FTW with Imad Khan: An Esports and Competitive Gaming Podcast
192 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 year ago -Join journalist Imad Khan on an in-depth discussion of the week in esports and competitive video gaming. The show brings years of insight from the inside of the esports industry, with exclusive interviews and special guests. New episodes every Monday.
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Episodes
Final FTW - FGC Spectacular ft. Cale Michael
May 22, 2023 04:07 - 22 minutes - 30.6 MBFor the final episode of FTW with Imad Khan, Cale Michael returns to the show one last time to discuss Street Fighter VI, Mortal Kombat's semi-reboot and Tekken 8 impressions.
LCS Viewership Plummets ft. Jordan Fragen
May 01, 2023 04:44 - 17 minutes - 24.5 MBLCS viewership saw a steady decline in viewership throughout the Spring Split. Average viewership was at 109,000 or 14.8 million hours watched. That's down 22% from the summer of 2022. Jordan Fragen of GamesBeat joins the podcast to discuss.
CLG is No More, Acquired by NRG ft. Alex Lee
April 11, 2023 06:00 - 21 minutes - 29 MBCLG has officially been acquired by NRG, with only its League roster staying afloat. Digiday's Alex Lee returns to the podcast to discuss.
Counter-Strike 2 is Here! Ft. Mateusz Miter
March 27, 2023 05:20 - 12 minutes - 17.2 MBValve announced Counter-Strike 2, a free follow-up to the incredibly popular Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, or CS:GO. Along with graphical overhauls, Valve is making some technical changes in CS2. To discuss the major changes coming to Counter-Strike, as well as how the esports community has been reacting, is Dot Esports reporter Mateusz Miter.
Beyond the Summit's Closure Marks a Cold Esports Winter ft. Cale Michael
March 05, 2023 16:55 - 19 minutes - 26.8 MBBeyond the Summit, an esports event organizer, laid off its entire staff. The company is known for putting on intimate invite-only tournaments in Super Smash Bros., DotA and other games. The format allowed for a looser atmosphere where pro players could entertain audiences in other ways. This comes as other esports teams and companies have began dropping players or selling their positions in leagues. To discuss is Dot Esports reporter Cale Michael.
Overwatch League vs. Activision Blizzard ft. Justin Jacobson
January 25, 2023 07:23 - 16 minutes - 22.1 MBJacob Wolf reported earlier this month that Overwatch League teams have come together to collectively bargain with publisher Activision Blizzard. Teams are looking for economic relief after high costs and low payments from the league. To discuss is gaming and esports attorney Justin Jacobson.
Competitive Pokemon Explained ft. Yash Nair
January 15, 2023 21:49 - 18 minutes - 25.3 MBLast week, Jiseok Lee of South Korea won the Pokémon VGC San Diego Regional, netting himself $3,000 in prize money. He used an unorthodox tactic to defeat his opponent 8-2. To explain the competitive Pokémon video game is freelance reporter Yash Nair.
How FTX's Collapse Affects Esports ft. NYU's Jason Chung
December 13, 2022 00:19 - 16 minutes - 23.1 MBLast month, cryptocurrency exchange FTX went bust. Owner Sam-Bankman Fried, and his friends, misused customer money in risky investments. The crash of FTX sent the crypto market spiraling downward. FTX was also a major sponsor in traditional sports and esports, like when it signed a naming rights deal with TSM and changed the name to TSM FTX in a $210 million deal. To talk about the impact of FTX's collapse is Jason Chung, director and esports business professor at NYU's Tisch Institute for G...
Nintendo v. Smash World Tour, a Legal Perspective ft. Connor Richards
December 04, 2022 23:19 - 32 minutes - 44 MBNintendo abruptly shut down the Smash World Tour weeks before the finals were to take place. In a long statement, VGBC, the company behind the tour, said Nintendo refused to approve broadcast licensing for the tournament and accused esports organization Panda Global of conspiring against the Smash World Tour behind the scenes. Connor Richards of Odin Law and Media brings his legal perspective.
Is Faker Going to LCS? Ft. Michael Kelly
November 22, 2022 03:26 - 16 minutes - 22.5 MBLeague of Legends free agency is happening right now and reports are surfacing of Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok fielding offers from North American teams. Also, it seems that Doublelift and Bjergsen are reuniting at 100 Thieves. To discuss is Dot Esports League of Legends reporter Michael Kelly.
Worlds 2022 ft. Mateusz Miter
November 08, 2022 15:27 - 18 minutes - 25.1 MBLeague of Legends World Championship 2022 concluded this past weekend, bringing one of most memorable storylines in League history. It was a South Korean grand finals with DRX and T1, helmed by Deft and Faker respectively. DRX ultimately came out victorious, giving a historic win to Deft, who has been playing in the shadow of Faker for years. To discuss is freelance reporter Mateusz Miter.
Unfair Pay in Esports Journalism ft. Alex Lee
October 24, 2022 04:11 - 35 minutes - 48.1 MBDigiDay published an article earlier this month about the low freelancer rates found in esports journalism. It focused on Gamurs Group, the same company that owns Dot Esports. Rates can be as low as $15 for a 300-word news article. The author of the article, Alex Lee, joins the show to discuss.
G2 Esports Drama Recap ft. Scott Robertson
October 20, 2022 02:00 - 15 minutes - 21.7 MBG2 Esports has been aflush in controversy. Founder Carlos "ocelote" Santiago was forced to step down as CEO position after he posted a video of him partying with Andrew Tate, a right-wing provocateurs who often espouses misogynistic viewpoints. It seemingly prompted Riot Games to rescind G2's offer of being a part of its Valorant franchise league. Dot Esports' Scott Robertson discusses Read 'G2 parts ways with entire VALORANT division following partnership snub' You can find Scott at @coun...
ESL Pro League Season 16 Recap ft. Mateusz Miter
October 03, 2022 23:13 - 13 minutes - 18 MBESL Pro League Season 16 concluded over the weekend. The Finals were between Team Vitality and Team Liquid. Freelance reporter Mateusz Miter returns to FTW to discuss.
Twitch Bans Gambling ft. Oscar Gonzalez
September 26, 2022 15:25 - 15 minutes - 21.3 MBTwitch has banned gambling after much outcry from the platform's top creators. But gambling streams have been a part of Twitch for decades, with many calling afoul of Twitch's latest move. Oscar Gonzalez of CNET joins the show to discuss.
The End of ZeRo's Lawsuit ft. Jacob Wolf
September 19, 2022 14:52 - 18 minutes - 25 MBJacob Wolf returns to the show to talk about ZeRo's lawsuit ending and his attempts to return to the scene.
Cloud9 Beat 100 Thieves to Take 2022 LCS Finals ft. Ethan Garcia
September 13, 2022 19:12 - 17 minutes - 23.5 MBCloud9 beat 100 Thieves over the weekend in a 3-0 sweep to win the 2022 LCS championship. Ethan Garcia joins the show to give his analysis of the LCS Championships and what North American fans have to look forward to at Worlds. Read 'Cloud9 crowned LCS champions after defeating 100 Thieves in only 3-0 sweep of 2022 LCS Championship.' You can find Ethan at @ethangarcia___. You can find Imad at @Imad. FTW with Imad Khan is a part of the Dot Esports Podcast Network. New episodes release eve...
Valorant Champions 2022 Preview ft. Scott Robertson
August 29, 2022 17:50 - 16 minutes - 22.9 MBValorant Champions 2022 Preview ft. Scott Robertson
Evo is Back ft. Cale Michael
August 16, 2022 03:30 - 17 minutes - 24.7 MBCale Michael reports from Evo 2022.
Riot Games' $100 Million Lawsuit ft. Preston Byers
August 02, 2022 03:33 - 9 minutes - 12.6 MBPreston Byers returns to talk Riot Games' $100 million lawsuit.
FaZe Clan's $1 Billion Valuation ft. Preston Byers
July 19, 2022 05:01 - 15 minutes - 22 MBPreston Byers
Inven Global Shutdown and The Future of Esports Journalism ft. Adam Fitch
July 11, 2022 06:03 - 19 minutes - 26.9 MBAdam Fitch Returns to talk Inven Global shutdown.
TSM vs. Godlike ft. Rishi Alwani
June 27, 2022 00:13 - 17 minutes - 24.4 MBTSM accuses Godlike of poaching Shadow.
Street Fighter 6 Revealed ft. Cale Michael
June 20, 2022 14:57 - 14 minutes - 19.5 MBCale Michael Returns to the show to discuss Street Fighter 6.
Seattle Surge Shut Out Atlanta FaZe ft. Preston Byers
June 07, 2022 03:56 - 19 minutes - 26.2 MBPreston Byers joins the show to talk Call of Duty League's Major III.
OG Wins Stockholm Major ft. Cale Michael
May 24, 2022 05:05 - 18 minutes - 25.2 MBOG wins Stockholm major Cale Michael jumps on the show to discuss.
Ping Issues Plague MSI 2022 ft. Tyler Esguerra
May 16, 2022 20:27 - 13 minutes - 18.9 MBMSI 2022 is taking place in South Korea. Chinese teams such as Royal Never Give Up, or RNG, are having to play from China due to Covid restrictions. To accommodate competition, Riot has implemented a special network latency tool to keep competition fair. Ping was meant to be set at or near 35 milliseconds. But in-tournament, ping issues have cropped up and things have not gone according to plan. Dot Esports Tyler Esguerra returns to the show to break it all down.
Overwatch 2 Is Here ft. Jess Scharnagle
May 09, 2022 15:16 - 20 minutes - 28.2 MBThe open beta for Overwatch 2 launched late last month with a huge flurry of interest. The game immediately broke viewership records on Twitch, with 460 thousand viewers in less than two hours and a high of 1.5 million. But the game quickly plunged, losing 99% of its audience in a week. Jessica Scharnagle returns to the show to break it all down. Read 'Overwatch 2 viewership plummets 99 percent after breaking viewership records for franchise in opening week' on Dot Esports. You can find Je...
LCS Spring Finals ft. Evil Geniuses' Andy Barton and Riot's Chris Greeley
April 26, 2022 18:02 - 20 minutes - 28.5 MBThe LCS Spring Finals took place in Houston last weekend. Evil Geniuses beat both Team Liquid and 100 Thieves in a 3-0 shutout. It was also the first in-person major League event since the start of the pandemic. Joining Imad this week is Evil Geniuses' General Manager Andy Barton and Riot's Head of Esports for North America and Oceania Chris Greeley.
LGD Jay Banned From League of Legends feat. Mateusz Miter
April 18, 2022 21:47 - 9 minutes - 12.6 MBLast week, China's League of Legends Pro League, or LPL, banned LGD's Chen "Jay" Bo for life for match-fixing, per a statement made on social media platform Weibo. Jay will also be forbidden from streaming League of Legends content on his personal stream. An investigation found text messages in which Jay allegedly communicated with an outside organization to intentionally lose matches during the 2022 LPL Spring Split. This week, Imad is joined by Dot Esports contributor Mateusz Miter to break...
VALORANT Challenge(r)s Tour feat. George Geddes
April 04, 2022 09:00 - 13 minutes - 18.6 MBAs the war between Russia and Ukraine rages on, the VALORANT Champions Tour, or VCT, has Russian players facing restrictions from competing. This affects Fnatic and FunPlus Phoenix who reportedly were scrambling to find replacements for their Russian players. Because FPX was not able to find enough replacements, its roster will not be traveling to Reykjavik in Iceland, and will instead be replaced by Team Liquid. Because VCT Masters is an international event, Russian players cannot travel int...
G2 Esports is Suing its NFT Partner for $5.2 Million feat. Mikhail Klimentov
March 24, 2022 13:48 - 14 minutes - 20.8 MBG2 Esports has filed a lawsuit against blockchain company Bondly, which was set to develop the sale of NFTs for the brand. G2 claims that Bondly misled leadership and is seeking $5.2 million dollars in damages. This week, Imad is joined by Mikhail Klimentov, who reported the story for the Washington Post, to discuss the lawsuit and esports' relationship with NFTs.
Returning to and Recapping the FGC in 2022 feat. Cale Michael
March 15, 2022 09:00 - 23 minutes - 32.9 MBWith COVID now trending downward, the fighting games scene is slowly starting to open up in-person events. Evolution (EVO) will return to Las Vegas this year and the Smash World Tour will finally come together. On this week's episode, Imad is joined by Dot Esports FGC reporter Cale Michael to talk about the FGC.
The Continued, Escalating Fallour of Russia's Invasion of Ukraine on Esports feat. Mateusz Miter
March 10, 2022 10:00 - 21 minutes - 30.8 MBDue to the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia, much of the esports industry, along with most nations, have showed support for Ukraine, including sending donations to humanitarian efforts and condemnations of Russia's actions. Tournament organizers have also banned some Russian teams from competing in events. Events that were to take place in the CIS region, which includes Russia, have been cancelled. This week, Imad is rejoined by Dot Esports reporter Mateusz Miter to discuss the latest d...
The Esports Implications of Russia's Invasion of Ukraine (so far) feat. Mateusz Miter
March 02, 2022 10:00 - 17 minutes - 24.1 MBRussia has declared war on Ukraine. The esports scene in Europe is tied greatly to Russia and its neighboring countries. Alraedy, orgs such as G2 Esports, Ninjas in Pyjamas, Astralis, and others have made statements condemning Russia's actions. Ukranian CS:GO pro Oleksandr "s1mple" Kostyliev expressed his frustrations on Twitter saying his city, Kiev, is being shelled. Kostyliev was just in Poland for IEM Katowice 2022. This week, Imad is joined by Dot Esports reporter Mateusz Miter to break ...
Ep 98: The Esports Implications of Russia's Invasion of Ukraine (so far) feat. Mateusz Miter
March 02, 2022 10:00 - 17 minutes - 24.1 MBRussia has declared war on Ukraine. The esports scene in Europe is tied greatly to Russia and its neighboring countries. Alraedy, orgs such as G2 Esports, Ninjas in Pyjamas, Astralis, and others have made statements condemning Russia's actions. Ukranian CS:GO pro Oleksandr "s1mple" Kostyliev expressed his frustrations on Twitter saying his city, Kiev, is being shelled. Kostyliev was just in Poland for IEM Katowice 2022. This week, Imad is joined by Dot Esports reporter Mateusz Miter to break ...
The Pakistani Government's Case for Accusing PUBG Mobile of Murder feat. Aasil Ahmed
February 25, 2022 10:00 - 18 minutes - 26.7 MBLast month, a 14-year-old boy in Lahore, Pakistan, shot his family dead. Police claim that he was "under the influence" of PUBG Mobile. In a statement, police said, "The PUBG addict boy confessed to have killed her mother and siblings under the influence of the game. He has developed some psychological issues because of spending long hours of the day playing the online game." Police say he was quick to get agitated and that his mother scolded him earlier for playing the game too much instead ...
Motif Esports Disbands After Sexual Harassment Allegations feat. Cecilia Ciocchetti, Joanne, and Rebecca
February 14, 2022 14:39 - 21 minutes - 39.6 MBMotif Esports, a U.K. based esports organization has completely disbanded, deleting its website and Twitter profiles in the process. Two members of its all-female VALORANT team alleged to have experienced both racism and sexual harassment when competing in VCT Game Changers. The team's former captain, Joanne Rae, shared a Twitlonger detailing a toxic work environment and alleged that founder Jack "Jaws" Willis sexually harassed her. Her teammate, Barbora "Rebecca" Řezáčová. claimed there was ...
The Saudi Arabian Government's $1.5 Billion Esports Investment feat. Leonardo Biazzi
February 07, 2022 10:00 - 22 minutes - 31.6 MBLast month, Savvy Gaming Group purchased both ESL and FACEIT Group in a massive $1.5 billion dollar deal. Savvy is fully backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund and is essentially the esports and gaming arm of its larger sports acquisition and marketing efforts. The Saudi Arabian government has a poor human rights record, including a number of vast restrictions to women, and anti-LGBTQ+ laws. Over the past years, the country has been trying to change its public image around the world ...
A (Micro)soft Reset for the CDL and OWL? feat. Tanner Wooten
January 24, 2022 10:00 - 26 minutes - 37.4 MBOn back-to-back episodes of FTW, we're talking shooters. This week, it's the Call of Duty League's turn in the spotlight. It, as well as its sister league in the Overwatch League, will be feeling the ramifications of Microsoft agreeing to buy their parent company Activision Blizzard for a record-breaking $68.7 billion dollars. On this week's episode, Imad is joined by freelance Call of Duty League reporter Tanner Wooten to talk about what Microsoft's acquisition could mean for the future of a...
Halo Esports is Back! (and so are we!) feat. Scott Robertson
January 17, 2022 10:00 - 19 minutes - 27.4 MBHalo esports is back, and with the launch of the newest title in the series, Halo Infinite, the scene is off to a great start. After a couple of Majors and some Pro Series tournaments, Cloud9 stand atop the scene. But what's next for the esport in a franchise that has been around for as long as Halo has? Is the scene just surviving on nostalgia, or is it sustainable? To answer these questions and get some insight into the state of the esport as it stands, we're joined by Dot Esports FPS staff...
The 2021 Esports Year In Review feat. Jacob Wolf
December 26, 2021 00:54 - 46 minutes - 85.9 MB2021 was an interesting year for esports. The first part of the year was quiet, with COVID still raging and vaccination programs getting off the ground. But as the year progressed, some players were banned, others were unbanned, and an entire company was at the forefront of an industry-wide reckoning. To break down the year in esports for 2021, Dot Esports' Investigative Lead, Jacob Wolf, joins this week's episode.
A(s)cending to the Throne feat. Jalen Lopez
December 15, 2021 10:00 - 16 minutes - 22.8 MBp>Last week saw the conclusion of the first ever Valorant Champions Tour. European team Acend took home the gold and a hefty $350,000 as well. They beat Gambit Esports 3-2. Teams were also paid 50% of net proceed from skin sales, with total sales coming out to $7.5 million. It marks a fantastic year for VALORANT, an esport that came into prominence during the pandemic. Viewership during VCT saw a peak of 811,000, an exponential rise from events that had taken place earlier in the year. This w...
Ep 91: A(s)cending to the Throne feat. Jalen Lopez
December 15, 2021 10:00 - 16 minutes - 22.8 MBp>Last week saw the conclusion of the first ever Valorant Champions Tour. European team Acend took home the gold and a hefty $350,000 as well. They beat Gambit Esports 3-2. Teams were also paid 50% of net proceed from skin sales, with total sales coming out to $7.5 million. It marks a fantastic year for VALORANT, an esport that came into prominence during the pandemic. Viewership during VCT saw a peak of 811,000, an exponential rise from events that had taken place earlier in the year. This w...
The Panda Controller feat. Matthew Samperi & Dr. Alan
December 06, 2021 20:50 - 29 minutes - 40.4 MBLast week, esports team Panda Global launched a Kickstarter for a new pro-level GameCube controller. This controller was made to address the inconsistencies that Smash players face when hunting down a weapon of choice. As of publishing, the Kickstarter has surpassed 1.2 million dollars. On this week's episode, Imad is joined by Dr. Alan Bunnay, CEO of Panda Global, and Matt Samperi, president of Panda Hardware, to talk about what they hope to change about a decades-old controller while preser...
Activision Blizzard: It (Somehow) Gets Worse feat. Shannon Liao
November 23, 2021 21:01 - 24 minutes - 34.2 MBOn Nov. 16, Kirsten Grind, Ben Fritz and Sarah Needleman of The Wall Street Journal put out a bombshell report regarding Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard. Earlier this year, California's Department of Fair Housing and Employment sued Activision Blizzard over multiple allegations of employee harassment and abuse. The company has been since been combative, fighting back at the allegations and appealing to the public that it is a safe place to work that's inclusive of all types of people...
Just How Free Is Agency? feat. Hawken Miller
November 17, 2021 10:00 - 15 minutes - 21.2 MBFree Agency is upon us for League of Legends where teams are expected to make major bids for top players with expiring contracts. Underscoring the hundreds of thousands in salaries that are likely going to be used as bartering chips is a change in talent management. As the esports industry as grown, so has the influx of established talent agencies willing to represent esports athletes. This week, Hawken Miller, who wrote a story for Dot Esports about the changing agency landscape within espo...
Delaying the ...Evitable? at Activision Blizzard feat. Shannon Liao
November 09, 2021 10:00 - 21 minutes - 30.3 MBThe Activision Blizzard saga rumbles on, with the ramifications of the DFEH lawsuit of earlier this year and the other controversies surrounding the company in 2021 finally affecting the company's games themselves. Activision Blizzard announced last week that Overwatch 2 and Diablo 4 were delayed even further back than before. This week, The Washington Post's Shannon Liao, who has done extensive reporting on the entirety of the ActiBlizz going-on over the last few months, joins Imad on the sh...
Shooters Shoot feat. Scott Robertson & Jess Scharnagle
November 01, 2021 09:00 - 22 minutes - 30.9 MBThe Counter-Strike: Global Offensive PGL Major 2021 in Stockholm, Sweden is underway. It's the first CS:GO Major since StarLadder Major in Berlin in 2019, meaning that PGL's highest-ever prize pool is at a whopping $2 million. In the world of VALORANT esports, the Last Chance Qualifiers are underway. As the name suggests, it's the last chance for teams to fight their way up to the Champions event. While the event started on Oct. 12, false-positive COVID tests pushed the event to Oct. 27. On ...
Hey Now, You're an(ickelodeon) All-Star feat. Armada
October 25, 2021 09:00 - 23 minutes - 32.5 MBNickelodeon All-Star Brawl is the new hotness in the Smash scene. No, really. The game's technical intricacies and fast pace have impressed veterans of the scene such as Adam "Armada" Lindgren, one of the greatest Melee players of all time. He joined the show this week to chat with Imad about just what makes NASB so special from a gameplay perspective, what the game's developers have goten right, and whether it has the legs as a competitive game to stick around in a saturated platform fighter...