Doug Cortez

Minneapolis, MN

Exceptional wordsmith, scrupulous study, admissible gamer.

Doug Cortez

Minneapolis, MN

Exceptional wordsmith, scrupulous study, admissible gamer.

Featured
Meet 'The Wizard' of Halo: Justin Deese
Across esports history, there have been few players that have had such an illustrious career that they've been given a nickname that immortalizes their legacy. Dave "Walshy" Walsh, known by many of his fans as Capt. Clutch, is one such player. Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok, who's been called "the unkillable demon king," is another example.
Featured
Lightning in a bottle: SKT vs. Flash Wolves
For teams like SK Telecom T1, the Mid-Season Invitational in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has been a tournament of meeting expectations. Despite a few mishaps, the world-renowned juggernauts entered another international tournament head and shoulders above the rest of the field. While five of the six teams at the tournament have been vying for a spot in bracket play, SKT played through the group stages flirting with an almost perfect record.
Featured
The seven-year drought: Halo's Victory X has had everything but a win since 2010
Halo pro Cameron "Victory X" Thorlakson has not won a tournament since November 2010. "It would certainly be nice to put another notch on the belt after a nearly seven-year drought. I could see myself taking a page out of Peyton Manning's book and going out on a win." Every athlete dreams of going out on top.
Featured
OGRE 2 Was the World's Greatest Spartan
Is it in tournament prize money amassed? Top 3 finishes? The amount of rivals a player acquires along the way? Or is it the legacy that he or she leaves behind? For many, the definition of greatness is a conglomerate of the aforementioned. Oftentimes, the path to greatness originates in relatively humble beginnings and for a young boy by the name of Tom Ryan, his story was no exception.
An Unlevel Playing Field
An analytical approach to the competitive disadvantages Western teams face due to their best of 1 regular season format.
Featured
Analyzing Team Solomid
An in-depth analysis of Team Solomid
Enigma6 on defeating CLG - "We all stepped it up ... and went ballistic"
Enigma6 has tasted both the sweetness of victory and the bitter taste of defeat this season, but they seem to be catching fire at just the right time. They recently handed reigning Halo world champions Counter Logic Gaming their first loss since the X Games Invitational last season, and we had a chance to chat with them about the current season and their big win.
CLG's Halo legacy in the making
There are certain names in the history of Halo esports that will outlive many of us. Names like Final Boss from the days of Halo 2, and Evil Geniuses from Halo 2: Anniversary. These names are cloaked in a powerful aura of words such as dominant, greatness, and legacy. Since solidifying their new roster of Paul "Snakebite" Duarte, Matthew "Royal 2" Fiorante, Bradley "Frosty" Bergstrom, and TJ "Lethul" Campbell, Counter Logic Gaming have been knighted with some of these words as well.
Balancing act: Halo pros work with 343 to fine-tune game balance
The competitive balance for a major esport, regardless of the title, is a delicate and ever-changing beast. In a scenario where millions of people can play a game for a myriad of different reasons, finding the right recipe of what works and satisfying the masses is a daunting task. From the properties of in-game weapons and items to the spectator experience, game developers for esports titles have the power to change what they want, when they want.
Snakebite leads successful summer for CLG's Halo squad
Counter Logic Gaming added another page to their growing book of accolades last weekend when the team defeated Enigma 6 to take home the title of Summer Season Champions. Paul "Snakebite" Duarte, captain of what many consider to be the best Halo team in the world, has drunk deeply from the cup of success since the addition of TJ "Lethul" Campbell to the roster in January of this year.

About

Doug Cortez

Doug has worked with some of the best names in the esports editorial industry with one goal in mind: Ensuring that the greater esports narrative is made available to the public. A gamer in his own right, Doug has been involved in esports for over a decade and has worn the hat of player, coach, analyst, content creator, shout-caster, tournament organizer, and social media fiend. He is currently on the hunt for a full time role in esports while writing freelance for ESL, ESPN, and Red Bull.