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SportsGamers, The 2022 SCL 6v6 Playoffs are moving on nicely and we are already at the Quarterfinals stage with some really great matchups ahead. Some series will be kicking off in just a few hours, so let's get right down to it and preview these tough clashes.   Skutebrygga  (1) vs Sodertalje SK  (9) TOP SCORER (Playoffs) @Strumpan87 3 GP, 8+6=14 vs @BlizzakDevine 5 GP, 8+4=12 GOALTENDER (Playoffs) @benjamint737 3 GP, 3 W, 100 SV%, 0 GAA, 3 SO vs @Tauri 5 GP, 3 W, 66,67 SV%, 2,8 GAA, 0 SO REGULAR SEASON RECORD 10-0-0 vs 8-2-2 Skutebrygga as emerged as something of a modern Nordic superteam, including mostly Swedish players with some Norwegian spice in the mix. The team bases their game on quick puck movement and exceptionally skilled individuals, and it seems like veteran @Strumpan87 has really flourished in the playoffs thus far on the wing of @Suth98_ and @Henka0009. What you are witnessing is the coming out party of a real SCL contender, that could do great things at the European stage too if they continue treading down the same path.  Sodertalje SK is an experienced squad that has played together for an extended period of time, albeit in slightly different constellations. This SCL, they are sporting a very deep roster that allows them to look for the most favorable matchups on the ice, but could cause them to suffer in chemistry slightly. @Vesterberg89 on his RD spot will have to go against Skutebrygga top scorer and Södertälje SK alumni @Strumpan87, and will have his work cut out for him all series long.  Prediction: Skutebrygga in 3. Manos  (2) vs Garotta Di Ansjovis  (7) TOP SCORER (Playoffs) @Melguss 3 GP, 2+10=12 vs @Buffy 4 GP, 9+4=13 GOALTENDER (Playoffs) @MrAllsvenskan 3 GP, 3 W, 80 SV%, 2,33 GAA, 0 SO vs @RaNtA 4 GP, 3 W, 82,86 SV%, 1,5 GAA, 1 SO REGULAR SEASON RECORD 12-0-0 vs 10-2-2 Manos is an interesting squad, comprised of mostly what seems like players of Växjö Lakers HC fame, but also including some additions like @Melguss and @Putteekiing to strengthen their ranks. Manos have a very deep roster with a tremendous amount of skill, but they'll most likely start gravitating towards their final form in the hopes of a deep playoff push. Both wingers @Hockeyjohannes and @Birkedal96 are great goal scorers that have been fed all season long by centerman @Melguss, and the trend should continue in this series.  Garotta Di Ansjovis is perhaps sporting one of the more exotic names in the tournament, but they're also a considerable threat on the ice. Lead by veterans like @Buffy and @J-Foppa, the team will have the mental resilience to put up a fight against a highly skilled team that could put them on the back foot a bit. It's highly likely that Garotta will have to resort to a counter attacking strategy in order to clinch wins in this series. Prediction: Manos in 3. Sankens Soldater  (3) vs Leksands IF  (6) TOP SCORER (Playoffs) @ICappeI 3 GP, 5+5=10 vs @Bror1326 4 GP, 8+5=13 GOALTENDER (Playoffs) @Provokacija 3 GP, 3 W, 80 SV%, 0,67 GAA, 2 SO vs @Jeqque44 4 GP, 3 W, 72,22 SV%, 2,5 GAA, 1 SO REGULAR SEASON RECORD 13-0-1 vs 10-2-0 Sankens Soldater is bona fide superteam with a tremendous amount of prestige in their ranks, quite interestingly goaltender extraordinaire @ICappeI is making a comeback at the left wing and has done so in successful manner on the flank of @Eken45jr and @I-Maise-I. Sanken is without a doubt the more offensively capable squad in this matchup and should take the control for most of the series. Defensemen @Sebban and @Demski_ are excellent with the puck and will jump in on the offense when required as well.  What we're seeing in Leksands IF is first and foremost a great team, much alike we're used to seeing for squads lead by @iSvamp from his defensive spot. The full Swedish outfit has managed to recruit highly potential players that could be seen as unpolished gems, now working very well as a five man unit and with the skill set to be able to beat any team that comes in their way. This is the first series to start the Quarterfinals and after the first three games the series is at a 2-1 lead for Sankens Soldater. Prediction: Sankens Soldater in 5. Falun Coal Miners  (4) vs Bjorkloven Esport  (5) TOP SCORER (Playoffs) @MartindalexC 3 GP, 7+5=12 vs @Pappen 5 GP, 4+9=13 GOALTENDER (Playoffs) @Supreex 2 GP, 2 W, 90 SV%, 1 GAA, 0 SO vs @Kallmanius 5 GP, 3 W, 84,44 SV%, 1,4 GAA, 1 SO REGULAR SEASON RECORD 13-1-0 vs 13-1-0 We'll be in for a very tough fight between Falun Coal Miners and Björklöven Esport in this Quarterfinals matchup. The Coal Miners have made a comeback after some time and in their signature way, they are immediately competitive with a deep, experienced and highly skilled roster. @antoniomannen004 had an excellent campaign with Setelit On Ice in the eHSM and seems to continue his form also in the Coal Miners lineup alongside @MartindalexC and @Foppatofflan. Defensively, we're looking at a highly capable team with very offensively gifted defensemen, who like to jump in on the rush and shoot the puck from the point. Quite surprisingly, the Falun powerplay has been their weakest link in the playoffs, but thus far they've been able to remedy that with a high scoring 5v5 game. The Umeå outfit Björklöven Esport have some cornerstones in @Kallmanius and @Pappen, who have been with the squad for a longer time already. They're joined by a strong arsenal of gifted players and some very experienced defensemen on their back line. Especially look for the connection on offence between new recruit @Winci and @Pappen, which is one of Björklövens most dangerous weapons.  Prediction: Falun Coal Miners in 4. 

FIFA 23 brings TV screen sensation Ted Lasso to the virtual pitches, and adds AFC Richmond players together with their home stadium Nelson Road in a crossover fans of the show will love. The Sandman, Lasso Special, Pepper Shakers and the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, do these ring any bells? If not, you might have some catching up to do with Apple TV's hit show Ted Lasso, but if these names are familiar to you, you'll be pleased to hear that in FIFA 23, you'll be able to pull off these Ted Lasso trick plays with some of the AFC Richmond stars in virtual form.  Take the pitch with AFC Richmond in their signature red and blue colors with the likes of Sam Obisanya, Roy Kent and Jamie Tartt in your starting eleven and create your own story in helping the troubled club flourish once again. In addition to the colors and players, also the club's home stadium, Nelson Road will be playable in FIFA 23. We'll only have to wait and see if also the signature Jamie Tartt and Roy Kent chants from the Richmond fans will make it to the game as well.  According to EA Sports, you'll be able to select Ted Lasso himself as a playable character in your manager career mode, or swap the club AFC Richmond into your career mode in any league. Ted Lasso and Coach Beard will also be integrated into the FUT mode as character items, and some additional AFC Richmond banners and club customization items will also be available. The fictional players will most likely not make it into FUT as playable characters. This means that now is your chance to go for one of Ted Lasso's signature unorthodox tactics, or perhaps you're going to take the role of Nathan Shelley, teaching the Americans about the nuances of the false 9 or what parking the bus means in a football setting, breaking it off with AFC Richmond in order to take on them in a brewing rivalry with West Ham United? As a big fan of both the EA Sports FIFA series and the Ted Lasso series, this is a fun addition to the game that at the moment is in a good place in its development. What are your thoughts on the Ted Lasso integration?

The long awaited return of Tiger Woods to the realm of golf video games is happening in the form of PGA Tour 2K23. The arguably best golfer of all time returns together with 2K and developer HB Studios as a creative director for the PGA Tour 2K series, and fans of the series are excited to watch it unfold. The newest iteration in a long line of golf simulation games is aiming to bring the most immersive experience to date, but with a spin of arcade feel on the side. This is accomplished by authentic PGA Tour Courses, several authentic playable Pros and a multitude of sliders and settings to alter your experience when hitting the virtual green either on your own or with a bunch of friends.  Playable pros 2K22 already had a Pro roster with several of the world's best golfers going up against you in the MyCareer mode on the PGA Tour, but this year, you'll be able to actually play as these superstars of the game. The 2K23 roster includes golfers like Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm, Will Zalatoris and for the first time in franchise history, female stars like Brooke Henderson and Lexi Thompson. Naturally, you'll also be able to take control with poster boy Tiger Woods and in the crossover we didn't know we needed, even basketball's GOAT Michael Jordan. Now, these are only some of the characters available to play at launch and we can certainly expect more content to arrive in updates along the games lifecycle. Quite interestingly, the 2K23 launch trailer could even hint at even more cool crossovers later, as self-proclaimed golf aficionado Schoolboy Q is featured in the trailer, together with 100T co-founder and CEO Nadeshot. Naturally, all playable characters have individual abilities and traits, making each golfer feel and play different. Jon Rahm is one of the playable golfers in PGA Tour 2K23. The Topgolf experience The wildly popular Topgolf experience enters PGA Tour 2K23. For those unfamiliar with the concept, Topgolf is like a driving range out of a video game - perfect to actually be featured in one! Now you can enter the Topgolf location to hone your driving skills and precision in a set of various challenges. Traditional three click swing  The three click swing will bring back memories for those who played golf games of the late 90s and early 2000s, and it's now making a return in a reimagined way. The three click swing allows players to set power on the first click, set swing trajectory on the second click and finally impact an open or closed club face on the third click. Struggling competition 2K has had the golf video game market locked down for a few years already, and you'd imagine that having a superstar like Tiger Woods on board only makes them stronger, while simultaneously it appears main competitor EA Sports is struggling with their product. EA Sports PGA Tour was originally scheduled to release in spring 2022, but EA announced on March 22nd, that the game will be delayer by a year. EA Sports' latest golf simulation game was 2015's Rory McIlroy PGA Tour.  Three editions available for pre-order As we've seen with other sports games titles recently, also PGA Tour 2K23 offers a few different editions to choose from. The PGA Tour 2K23 Deluxe Edition and the PGA Tour 2K23 Tiger Woods Edition will grant three days early access among other perks, including some pre-order additions.  Standard Edition Pre-order bonuses Michael Jordan Bonus Pack Playable Michael Jordan 4 Common Golf Ball Sleeves Deluxe Edition Deluxe Bonus Pack 1300 VC 1 Hockey Stick Putter 1 Gold Baseball Cap 1 Gold Golf Glove 3 Rare Golf Ball Sleeves Michael Jordan Bonus Pack Playable Michael Jordan 4 Common Golf Ball Sleeves Golden Club Pack 1 Golden Driver 1 Golden Putter 4 Uncommon Golf Ball Sleeves Tiger Woods Edition Tiger Woods Edition Bonus Content 1 Tiger Woods TaylorMade Club Set 1 Tiger Woods T-Shirt 3 Epic Golf Ball Sleeves Tiger Woods Signature Sunday Pack 1 Red Polo Shirt 1 Pair of Black Pants 1 Black Hat 1 Tiger Woods Golf Shoes 1 Tiger Woods Golf Belt Tiger Bridgestone Branded Golf Balls Deluxe Bonus Pack 1300 VC 1 Hockey Stick Putter 1 Gold Baseball Cap 1 Gold Golf Glove 3 Rare Golf Ball Sleeves Michael Jordan Bonus Pack Playable Michael Jordan 4 Common Golf Ball Sleeves Golden Club Pack 1 Golden Driver 1 Golden Putter 4 Uncommon Golf Ball Sleeves

SportsGamers, With the 5th generation of consoles being out for almost two years at this point, after careful consideration and community polls we've made the decision to move to Gen 5 consoles starting with ECL '23 Winter, as announced in late July in our article about the NHL 23 Technical Test. This means in all simplicity, that future tournaments organized by SportsGamer.GG will be played on Gen 5 versions (PlayStation 5 & Xbox Series X|S) of NHL 23, but we will be gauging interest for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One tournaments, and external partners can still choose to host PlayStation 4 or Xbox One tournaments at SportsGamer.GG. What it all comes down to then is, which version should you get in order to make sure you can participate in all SportsGamer.GG events? Here's a quick reminder of how the cross-play feature on NHL 23 will work: Players can play against any opposing team within their console generation, but mixed teams will not be possible. Therefore, teams must be made up of only one console generation and type in order for cross-play to work. However, keep in mind that EA Sports hasn't yet announced when exactly the cross-play feature will be implemented to the game, and it is possible that tournaments launched before then will not be able to support teams from the other platform. For ECL '23 Winter specifically, the preferred platform of choice will be PlayStation 5. We predict Xbox Series X|S teams will be able to join in on the ECL action once cross-play is confirmed to have been added to NHL 23, so hopefully by the ECL '23 Spring season at the latest. NHL 23 features two versions of the game available for Pre-order. Players will be able to opt for the standard version or the X-Factor Edition on any console. When opting which version to go for, keep in mind that while NHL 23 will include cross-play for consoles within the same generation, it does not feature cross-play between console generations. If you are planning on upgrading to a next generation console over the course of the NHL 23 life cycle, you should definitely look to go for the X-Factor Edition in order to secure double entitlement without having to buy both editions separately. The bottom line is, if you want to be able to participate in all upcoming action, we recommend still purchasing the X-Factor edition, getting you the double-entitlement. However, our own tournaments and leagues will in the future be ran on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S platforms. Here are the NHL 23 Editions available for pre-order including the pre-order perks: Standard Edition - HUT X-Factor Women's choice pack - 5 World of Chel X-Factor Zone ability unlocks - Be a Pro X-Factor slot unlocks (2), XP boost and bonus trait points - Signed Sarah Nurse World of Chel jersey X-Factor Edition - Double entitlement (Unlocks the game for both Gen 4 & Gen 5 consoles) - 3-Days early access - 4600 NHL Points - HUT X-Factor Player choice pack - HUT X-Factor Power-up starter pack - HUT X-Factor Women's choice pack - 5 World of Chel X-Factor Zone ability unlocks - Be a Pro X-Factor slot unlocks (2), XP boost and bonus trait points - Signed Sarah Nurse World of Chel jersey