Esports 30

Speak Up Jun 05, 2020

Today is a little bit different episode (WE’RE FREE TO SAY WHAT WE WANT!). There’s a lot of unrest in the world as peaceful protestors take up the #BlackLivesMatter cause. We spend today talking about that and how gaming/esports companies think about social causes and how to engage with them. Plus, how to use your platform to make a difference.

I’m Gooooooin’ Through Chaaaaaanges May 29, 2020

We have a LOT of things to discuss! The show will be transitioning to a new format and destination (including video!) which Kevin talks about at length. Plus, because it’s still an esports and gaming show we talk about the $10 million already added to The International’s budget and why CS:GO SHOULD have a world championship, but Dota needs to focus on the lower level leagues.

How to Launch a Team May 26, 2020

Anna Baumann (@esportslawEU) joins Kevin this week to discuss Rogue’s entry to the LEC and what it was like to bring a brand new team into the ecosystem and the unexpected challenges that came up. Plus, Kevin talks about online matches causing issues in the CDL and Riot adding sponsored signage to the Rift in esports matches.

Madden Cannot Replace Football May 22, 2020

When a players uses a rush only strategy to win a major Madden event, that’s great for esports, but proof most sports fans won’t seriously watch esports events as a replacement for sports. Plus, why reductive conversations about esports in financial media outlets can hurt long term sponsorship prospects.

Aim Assist in Competitive Play is Doo-Doo May 19, 2020

Consoles are great. Controllers are great. Aim assist giving casual players a good time is great. Aim assist is competitive play is not. Kevin talks about the recent drama in Fortnite around the success of controller players, why we need to think of esports team revenue in a completely different way, and on a personal note, some reflection on having COVID-19.

Low-Spec Games Will Always Win May 16, 2020

CS:GO is offering a beta texture streaming option to allow low end PCs a more stable competitive experience, and Kevin talks about why the game needs stuff like this in light of Valorant’s launch. Plus, why the Leena/Doublelift situation this week is dumb and punishable, but still not the conflict of interest the rabid anti-Riot crowd wants it to be.

What if the Walls Come Falling Down? May 12, 2020

Kevin was asked over the weekend about what would happen if a league the size of the Overwatch League were to shut down. So more happy topics today yay! Plus, mailbag episode taking questions from fans, including one where Miguel Dooley, Rogue’s Community Manager, joins to discuss how he manages a pro team’s Discord channel.

Rip Off the Bandage May 08, 2020

If your league, team, or organization makes a critical mistake and your fans notice? Apologize and own up to it immediately. Kevin talks this week about why it seems that the OWL team is not listening to this advice (and why the league seems to be falling apart in front of our eyes) and how companies should think about how they engage in communication with their fans.

Manufacturing Outrage May 05, 2020

Friend of the show Frank Villarreal (@Rogue_Frank), President and Founder of Rogue, joins to talk about conflicts of interest and why the Doublelift situation is all manufactured outrage. Plus, he and Kevin talk about the first couple weeks of Valorant and take comments from listeners!

Haters Gonna Doublehate May 01, 2020

Seriously, Doublelift to TSM is not a big deal, and the personalities advocating that it is are just pushing for clicks and outrage. Kevin talks about that along with why it’s smart for players to switch to Valorant even before it proves itself (or any new big game release), and how big tech companies like Google, Facebook, and Microsoft will dominate gaming over the coming decade.

Esports Are Still the Only Sports Apr 28, 2020

Why was everyone so upset about Doublelift going back to TSM? It’s most likely to hurt them in the event something goes wrong! Also, Chris Bumbaca (@BOOMbaca) joins to talk […]

Normal-ish Apr 24, 2020

Will esports return to normal after the crisis? Michael O’Dell (@ODEEisOG) joins Kevin today to talk about the impacts of this recession vs the 2008-2009 recession and how it will […]

Games of the Resistance Apr 21, 2020

Why is China banning gamers from connecting with others outside the country? Because games are one of the best ways for dissenters to communicate. Plus, Kevin talks about his experience […]

Gaming Chairs Are Bad (Lukewarm Take Time) Apr 17, 2020

Kevin hates gaming chairs. Hates them. He talks today about why he feels validated in this opinion along with BMW’s huge team sponsorship, Nevada taking wagers for esports officially, and […]

How Does a Pro LoL Team Prepare for Competition? Apr 14, 2020

Kevin is joined by Tomas (@RGEflyy) and Nico (@IAmBlueLoL) from Rogue’s League of Legends team to discuss how a team is built in preparation for pro play and how moving […]

Friendship Ended with Coronavirus, Now VALORANT is My Best Friend Apr 10, 2020

Ok we’re done talking about COVID-19 for a while. We could all use a little break. So let’s talk about the launch of VALORANT and why this week has provided […]

Quarantined, and it Feels So Good Apr 07, 2020

Yep we’re all still stuck inside. So Dave Amirrezvani (@DPTDave) joins Kevin to talk about how you can keep yourself sane and healthy while locked inside. Plus, Kevin discusses his […]

Do Esports Teams Need a Bailout from Developers? Apr 03, 2020

The market downturn is coming for everyone, so Kevin talks about what will happen with esports teams and why teams entirely reliant on advertiser revenue could fold during the recession […]

The Coronavirus Viewership Bump Mar 31, 2020

If there’s a silver lining for gamers in the midst of this crazy global pandemic, it’s that there’s unprecedented traffic to game servers, esports events, and livestreamers in general. Jake […]

Don’t Lose Hope! Esports is Here to Save Us Mar 27, 2020

Today, we try to get away from talking about event cancellations or other depressing plague news. So Kevin answers a bunch of questions from listeners about content in our new […]

Sad There’s No Sports? Play Virtual Sports! Mar 24, 2020

Well there’s no getting around it, there’s one topic in the world and we talk about it, including an update on Kevin’s health. Then, Richard Grisham from the studio behind […]

Kevin is Sick Mar 20, 2020

Welp, Kevin is actually getting some cold and flu symptoms, so while he unnecessarily freaks out for a while and self quarantines, here’s a quick reminder in a shorter episode […]

Don’t Go Outside, Go Play Video Games Mar 17, 2020

Hey everyone, please stay inside if you can. This thing is really serious and even if you’re not part of an at-risk group, you could infect those who are immunocompromised […]

Coronavirus is the Most Morbid Boon to Esports Yet Mar 13, 2020

It’s callous, cold, and heartless, but the social impacts of the coronavirus are likely to keep a lot of people inside in the near future which is already showing to […]

They May Not Be Brand Safe, but FPS Games are Still on Top Mar 10, 2020

Frank Villarreal (@Rogue_Frank), President and Co-Founder of Rogue, joins Kevin to discuss the effect the coronavirus has had on events and teams, Diabotical vs Valorant, and follow ups to 2020 […]

Esports Events Are a Tough Business Mar 07, 2020

Mid and low tier esports events have always proven to be tough to get fans to attend, and the coronavirus may actually show leagues and investors and improving the virtual […]

Running a Collegiate Esports Event 101 Mar 03, 2020

Ross Ledford and Ryan Griffin join Kevin this week to take you through, step by step, how to plan and organize a collegiate esports event. Ever wonder how to start […]

Plague, Inc. Feb 29, 2020

The coronavirus is still coming for us! But don’t panic, just take it seriously like game companies cancelling events are doing. And more will do the same in the near […]

Taking Care of Yourself Makes You a Better Gamer, Too Feb 25, 2020

Dave Amirrezvani (@DPTDave), a healthcare professional and esports fan, stops by the studio to answer listener questions on gamer health and wellness and why it’s so hard to sell the […]

Slow and Steady Wins the Race Feb 21, 2020

Esports has been presented as an industry taking off like a rocket ship for years, but is it? Kevin talks about why the entertainment side of gaming still is, but […]

Drugs Are Bad, Mmmkay Feb 18, 2020

Kevin is upset that leagues aren’t doing more to prevent players from using ADHD stimulants as a performance booster in competition. This week, we look at a feature in the […]

Interviewer Inception Feb 14, 2020

What happens when two people who interview people for a living get together for a podcast? A meta conversation about interviewing develops of course! Arda Ocal (@Arda), ESPN interviewer, anchor, […]

Twitter is not Real Life Feb 11, 2020

Know what’s a bad move? Burning bridges. Don’t do it. This week Kevin talks about burning bridges and the fact that Twitter rants do nothing. Literally nothing. Also, Kevin answers […]

Saying Franchises Are 100% Bad is Dumb Feb 07, 2020

It was 2017. Franchises were on the horizon and you would have thought esports was ending because investors wanted ownership of things. Kevin talks today about the shortsighted nature of […]

How to Build a Pro Team Feb 04, 2020

Tomas “flyy” Mihailov joins Kevin this week to talk about why high level mechanical players need experience to make the transition to pro, how Rogue navigated the process of building […]

C O R O N A V I R U S Jan 31, 2020

Kevin is sick! And you’ll hear it! But it’s not the coronavirus… we think. So while it’s personally relevant to him, Kevin talks about esports events in China cancelling because […]

How do we make esports more compelling to casual fans? Jan 28, 2020

In a special episode this week, Kevin talks with his wife and fellow gamer, Kathryn, what she sees as a real esports fan, but not someone who’s a hardcore competitive […]

“Sipping” on Bud Light? Who Does That? Jan 24, 2020

Kevin talks about the new Bud Light sponsorship of the LCS and why he thinks it’s smart for developers and leagues to partner with alcohol and gambling sponsors despite some […]

Esports Industry Revenue is Bigger Than You Think Jan 18, 2020

Today Kevin answers a listener question on why local market franchise teams lack connection with their fans and then discusses the absurd esports industry revenue statistics that crop up every […]

Don’t Root for Leagues to Die Jan 14, 2020

Jason Lake, founder of Complexity, joins Kevin to talk about his team’s experience with the Dallas Cowboys organization, how investors view an investment before they sign the deal, and why […]

Ok, Maybe the Sky IS Falling Jan 10, 2020

On our first weekly news recap episode, Kevin talks about the continued drama around the OWL and recent changes to the LCS broadcast structure. Plus, a listener question on how […]

The Sky is (Not) Falling! Jan 07, 2020

This week, Kevin talks with Shahrukh Panjwani, esports business development professional and team advisor, about whether or not the OWL is failing and, if so, what that would do to […]

New Year Mailbag! Dec 30, 2019

It’s the holidays! In this episode, Kevin talks about the US Navy shifting their advertising budget away from TV and towards esports and online video, whether or not investors will […]

R.I.P. Esports Dec 17, 2019

Frank Villarreal, President and Founder of Rogue, joins the show to talk about his hot take of 2020: Esports will take a back seat to influencer driven content around story […]

NA LoL Players Need More Tournaments Dec 10, 2019

Kevin never wants to take a red eye ever again, and he tells you why. Plus, LoL All-Star wasn’t as hype as last year. Then, Alberto “Crumbz” Rengifo joins Esports […]

Rocket League or Bust Dec 03, 2019

Kevin talks to Caleb “WavePunk” Simmons, a Rocket League caster and Twitch Rivals host, to talk RLCS Season 8, Psyonix’ acquisition, and why he wants a fully scripted WWE-style esports […]

Legends Occasionally Die Nov 26, 2019

LEC Analyst Indiana “Froskurinn” Black joins to talk G2 getting smacked down at Worlds, how LoL teams can develop internationally competitive talent, and why Louis Vuitton’s partnership with Riot was […]

What If You’re a Fan of Many Esports? Nov 19, 2019

Kevin is joined by Ben “FishStix” Goldhaber, co-founder and CEO of Juked.gg, to discuss the plight of those who like a lot of different esports and where content lives for […]

Overwatch 1.5 or Overwatch 2? Nov 12, 2019

This week Kevin answers listener questions about how mainstream traditional media can interact with esports and record breaking viewership, then Andrew “ZP” Rush joins to talk about the state of […]

Why I’m a Gamer Nov 05, 2019

In the debut episode of Esports 30, Kevin takes a look back at his gaming history and what prompted him to get involved in esports. Later in the show, Kevin […]

Launching Nov. 5 2019: Esports 30 with Kevin Knocke: Official Trailer Oct 09, 2019

Launching on November 5, 2019, Esports 30 with Kevin Knocke tackles industry wide issues with the top esports and gaming personalities, celebrities, athletes, and influencers. Each week we’ll dive deep […]

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