The titles, the maps, the operators, the patches
Everything the desk covers on the title side. Maps, operators, agents, weapons, economy curves, patch notes. The reference layer the desk's coverage sits on top of.
Titles on the desk
Four active titles. Each with a dedicated page on the desk.
Spectre
The flagship title. Tactical shooter, 5v5, round-based economy. The most-covered title on the desk.
Vortex
Hero shooter, 5v5, objective-based. The second-most-covered title. Two seasons of competitive play.
Relay
MOBA, 5v5, three-lane. The deepest meta of any title on the desk. Coverage focuses on the macro story.
Map pool, this week
The current active map pool across the three titles the desk covers. Updated within an hour of any patch.
| Title | Map | Type | Active since | Notable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spectre | Foundry | Attack / defend | Season 13 | Off-angle rework in current patch |
| Spectre | Harbour | Attack / defend | Season 12 | Signature map for site anchors |
| Spectre | Crossing | Attack / defend | Season 14 | Newest map, smallest map pool |
| Vortex | Bastion | Control | Season 12 | Highest team-fight variance |
| Vortex | Refinery | Payload | Season 13 | Push / pull map |
| Relay | Summit's Edge | Three-lane | Season 11 | Scaling map, late-game focus |
| Relay | Foundry Bend | Three-lane | Season 13 | Early-game jungle priority |
Reading a patch
A patch is a story about the meta. The desk reads every patch and writes the meta story before the cast does.
What the patch actually changed
Every patch notes page on the desk has a "what changed" section written in plain language, not in the patch-notes shorthand the developer uses. The aim is to be readable by someone who has never played the title.
How the analyst desk will read it
The second section of every patch notes page is the analyst desk's read on the change — what the cast will be talking about on the next broadcast, which teams will adjust first, which maps the change will move.
How to watch the change land
The third section is the desk's recommended viewing — which upcoming matches will show the change first, which scrim reports to look for, which VODs to pull.
When the dust settles
The fourth section is a two-week follow-up. After two weeks of competitive play, the desk revisits the patch and writes a "what actually happened" piece. The follow-up is published as a separate article and linked from the original notes page.
The reference layer the desk's coverage sits on top of.
Get started with the desk
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Reading a title's meta
The four things the desk watches to read a title's meta — the macro picture of what is strong, what is weak, and what is about to change.
1 · Pick rate
How often an operator (or agent, or hero) is picked in competitive play. A high pick rate means the operator is in demand. A low pick rate means the operator is being passed over. The desk reads pick rate trends to spot operators that are about to spike or fall out of the meta.
2 · Win rate
How often an operator wins when picked. A high win rate with a low pick rate is a sleeper — an operator that is strong but undervalued. A low win rate with a high pick rate is a sign the meta is about to shift.
3 · Map presence
How often an operator appears on a given map. Some operators are map-specific. The desk reads map presence to spot which operators are banned on which maps and which operators are the go-to on each map.
4 · Patch delta
The change in pick rate, win rate, and map presence from one patch to the next. The patch delta is the cleanest single number for a meta shift. A large patch delta means the meta is moving; a small patch delta means the meta is stable.
The cast rotation, by title
The desk's coverage of each title has its own cast and analyst rotation. Knowing who is on the desk for the broadcast you are watching is half of reading the broadcast.
Spectre
The Spectre broadcast has the deepest cast rotation in the league. Three play-by-play casters rotate through the week, supported by a four-person analyst desk. The analyst desk includes a former IGL, a current coach, a tactical analyst, and the desk's strategy lead. The Spectre cast is the one most readers will recognise by voice alone.
Vortex
The Vortex broadcast is the youngest of the three. The cast rotation is two play-by-play casters, a single colour caster, and a rotating guest analyst. The Vortex broadcast leans on the guest analyst for the deep macro reads and the colour caster for the player-and-team stories.
Relay
The Relay broadcast is the smallest. One play-by-play caster, one colour caster, no analyst desk — the colour caster does all of the analytical work. The Relay broadcast is the most conversational of the three and the one the desk recommends to first-time readers who want a single voice to follow.
What the desk is watching this patch
The three meta shifts the desk expects the next patch to land.
Off-angle rework
The off-angle rework is the biggest single change to Spectre's map pool in two seasons. The off-angle positions on the new map have been tightened by a metre. That single adjustment is enough to push the IGL dialogue toward more committed executes — teams that used to hold an off-angle and trade have to default to the more standard setup.
Economy curve shift
The round-three buy window is no longer a forced save. Teams that win the pistol and take round two can now buy a full kit in round three without bleeding into round four. The shift changes the macro script in small but real ways — the cost of a lost pistol is lower, the cost of a lost round three is higher.
Vortex operator balance
Vortex's two newly-released operators have settled into the meta. One is the new entry operator of choice on the offensive side; the other is the new sentinel of choice on the defensive side. The two-operator meta is the cleanest shift Vortex has had in a year, and the desk expects both operators to stay at the top of the pick rate for the next patch cycle.