Kevin D. Liles Photography

ELeague Finals for ESPN

ELeagueA couple of weeks ago, I had a first in my photography career: covering professional video gaming. I photographed the finals of the first week of ELeague, a partnership between WME | IMG and Turner Broadcasting. It was absolutely electric in there! Fans, many of whom waited hours for a seat in the studio, cheered and hissed at the humongous LED screen as the two teams battled each other in the game Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.  In the photo above, Epitacio de Melo, whose gamer name is TACO and plays with Luminosity, is shown on the screen as the crowd cheers.

The finals that week were between Cloud9 and Luminosity, with Luminosity prevailing in the end. There will be a finals each week until the championship at the end of July … hopefully I will be there to document it.

General view of the studio built for ELeague, complete with a moving commentator desk, at Turner Studios in Atlanta.
General view of the studio built for ELeague, complete with a moving commentator desk, at Turner Studios in Atlanta.

ELeague ELeague

ernando Alvarenga, whose gamer tag is Fer, practices before the competition.
Fernando Alvarenga, whose gamer tag is Fer and a member of Luminosity, practices before the competition.
The hand of Lincoln Lau, whose gamer tag is fnx, as he warms up.
The hand of Lincoln Lau, whose gamer tag is fnx and a member of Luminosity, as he warms up.
Jordan Gilbert, whose gamer name is n0thing and a member of Cloud9, cleans his mouse.
Jordan Gilbert, whose gamer name is n0thing and a member of Cloud9, cleans his mouse.

Atlanta, Georgia - May 27, 2016: xxxxx during the ELeague finals at Turner Studios. This is the first week of ELeague, a partnership between WME | IMG and Turner Broadcasting. Two other teams, Team Liquid and Renegades, were eliminated during the semifinals on Thursday, May 26. (Kevin D. Liles for ESPN)

Atlanta, Georgia - May 27, 2016: xxxxx during the ELeague finals at Turner Studios. This is the first week of ELeague, a partnership between WME | IMG and Turner Broadcasting. Two other teams, Team Liquid and Renegades, were eliminated during the semifinals on Thursday, May 26. (Kevin D. Liles for ESPN)

Atlanta, Georgia - May 27, 2016: xxxxx during the ELeague finals at Turner Studios. This is the first week of ELeague, a partnership between WME | IMG and Turner Broadcasting. Two other teams, Team Liquid and Renegades, were eliminated during the semifinals on Thursday, May 26. (Kevin D. Liles for ESPN)

Atlanta, Georgia - May 27, 2016: xxxxx during the ELeague finals at Turner Studios. This is the first week of ELeague, a partnership between WME | IMG and Turner Broadcasting. Two other teams, Team Liquid and Renegades, were eliminated during the semifinals on Thursday, May 26. (Kevin D. Liles for ESPN)

Atlanta, Georgia - May 27, 2016: xxxxx during the ELeague finals at Turner Studios. This is the first week of ELeague, a partnership between WME | IMG and Turner Broadcasting. Two other teams, Team Liquid and Renegades, were eliminated during the semifinals on Thursday, May 26. (Kevin D. Liles for ESPN)

Atlanta, Georgia - May 27, 2016: xxxxx during the ELeague finals at Turner Studios. This is the first week of ELeague, a partnership between WME | IMG and Turner Broadcasting. Two other teams, Team Liquid and Renegades, were eliminated during the semifinals on Thursday, May 26. (Kevin D. Liles for ESPN)

ELeague ELeague

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