Internet Connections Are No Game For These Esports Athletes

Internet connections are so common these days, they’re practically expected to be everywhere. Everyone has one, and everything can be connected to the internet, including your TV, your watch and even your fridge. However, not all internet connections are created equal. For pro esports teams like Evil Geniuses, only the best will do.

Thankfully for the team, Evil Geniuses is sponsored by XFINITY. The internet service provider has not only supplied the team with a top-of-the-line fiber connection, it redesigned the team’s training facility, providing the esports competitors a much nicer place to practice before big tournaments like the upcoming Dota 2 championship The International 7. The facility may look like an unassuming house in a quiet neighborhood, but it helps Evil Geniuses’ players get into the right competitive mindset to go out there and win.

“We have the opportunity to come to this training facility before any major tournament. We have this place we don’t have to set up or schedule anything,” Ludwig “zai” Wåhlberg told International Business Times. “It’s just free for us to come here and play. We know everything is set up here and ready to play. That makes a big difference.”

How much of a difference? Members of Evil Geniuses who were around before the XFINITY sponsorship have noticed a dramatic improvement thanks to the new furniture, artwork, general remodeling - and of course, the internet connection - that XFINITY has provided.

“The facility was a real mess last summer. The house is way cleaner and more enjoyable to be in. It’s a better environment to practice in,” Wåhlberg said. “You come here with a purpose. You know what you need to do when you get here. We’re all pretty good at just focusing on that one thing when we get here.”

A similar sentiment was also expressed by the Evil Geniuses team manager, Phillim Aram.

“Before XFINITY came on board, most of the year our preparation before tournaments was to everyone at home playing online with each other, which from an efficiency standpoint is just really bad,” said Aram. “Having everyone face to face in the gaming room is really important, but also the internet XFINITY provides is actually a huge deal. Fiber internet is incredibly reliable.”

While Evil Geniuses is obviously gaining from the XFINITY sponsorship, the internet service provider also sees gains for working with an esports team. Aside from having the company logo on Evil Geniuses’ jerseys, Comcast’s Executive Director of Sports Marketing, Matt Lederer, says it helps the company gain more credibility with esports fans.

“XFINITY’s partnership with Evil Geniuses allows us to provide one of the top esports teams in the world with our multi-Gig Internet service at the XFINITY Training Facility. The fact that one of the most storied teams in esports relies on our product to scrim and train for tournaments like The International only provides us with more credibility within that community,” Lederer said.

The esports community is an international one, so, having a training facility that’s got the comforts of a second home also helps make being a pro gamer easier. Wåhlberg, who is from Sweden, finds himself at the house “at least every two months” with other players coming and going as frequently throughout the year.

“It’s easy for me too,” Aram said about managing the team. “We decide we’re going to play in this tournament, we’ll all come meet at the facility 10 days, two weeks out. We come here and everything’s taken care of. I know the internet is going to work, I know it’s going to be really fast. I know we’re going to get the best pings possible for whatever server we’re playing on.”

Outside of travel logistics, the facility also provides a great space for practicing and playing Dota 2. This makes the job of coaching the Evil Geniuses much easier for Avery “SVG” Silverman.

“The team is just a lot more stable. They know when they go to a tournament and come back they have a place to go,” Silverman said. “It allows the team to come together and focus on our ideas and strategies. Having the facility here is a nice backbone to set everything else up.”

Evil Geniuses will be competing in the main event of The International 7, running from Aug. 7 to Aug. 12. You can follow the team on the official The International Twitch channel. If you are new to the game, there is also an official Newcomers channel that will explain what’s going on to those who don’t know every term and phrase.