Imperial Interview
by Savscosplay |

Over the past few weeks I have had the great privilege to ask 6 of our top teams from the NA and EU region questions and for the next few blog posts I'll be posting their answers. Our next team is Imperial who as of week 9 holds the currently EU #1 spot. With the captain Phantom Operator and the team's response.


What is the history of this team, how was it started? Answer to the best of your team’s knowledge 
Answer: Imperial was formed around the end of season 12. A few close friends and I, keen to play the competitive shooter we all love, came together under one roof and decided to form a new team.Through a nice blend of competitive ambition and a desire to spend time as friends, we enjoyed and still do play scrims & matches daily, above all to have fun and reach our goal of being a competitive EU VRML team. 

What do you think is a skill new teams should learn? 
Answer: In its current state I believe Onward heavily favors a strong mechanical skillset such as those with well-trained aim and movement, just like many other fps games out there. However, if I had to focus on one skill above all, it would be coordination/teamwork. Onward is a 5v5 team focused game and in my opinion, teams that attack coordinated, refrag and play together have the best chance of being successful consistently. This is tough to master and is always my primary focus when playing with the team. 

What advice have you received that you wish you learned in the beginning that you can now pass on to another? 
Answer: The Onward player base and VRML consists of players and teams that often play differently to each other, and the meta style of play is often changing. I believe it is important to not be fixated on one style and speed of gameplay. A hyper aggressive attack can be equally as successful as a slow and methodical attack if applied against the correct opponent. I personally find an open mind, readiness to adapt and strong observation skills are useful. 

How many seasons did it take for your team to make it to the level they currently are at now?
Answer: Imperial resides among the top three teams in the EU region and worldwide (though regions are fixed). We managed to make it here during our first season. It definitely is a challenge to remain around the top while teams like NFI, Boss Fight & Fortis play in the same region! 

Does your team like to rush more or take their time? Explain which one you are and why. 
Answer: It’s difficult to pick one option here as Imperial doesn’t have a set playstyle when it comes to speed. Based on our opponent’s strengths and weaknesses, we often adjust our style and speed of play to gain a competitive advantage where we can.

How does your team handle a loss in a game? 
Answer: I’m a believer that a loss is more beneficial and useful than a win when it comes to developing and improving Imperial’s performance. We always aim to watch cast footage of a lost match and devise goals for our continued development. I’m not a fan of stagnation! 

What advice would you give to the readers who are currently reading this who may not play onward but would like to get involved 
Answer: It definitely worth signing up on the VRML website and joining the Onward VRML discord to meet the community. If you’re looking to jump into the deep end, find a potential team that is suited to your skillset using the recruitment channels in the discord. If you want to experience the game more casually hop into Onward Uplink lobbies, there are often competitive players playing who will be happy to guide and talk with you. Myself included. 

What’s been your team’s favorite moment together, could be a match or scrim or team practice. 
Answer: Though a moderately new team, there have been many since we are a close group of friends and like to have a laugh. My favorite has got to be my team singing me happy birthday during a casted match.

N.F.I Interview
by Savscosplay |

Over the past week I have had the great privilege to ask 6 of our top teams from the NA and EU region questions and for the next few blog posts I'll be posting their answers. Our first team will be N.F.I also known as No Fun Intended. This was from their captain JustDoIt and the team of N.F.I.

 

  1. What is the history of this team, how was it started? Answer to the best of your team’s knowledge.

 

NFI started as Reeee’s team, he was our captain. He gathered the best he knew at the time from the EU to take a shot for a master team.  Our original roster was very different, but was mainly shaped by myself(JustDoIt, Gamereaper, 04 and d3edshot). Our first run was not that easy, but with amazing potential we marched forward. Having the old top teams giving us a hard time, (beginners bossfight Vikings). In the first season of NFI we had some great success beating teams like dead logic and managing to form the groundwork of the team.  Until Reee left us for his personal and professional reasons, and we remained captain less.  And after long deliberation on whether to disband or continue because no one could/want to take the captain role. Gamereaper stepped in.  And that was the time for change, we finished our first season as master, getting 1250 mmr and getting to the "challenger cup" finals which we have lost against Raptors in our first season.  And then, our second season has started, with the pick of shadowwarrior, one of the best players I ever known in my life. We came to win, hard work, homework and a lot of help from the captains of NFI(NFI decided to have 3 equal captains, dead shot JustDoIt and game reaper, with reaper having a bit more weight) we had double scrims and even 5 scrims in a row to achieve what we wanted the most, to prove u don't need to jiggle to win. And with that, not losing a single game until the final week of season 13. We got to the finals of season 13. After a great game against a resurgence, which our old captain Reee played for. We lost but proved it's possible to move forward with adjusting to the meta in a different way. In season 14 game reaper left for personal reasons and I got the captain role, and we are planning on continuing our hard work and our legacy. While facing a great team, imperial. Led by phantom operator. 

 

  1. What do you think is a skill new teams should learn?

 

The value of precise call outs and info gathering while having an in-game leader who can plan on the fly, creating opportunities mid round. 

 

  1. What advice have you received that you wish you learned in the beginning that you can now pass on to another?

 

I think the biggest thing I learned wasn't from someone, perhaps from watching the OG teams play. I learned how staging up should look like, and how to treat the battlefield and brought my original changes to that. 

 

  1. How many seasons did it take for your team to make it to the level they currently are at now?

 

First season we had a lot to go through, so by the second season of NFI that was it, with us securing shadowarrior we headed to our best season yet. Looking forward to making it even better this season. 

 

  1. Does your team like to rush more or take their time? Explain which one you are and why.

 

Our team likes staging up and precise planning.  But as opposed to old OG teams our staging up isn't limited by time, it's limited by our position on the board, if it takes 30 seconds, 1 m or 5 whenever we stage up we execute. For why we like it more, I personally believe that's how the game was designed for, and execution of perfect plans has an unreal feeling. Having logical thinking and planning is what gets our team going. But we aren't afraid to run and gun in CQB

 

  1. How does your team handle a loss in a game? 

 

We don't lose much, but it's harder then it might look, I expect my players to be perfect. And in a league that every point count, it's hard losing maps, but we have to keep our heads up for that same reason, and when losing. We learn, adapt and move forward. 

It's also good to mention I find it healthy to have some heat after a game as it puts the players in perspective, if of course handling in the correct respectful way. 

 

  1. What advice would you give to the readers who are currently reading this who may not play onward but would like to get involved?

 

Do it, with all of it flaws, personally I played a lot of flat screen eSports and even had a contract, but VR? VR and onward is a game when you can't get enough of it. On the subject of advice. Put yourself in a bronze team  who scrim a lot gain the knowledge u need to advance and move up the ladder. There is a lot to learn and stuff that can only be learned in a team. So get yourself going! 

 

  1. Final question: What’s been your team’s favorite moment together, could be a match or scrim or team practice.

 

I think most of the team could agree on two favorite moments. First is our team meeting up in israel. This was the best experience I could ever ask for. And had tons of fun. But because not all players were present, I guess going into the finals with that last round in the semi finals, we were so happy I will never forget it!

Week 8 Matchups!
by Savscosplay |

With Week 8 almost over step on up and watch our current live matches Vendetta vs Mayham and Black Watch vs Deserters on VRML Twitch

Vendetta vs MAYHAM - https://www.twitch.tv/onward_vrml Nightfiree
Black Watch vs Deserters - https://www.twitch.tv/onward_vrml3 Cynthiacabello

Mid Season Matchups
by Savscosplay |

Week 7 is in full swing! 

Matches are underway from today’s matches being LatinForce vs *Proteus casted by Cynthiacabello, *Vendetta vs Grim Tide, and many more! This week’s matches are heated with more action to come, be sure to keep eyes out for our casters who will be casting! Fans of Nightfiree you don’t wanna miss the casted match for Thursday, Saints and Sinners vs Aging Moss at 8:30pm EST or *Vendetta vs OP happening on Saturday at 8PM EST. A fan of the EU side might wanna check out *Bossight vs Dubcity Warriors this Sunday at 3PM EST. The most anticipated matchup will be casted live by Grenade Magnet on Friday, *OP vs *Animal House at 8PM EST. Let us know which matches you wish to see casted by a community caster!! 

 

For new players who have questions check out Suggestions and feel free to drop them, we will have some answered here on the VRML Onward website or on the Suggestions page. You can find this page on the VRML Onward Discord https://discord.gg/onward-vrml-808926063571763220 with all that said have a great rest of Week 7!

Updated Rules for Reservists and Match Score Submission
by Leeloo |

Good day everyone!

We are releasing some Rules Updates as we are about to begin the new week! Here's a little recap:

Only 1 at a time - Teams will be allowed to use only 1 reservist per match from today

The clock is ticking - Teams now have 24h to submit the score after a match has concluded, and before 16:00 UTC on Monday of the following week. Now if a team doesn't submit their score within 24h, they can get punished for being late.

For any questions, please head to #ask-here in Discord. Have a great Week 5!

Season 14 is Almost Here!
by Leeloo |

Is your squad ready? It's going to be another great one!

 

IMPORTANT DATES!

Make sure you take note of these dates!

The season is 14 weeks of regular matches and 3-4 weeks of post-season tournaments to determine the Champions. Every week during the regular season, teams will get assigned 1 opponent and schedule to play a match within that week. An extra challenge match may be played with a team within your skill-level. New teams will not have a visible MMR score. They will need to play 3 matches to be placed on the ladder and perhaps a 4th to determine the color of their star. More information about the ranking system and the divisions can be found in the Rules and in Discord.

"Roster Lock" is the 3rd of April.  After this date, no roster changes may be made or the team will risk their qualification in the post-season tournaments.

Post-season starts April 29th with the Open Qualifiers. More information about these events and prize pool will be made available soon!

A team may sign up at anytime during the season before the Roster Lock. Some restrictions may apply regarding the qualification of teams for the post-season events.

This season's map pool is:
- Tanker
- Arctic
- Suburbia (Day & Night)
- Cargo - Subway
- Shipyard
- Bazaar (Day & Night)
- Quarantine (Day & Night)
- Abandoned (Day & Night)
- Snowpeak (Day & Night)
- Downfall (Day & Night)

 

ARE YOU READY?

Here is your Squad Up Checklist:

1. Are you in the Discord server? If not, right this way discord.gg/jXEjffwx5P
2. Are you looking for a team? Check out the recruitment channels in Discord and contact team captains in your region. https://vrmasterleague.com/Onward/Recruiting
3. Already got a squad? Create a team! https://vrmasterleague.com/Onward/Register Make sure you've assigned your team captain and co-captain their roles and that at least one of you is in the Support Server https://discord.gg/48JWECFQy7
4. Have your teammates read the rules? Make sure to read them and then read them again here: https://vrmasterleague.com/Onward/Rules Any updates to the rules will be announced in Discord. Feel free to ask questions!
5. Is your team set to "Active"? Make sure your team is activated prior to Monday, January 16th to get matches. The admins may put all teams as "inactive" this week to make sure there are no false starts when matches are generated.
6. Have fun! 

 

STAY CONNECTED!

Last but not least, follow us on all our social media to not miss casted match announcements, clipped plays, and general VR esports goodness!
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Onward_VRML
Facebook: https://facebook.com/@VRMasterLeague
Instagram: https://instagram.com/@VRMasterLeague
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@vrmasterleague
Twitch:
https://twitch.tv/Onward_VRML
https://twitch.tv/VRMasterLeague
https://twitch.tv/Onward_VRML2
https://twitch.tv/Onward_VRML3
YouTube: https://YouTube.com/c/OnwardMasterLeague

 

See you on the battlefield!

Season 13 Championship Winners & Off-Season News!
by Leeloo |
A month ago, there was a tense race for the cup with multiple different teams battling to receive it however as we all know only one team came out on top!
 
As of that congratulations are in order for the winners, RESURGENCE, as well as the runner up teams: 
1st - RESURGENCE
2nd - No Fun Intended
3rd - Imperial
 
Furthermore we would like to personally start this off with a huge thank you to each and every one of you that completed in Season 13 of Onward VRML. We truly wouldn't be here without you. Another massive thank you to the production team for covering the vast majority of post season matches and one last thank you to the mods who keep this league up and running. We hope you enjoyed Season 13! 

Thanks to our sponsors! ProtubeVR and VR Cover, your continued to support is AMAZING! Check out their products by checking out their respective websites! 
 
 
The feedback form is now available for you to give us your opinions on the season, make sure to fill it out so that we know how exactly to improve the experience for you guys and make it more enjoyable! We appreciate everyone that does fill it out! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1KCj7rhEvwUpHI_KZzB0kZI12YxhCV2h8QLknQL61x68/edit 
 
While we plan Season 14, we have some exciting events happening! There will be a CASTER VS MODS match on the 4th of December at 4pm EST so make sure to tune in to watch some exciting gameplay and find out live who comes out on top. Make sure to join the discord event to get a notification when the game goes live! https://discord.gg/6XEvQXhs?event=1048385857746378813
 
Keep reporting those bugs to DPI and help make the game better! There's a channel in our Discord, #1-9-update-feedback, where you can report bugs and highlight irregularities.
 
As an update to the proposed drone tournament, the map is nearly completed, and is in the fine tuning stage now. Huge thank you to  WhiteFang for putting this map together, see a sneak peak of it below.
 
Finally, our moderator and caster applications are open! If you are interested in either of these positions please fill out the form to give yourself a shot at becoming an Official VRML caster or League Mod. The applications are pinned in the #league-gen channel and can be found here: https://vrmasterleague.com/Volunteers
 
Keep up to date with our news by watching the Discord and our social media!
Onward Season 13 Finals This Saturday!
by Typic_ |
ONWARD VRML SEASON 13 CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS - Saturday, November 5th !
 
Throughout the entirety of Season 13 over 100 teams have fought tooth and nail to get to the point that No Fun Intended and Resurgence have reached. These two teams have finished at the top of both of their regions and will now face off in a best of 5 match this saturday. This match will truly showcase the best that Onward as a game has to offer as well as demonstrating what the highest skilled teams in VRML are capable of! Make sure to tune in live to experience the intense gameplay and participate in the various HyperX giveaways that will be going on throughout for your chance to get involved. 
 
Watch live at thest following times and places:
 
9 AM PDT | 12 PM EDT | 1600 UTC, Bronze Medal Match: Imperial vs BossFight
12 PM PDT | 3 PM EDT | 1900 UTC, Grand Finals: NoFunInteded vs RESURGENCE
 
 
$7,640 USD in cash and prizes up for grabs and giveaways for our viewers!
 
Details about the prize pool and the teams: http://vrml.gg/Onward/Championships/Season13
 
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Onward Season 13 Championship World Finals, Don't Miss It!
by Leeloo |

Hey yall' lot!

We are finally approaching the end of the Season and it has definitely been a wild ride. The Round Robins ended and we are approaching the last stretch. Congrats to the teams moving on to the World Finals!

This season's prize pool is $7,640 USD with $7,000  USD in cash and $640 USD in gear from us and our sponsors: VR Cover, ProTubeVR, and NightFiree.

In OCE/Asia, TNK and OJC made it through to the Finals! TNK had a great season, garnering an 88% win rate! OJC, staple of the Japanese community, closed the season out with an 80% win rate. Follow their team links to find out more about their roster and stats!

Representing Europe, meet NoFunIntended, Imperial, and BossFight! NFI and Imperial finished the season in 1st and 2nd place in the EU region with impressive stats. BossFight is no stranger to the pressures of Championship Finals. But, they'll have to get through tough competition if they want a piece of the prize pool!

RESURGENCE, Proteus, and Dark Tidings qualified through the American region. All teams are making their 1st appearance in seasonal finals, but don't count them out! They're a mix of seasoned who've participated in many seasons and newer players. 

It's going to be an exciting Finals!

Starting from this weekend, thanks also to the casting team we are going to be able to slow down the pace and have some time for ourselves to enjoy the finals too! Also and will not have the excuse that they are playing their matches! HA

Now for a brief recap of the Global Finals!
NoFunIntended (1#EU) vs TNK (2#OCE) | Saturday 22nd | 0800 ET, 1200 UTC, 2100 JST
Imperial (2#EU) vs Dark Tidings (2#NA) | Saturday 22nd | 1300 ET, 1700 UTC, 0200 JST
Proteus (1#NA) vs Bossfight (3#EU) | Saturday 22nd | 1600 ET, 2000 UTC , 0500 JST
OJC (1#OCE) vs RESURGENCE (3#NA) | Saturday 22nd | 2100 ET, 0100 UTC, 1000 JST - watch in Horizon Worlds HERE!

Links to stream:
Onward VRML Twitch: https://twitch.tv/onward_vrml
Onward VRML YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/onwardmasterleague
VRML Twitch: https://twitch.tv/vrmasterleague 
Meta Horizon Worlds: https://ocul.us/3sdWZj7

All of these matches will be Best of 5 Maps! Expect each team to give it their all!

Onward Season 13 Championship Has Started!
by Leeloo |

The regular season has ended, but the competition is far from over! Now, top teams play for a $7,640 USD prize pool from our sponsors and partners ProTubeVR, NightFiree, VR Cover, and ArmaGG!

Last weekend's Challenger Cup saw 30 teams in EU and NA compete for that last Round-Robin place in their respective regions. In EU, DubCity Warriors came out on top and join EU's top 7: 

EU Group A Bracket. Watch it live on Meta Horizon Worlds at https://oculus.com/experiences/event/516843466505616

EU Group B Bracket. https://www.oculus.com/experiences/event/516843466505616

 

NA Challenger Cup is still being fought! K-FOT and H3LL ON WHEELS will play a deciding match on Friday, October 14th at 8 PM EDT. The winner will play Notorious at 9 PM EDT to decide our Season 13 NA top 8 teams in the Championship!

Catch it all live on twitch.tv/onward_vrml

 

Saturday's and Sunday's events will begin with the OCE/Asia Round-Robin. The winner of this tournament will move on to the World Finals!

OCE/Asia Bracket. Watch live on https://twitch.tv/onward_vrml

NA Group A Bracket. Watch it live on Meta Horizon Worlds at https://www.oculus.com/experiences/event/5525841214158094

NA Group B Bracket. https://www.oculus.com/experiences/event/5525841214158094

 

Full brackets, prize pool information, schedules, and details about the competition can be found here: https://vrmasterleague.com/Onward/Championships/Season13

Stay tuned to live feeds for a chance to win in giveaways!

Good luck to all!