CSGO changes loot boxes to X-ray scanner in France to bypass laws

With a new update only for players in France, Valve has changed how cases work in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CSGO). This update allows players to look inside loot boxes before opening. Many speculate this is most likely in place to bypass a new law regulating loot boxes in France.

Loot boxes alternative

CS:GO players in France will now have restrictions placed on them because of their country’s laws. Instead of opening the loot boxes like normal with a case and a key, players will have to use a special tool. The X-ray scanner allows users to reveal the cosmetic item inside of any skin container. There isn’t an item-spinning animation like a slot machine anymore and players don’t have to buy a key beforehand.

Once players use the X-ray scanner to scan a skin container and reveal the item inside, they have to claim it before scanning another container. One reason for this restriction is to prevent players from abusing the tool. They could potentially scan cases and then sell off the cases that don’t have good skins. However, this will also force players to purchase the skin even if it isn’t worth it. In the video shown above, the content creator is required to shell out the price of a key for a 3 cent skin so that he can continue to scan other loot boxes. 

French CSGO restrictions

Another rule applied to players in the France region is they cannot buy skin containers anymore on the Steam Community Market. However, if they get a container as a drop in-game, one can still sell it. Some easily thought of bypasses to this rule include trading other players. 

Players in other regions can try out this update by changing their Steam region to France and opening CSGO. However, players from countries like the Netherlands and Belgium do not yet have the option to scan their cases. Because of laws also banning loot boxes, players from those regions simply cannot open any skin containers.

The Tonight Show to feature San Francisco Shock players Super, Sinatraa

The 2019 Overwatch League champions San Francisco Shock are coming to late night. It was announced that two of the team’s players, main tank Matthew “Super” DeLisi and DPS player Jay “Sinatraa” Won, will appear on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon on Oct. 7.

Hey @JimmyFallon and @questlove how about a little 2v2?

Don't miss @Sinatraa and @super_OW on @FallonTonight Monday 10/7 pic.twitter.com/3BMm0z1i5T

— San Francisco Shock? (@SFShock) October 4, 2019

The Tonight Show

Sinatraa first revealed the announcement on Twitter. Sinatraa is the 2019 Overwatch League Most Valuable Player. After the Shock lost to the Atlanta Reign in the Playoffs Quarterfinals, the team decided to practice extra hard. As a result, the team breezed through the losers’ bracket undefeated and won every match with the same 4 – 0 record.

The Shock took home $1.1 million in prize pool earnings and the Overwatch League trophy. With this momentous occasion, the two Overwatch stars will appear on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon to talk about their journey. Other talk show hosts have looked down upon esports, such as Jimmy Kimmel who has repeatedly made fun of gamers and called them losers. However, Jimmy Fallon has instead supported those in the space. This can be seen in a recent episode with Fortnite World Cup winner Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf, as well as with Tyler “Ninja” Blevins. 

Sinatraa and Super

Andy Miller, the Chief Executive Officer of NRG Esports and Owner of the San Francisco Shock, stated they based the team around Sinatraa and Super because they could see their skills and knew Super’s personality would bring the whole team together.

While Super didn’t play in the Grand Finals, he has contributed to the team throughout the season. Both players joined the Overwatch League franchise when they were ineligible to compete because of their age, but this turned out to be a great decision. Miller later emphasized this point at a post-game press conference that he wanted to “[build] a dynasty” with the Shock. 

The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon episode featuring Super and Sinatraa will be shown at 11:35 p.m. EST on Monday, Oct. 7. Will you be checking out the live episode or watching the recorded version? Let us know what you think about the news and keep up with Daily Esports for all of your Overwatch coverage.

Twitch signs Fortnite streamer Nickmercs to exclusive deal

The battle for streamers continues. Twitch and Nick “Nickmercs” Kolcheff have signed a multiyear deal. Currently, Nickmercs only streams on Twitch and that will continue. The deal is exclusive so that he only streams Fortnite and other games on Twitch. Nick is the second streamer to sign an exclusive deal to the streaming platform. Nicholas “Nick Eh 30” Amyoony also joins Twitch at the beginning of September. He comes from YouTube and was one of the platform’s biggest Fortnite streamers. Twitch understands the streaming market and proceeds to attract talent. Additionally, the platform just went through a full refresh.

Was caught up in everything TwitchCon & forgot to say THANK YOU to you all, for making this possible. I'm very proud of this community we've built on Twitch over the years. The MFAM is truly something different & I’m very excited for what’s to come. https://t.co/E2r6xfzO7P

— Nickmercs (@NICKMERCS) October 1, 2019

A busy year for Nickmercs

Nickmercs began the year as a member of 100 Thieves. He was a member and a co-founder of the organization. Then the gamer and 100 Thieves had a falling out. At first, the split appeared friendly and mutual, but that was evidently not the case.

Nickmercs proceeded to join FaZe Clan in a surprise announcement shortly after. FaZe Clan is among the biggest organizations in esports. Nickmercs was a great addition to their Fortnite roster. He is both a content creator and a competitive player. Nick is a true Fortnite veteran and still one of the best around.

Nothing besides the contract changed for Nickmercs. He still streams on Twitch regularly and remains one of the top Fortnite streamers on the platform. Nick developed a great community called “MFAM.” The streamer has created events, such as a cookout. Additionally, the MFAM raised over $50,000 for Prader-Willi syndrome research in December of 2018.

The battle for Fortnite streamers

Entertainment continues to develop. This means growth and development within the live streaming industry. Tyler “Ninja” Blevins signed the first exclusive streaming deal with Mixer. Then Nick Eh 30 followed suit signing a deal with Twitch. Now Nickmercs is the latest streamer to become exclusive. Several other top streamers will be courted by the various platforms. In order to compete, Twitch, YouTube, and Mixer need to attract and maintain talent.