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Esports Outfit Team Liquid Signs Pro Civilization VI Player
Most of us probably don't think of the Civilization series as a hyper-competitive game. In fact, we may think of it as the exact opposite: a calming, methodical game valuing decision-making over twitch reflex.
As it turns out, competitive Civilization has been around for a while, and as a marker of the game's success, eSports outfit Team Liquid has signed its first professional Civilization VI player, Stephen 'MrGameTheory' Takowsky. Takowsky has become a household name in high-level Civilization, earning the #1 spot on multiple Civilization V leaderboards.
On its announcement website, Team Liquid offers a brief primer on the world of high-level Civilization play, laying out what it takes to compete. "More than any other game, Civilization's turn-based format demands efficiency at all levels," the site says. "Unlike games that cap players based on their mechanics, Civilization taxes a person's decision making and ability to thrive under pressure." Team Liquid hopes to eventually sign a whole Civilization team, with Takowsky as its captain.
Team Liquid is also launching a Civilization VI tournament to coincide with their announcement. While you wait for Game Informer's full review, read Kimberly Wallace's preview of Civilization VI.
[Source: Team Liquid via PvPLive]
Our Take
Yeah, okay, I get it – you're skeptical. So am I. But most pro gaming scenes don't take off unless there's a concerted effort to build a scene where there wasn't one before. We take our current established eSports for granted because they've been around for so long, but even those had to build their presence. I can't say the idea of watching people play Civ for hours on end appeals to me, but the series seems popular enough that maybe someone else might. If nothing else, it'll be interesting to keep an eye on how the pro Civ scene (yep, still feels a bit weird to type that) develops.
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