourteen players from around the world to be invited to compete at the 2019 Summit of Time – a tournament at which he mashed buttons alongside 2018 Esports Player of the Year, Dominique “SonicFox” McLean.

Having won the Sydney regional qualifier for the TOTAL KOMBAT AUSTRALIA tournament, Waz starts the finals series on the winner’s side of the double-elimination bracket. Contrary to his opponents, and in defiance of most Mortal Kombat highlight reels, he favours a slow and controlled fighting style. He prefers to poke at his opponent and whittle down their health bar.

In a game where players are punished by hard-hitting combos and take massive damage if their selections are not frame-perfect, Waz’s strategy may seem risky. But he assures me that it’s actually a safe and consistent way to play. Waz dispatches three players to the loser’s bracket and sets up a final match between himself and Edison “Googie” Nguyen of Oddity Esports.

The opportunity to represent Australia at an international qualifier was now closer than ever.

At this point in the tournament, it is past 9pm and the free food and open bar have long been forgotten.  All eyes are on Waz and Googie as they take to the stage for the final match. This roped-off corner of the PAX exhibition hall is now packed. Standing room only is not a deterrent.

Waz looks relaxed. His demeanour isn’t a result of arrogance; rather it is all part of his strategy.

“I always like to meditate or relax before the set, it’s just a way to keep me focused and not let nerves or anything get in the way,” mentions Waz post-tournament.

Having breezed through the winner’s bracket with mostly 3-0 victories, he has had time to sit back and meditate through the last few. Googie takes a deep breath. He hasn’t had time to regroup. The seat is still warm from where he sat, moments earlier, trying to keep his tournament hopes alive.

He has played double the number of matches as Waz and each one was under the intense pressure that comes from the threat of elimination. There was even a shaky moment where he was a set down to the dark horse of the competition. How could that not play on his mind?

As training partners, Waz and Googie have a read on each other. “Facing your training partner is certainly a double-edged sword,” admits Waz. “On the one hand, it is good because you know a lot of their tendencies. However, they also know a lot about your tendencies.”

There would be no need to collect data on the opponent by starting with standard play. It would require rapid innovation from either player to gain an edge over their opponent in this match.

Unsurprisingly, it is Waz who brings something different to the stage. He selects Cetrion for the first set – a fighter we haven’t seen yet this tournament. The crowd erupts. Googie responds with Geras. Maybe this is his counter-pick. Maybe he has faith in muscle memory.

As soon as they begin to fight, it is clear that Waz will continue to dominate this competition. He effortlessly transitions between a poke strategy and huge damage-dealing combos. The first set is over … and then the match. Waz earns himself the title of Australian Total Kombat Champion and punches his ticket to the US for the NEC 2020 qualifier.

“I’d like to give a big shout out to the whole AUS/NZ community for keeping the game alive,” says Waz after the tournament.

“Thank you to Googie and Blake “Castiel” Asquith for training with me so much in the weeks leading up to PAX, and to my team Dark Sided and my family for backing what I do. I expected the grand final to be closer because Googie has been training with me so much and has levelled up a lot, but I think he was gassed out by the time he got there.”

One thing is certain – those 200-odd people in the exhibition hall at PAX late into Saturday night witnessed something special. It was artistry from a true master of Mortal Kombat.

If you would like to become involved in the Mortal Kombat community in Australia, you can find out more information via the links below:

NRS Community Australia and New Zealand Facebook

Official ANZ NRS Hub Discord

Aus Kombat on Twitter

Header image credit: Sarah Cooper, ESL & Steve Andreou, Dark Sided