Photo credit: ESL/Helena Kristiansson

When I say G, you say TWO! G! TWO! G! TWO!

An English crowd cheering the French would be all but unheard of in most sports. Even here in CS:GO, where Europe holds a strong sense of solidarity, it still came as quite the surprise. Nevertheless, hearing the crowd erupting into roars of delight at every ScreaM headshot, there was little doubt about where their allegiance lay. And it was hard to blame them as London witnessed one of the most exhilarating demonstrations of force France has given in years.

The ESL Pro League Finals pits the top eight teams from the North American and European scenes against one another. Limited to just four teams from each region, you d be hard-pressed to find any analyst predicting the likes of G2 to qualify over NaVi in Europe. It s no secret that French CS has been in a rut for some time now, holding fantastic talent but never quite able to realise their potential. Following the breakup of LDLC, all eyes had been on EnVyUs to carry French hopes forward, but thus far 2016 had only seen France fall further and further from the upper echelon of teams. But where EnVy may be waning, G2 finally seem ready to pick up the pace.

Group stages

The event s opening looked set to provide a tournament of upsets as Canadian team Optic Gaming overcame a sluggish Astralis and, perhaps even more surprising, Luminosity fell victim to G2 on train, historically one of their best maps. Ninjas in Pyjamas just barely survived their encounter with Team Liquid, who failed to capitalise on no less than 12 match points in an all-too-soon flashback to the MLG Colombus semifinal.

Come the weekend, only four teams remained: NiP, Fnatic, LG and G2. In what many had expected to be the highlight of the tournament, fan-favourites NiP faced off against an invigorated LG. Pushing NiP well beyond breaking point, Luminosity looked an entirely different side to the group stages, earning the first spot in the grand final. Hailing from Brazil but competing in NA, LG occupy an unusual position: they re popular in both EU and NA, but never the main fan focus. This hasn t stopped a passionate core of Brazilians from cheering their side on, however, no matter where they play. Following their victory, Luminosity s Captain, Gabriel FalleN Toledo discussed his fan-support across the globe:

It's awesome because the Brazilian fans are starting to watch Counter-Strike again. Us playing well and reaching the top made them start looking for Counter-Strike again. We know that a lot of Brazilians live outside of Brazil there are a lot of Brazilians in London and they are here watching us play. It feels amazing to see all the Brazilian guys interested in Counter-Strike [and esports] again.

In the other half, G2 faced Fnatic. Struggling from the loss of Olofmeister, Fnatic still present a formidable opponent that can never be underestimated, as G2 were soon to find out. Suffering an embarrassing 11-0 opening, Fnatic looked in utter disarray. However with the change of half, it seemed the Swedes had awoken, and following an incredible 39 kills by Flusha, they dragged themselves out of the abyss to a map one victory. Fortunately for G2, this form was far from consistent, and over the course of the next two games, the French retaliated. A confident win on Cache led to a tense decider on Train. Missing a crucial Mag-7 shot on defence, Fnatic s JW was swiftly overwhelmed, allowing G2, the unexpected qualifiers, to push far beyond expectations and reach the grand finals.

Feed the snake!

Photo credit: ESL/Scott Choucino

If there was one talking point for the weekend beyond the matches themselves, it was certainly the home crowd. Indigo at the O2 provided a surprisingly intimate venue for the finals, in a smaller-scale, dimly-lit arena. Up close and personal to the stage, the fans more than made up for numbers through sheer noise and bravado. As the largest prize pool event to be hosted in the UK so far, the developing scene brought fervor in droves. British fans celebrated in the only way they know how, creating unusual and entertaining chants of support while drinking rather too much alcohol much to the surprise and amusement of the casting team.

While the attitude within the venue remained upbeat and never swung towards aggressive, the often unrelated noise did cause some confusion for the online viewership. During the second semi-final, volume of the game and casters on the upper balcony was low enough that fans became distracted. In scenes reminiscent of a cricket game, spectators began to create a staggering tower of stacked cups across the crowd, all the while chanting feed the snake! . Fortunately, this was taken in good spirits, with attention and support returning to the game at crucial moments. At the very least, the UK has shown it can provide one of the most fiery audiences in the esports world, unlikely to be forgotten any time soon.

The grand final: Luminosity Gaming vs. G2

The final match of the tournament was nothing short of phenomenal. Unexpectedly, G2 elected not to ban Overpass, a map widely considered LG s forte having lost just one of their last ten matches there. The French firebrands clearly had a point to prove however, producing a powerful comeback to take a one-map lead.

Having already defeated LG on Train during the group stages, G2 found themselves faced with a much tougher challenge in the grand finals. Despite an 11-4 lead in the first half, LG struggled to maintain control, calling a timeout at 12-all. Sensing their team s need, the Luminosity support in the crowd rose to the occasion, filling the arena with voices of support and lifting their side to the win. As each game progressed, it became clear that both sides were near-perfectly matched. Where G2 held fast on Cobblestone, LG fired back on Dust 2, winning G2 s map pick.

In its final appearance in the current map pool, Inferno hosted the most intense finale of year as each team traded round after round before Luminosity took a two-round lead at 14-12. Just as it all looked to be over, G2 countered, winning three consecutive rounds to reach 14-15 and match point. LG, however, were far from finished, decisively driving the match into overtime. At last, it seemed, G2 were exhausted, with Luminosity claiming the crown at 19-16.

The UK crowd had demanded entertainment, and they received the highest pedigree. Finishing with one of the best series of 2016 so far, the ESL pro league has shown that CS is entering one of the most volatile and exciting times of it s life. Luminosity Gaming have again established themselves as the best in the world, and G2 have finally returned French CS to life in explosive form. Electrifying the crowd, G2 s Adil ScreaM Benrlitom supplied countless highlight shots, while Richard shox Papillon produced not one but two 1v4 site retakes to keep his team in the game. French CS is back, and more exciting than ever.

The good news is that, just before the weekend, From Software dropped a Dark Souls 3 patch intended to finally rein in all the cheating and shenanigans that have been going on since the game released last month. The studio said on Steam that the update fixed three specific issues in online mode being sent immediately to your world, being sent to the Firelink Shrine, and being changed in full Dragon Body Status and promised that more problems would be solved in future patches.

The bad news, however, is that the update basically broke the game by introducing all sorts of stuttering and freezing that significantly impacted gameplay. Playing yesterday, our global EIC Tim Clark says he encountered regular freezes, often mid-sword swing, that would last a second or so. Hardly conducive to buttery smooth duelling in a game already not exactly on the forgiving side when it comes to getting stabbed in the abdomen.

The complaints were sufficiently widespread that From Software has reverted Dark Souls 3 to its previous version while it goes back to work on this one. The patch has been removed temporarily to fix the freeze issues. We hope to reinstate the patch ASAP, the studio wrote. If you fall victim to one of the bugs previously fixed, don't worry, you won't be penalized. We will keep you posted as soon as we have more info. Thank you for your understanding.

I'm guessing that the remark about falling victim to previously-fixed bugs refers primarily to players unintenionally acquiring hacked items from less-than-scrupulous invaders, which can cause all sorts of headaches for the unaware. From Software said essentially the same thing in the original patch announcement, noting that its server team is checking all accounts before imposing penalties, and that players that fall victim of online issues will not be penalized if they are innocent.

The group stages of the Mid-Season Invitational at Shanghai were full of upsets and clashes, flameouts and triumphs. While G2 from Europe and Supermassive eSports from Turkey were unable to advance, fans were glued to their screens and monitors to see the last four teams battle it out. There was a lot on the line for every region: the Flash Wolves from Taiwan were eager to prove that their entire region deserves more acclaim and attention. China s Royal Never Give Up had roared through the group stages and were seeking to prove it wasn t a fluke. Korea s SKTelecom T1 had claimed every other trophy, but a trophy from MSI was missing from their case. Finally, Counter Logic Gaming were the representatives from North America, and with G2 counted out, they carried the hopes and dreams of the west on their shoulders. With four teams all hungry for the top spot, and only one winner, the knockout stages provided some dynamic and fascinating games. Let s look back at the final few series. Who came out ahead... and why?

Clash of the titans: RNG vs. SKT

Royal Never Give up were anticipated to be a strong team, but when they left the group stages as number one fans and analysts both sat up and really started paying attention. They would immediately be tested against tournament favourites SKT. SKT had dropped four games during groups, an unexpected struggle. RNG were ready to go for the throat and take the series off the seemingly-staggered titans. The logic went that if RNG beat SKT in the knockout stage, the tournament would be theirs.

The Chinese team had an amazing early showing, winning their first game handily. Trundle served as an unstoppable terminator of a champion, wailing on SKT s nexus without any consideration for the team around him. The nexus went down, social media exploded with praise for RNG s Looper, and people wondered if this would be the fall of SKT. They had evaded the Tigers claws back in Korea... would they be able to best China s champions as well?

The answer was... yes. SKT took the next three games in a row, largely because of a hugely superior pick/ban phase. RNG continued the trend of bewildering support picks by going with the all-in Leona, which did very little, and SKT were able to pick up massive power picks Kindred and Ryze. SKT moved on, looking refreshed after their shaky performance in the group phase, to face the winner of the next series.

Everything on the line: Flash Wolves vs. CLG

Flash Wolves and Counter Logic Gaming both had so much to prove as they entered the arena for their Best of 5 series. Not only did they want to show their own team s strength, and make it to the finals, but each were representing their region. North America and Taiwan are very different scenes with very different histories, but they are both often underrated and dismissed. This series exemplified the tension of underdog regions meeting and testing their strength against one another.

The teams traded volleys, going 1-1 in the starting games. Fans were worried. There s a reason that win one game to give fans false hope is such a popular meme when it comes to CLG. The boys in red, white, and blue rallied and took the next game, and the next, turning the series around to a decisive 3-1 victory. Everyone at home and in the crowds cheering for NA breathed a sigh of relief, but the real test lay ahead: a reinvigorated SKT. CLG had stumbled against the Flash Wolves. How would they survive against the Kings of Korea?

Reaching new heights (before a fall): CLG vs. SKT

The question that most fans had wasn t will CLG lose? : that was simply taken as a given. SKT were the favourites coming into the tournament, and no one saw CLG overcoming the impassable barrier that was a best-of-5 series against them. Instead, the question was: will CLG take a game or two?

The answer, unfortunately, was no. SKT claimed their final trophy in a tidy 3-0 win. The series was quick and clean, each team confident in their pick and ban phase. (They were, in fact, so confident that games 1 and 2 had identical drafts. CLG couldn t measure up, and SKT walked away the victors.

Of course, the real story isn t CLG gets smashed in a 0-3 series, returning home in shame . The real story is that a young team, hailing from North America and having two rookies on their roster, overcame the odds. They made it through group phases, earned valuable experience that likely outweighs the lessons they would have learned over an average split, and made their region proud.

SKT leave Shanghai victorious, taking home the only trophy that their case lacked. They also have their own incredible story: an unstoppable force ranging across the competitive League scene. In a world where people expect pros to burn out or move on, Faker has remained remarkably consistent and loyal to SKT even though money-fueled exoduses, rough regular season games, high expectations, and the probable temptation of stasis after so many achievements have all stood in his path.

What’s next? Worlds!

Of course, the next test is Worlds. Every team left MSI stronger for the experience, and they ll return to their home regions to raise the bar. This MSI may have had a foregone conclusion of a SKT victory, but getting there has been so much fun, with so many surprises. Not only has it been great to watch as a viewer, but the players who have had the honour and privilege of attending have all learned valuable lessons (yes, even G2.) Who knows what surprises the next international tournament will hold?

Andy: The first of Hitman s elusive targets, an art forger called Sergei Larin, was revealed by IO Interactive on Friday. The hit took place in the Paris fashion show level, and we only had 48 hours to find and kill the unmarked target. If we messed it up, we wouldn t get a second chance.

Samuel: And what did I do, Andy? I messed it up. Badly. How about you?

Andy: Same.

Samuel: I made the mistake of trying to do it at 23.30 on Friday night after a long day at work you need to be alert for the elusive targets, really. On the first go I figured out the optimum route up to the second floor: stealing a security guard uniform from the rear garden, then sauntering up to the second floor, finding the catering service dude stood by himself in that big room next to the kitchen, knocking him out and taking his uniform.

From there, I shimmied along the railings outside until I reached what I thought was the right open window. I hopped over the balcony, and couldn t really see the enemy s line-of-sight a guard shot me as soon as I got over the balcony and that was it. I was sad and furious. I went to bed. Game over. How about you?

Andy: It all started so well, and I didn t have to hunt for Larin at all. I sneaked through the gardens and quietly killed male model Helmut Kruger, assuming his identity to give me free reign of the mansion. Then the moment I stepped through the side entrance across from the helicopter, the target was walking down the stairs with his bodyguards.

I tracked him for a while, then saw him break away from his minders to use his phone. It was in one of those big rooms filled with Napoleon stuff. The coast was clear. No one could see me. I grabbed him and snapped his neck. And a guard on the other side of the display case that was obscuring the murder heard his neck snap. I didn't know that could happen. A bunch of other guards rushed me and I was shot to pieces. Mission failed.

Phil: I guess I should jump in here and tell you how it's done. I should preface this by admitting that, because I reviewed both Hitman episodes, I've played it for over 40 hours. I know every nook and cranny of that mansion. I'd have been livid if I'd failed it.

I used the planning menu to tweak my starting position, loading into the basement wearing a waiter's uniform. Following my standard operating procedure of past runs, I disable the security camera and work my way to the second floor, acquiring the auction staff uniform. While exploring the second floor, I notice a room that's clearly being used by Larin.

Sherlock I am not: it's full of easels. A few moments later he arrives. I follow him up to the attic on the third floor. While up there, I see a chance to take down his bodyguard. It's the tensest moment of the run, requiring split second timing. I disable the guard but lose Larin. I go back to his room and wait. Five minutes later, he wanders in. I kill him with fiber wire, and steal his speed boat to escape. Silent assassin, top rating. Nice.

Chris: I hid in a cupboard for fifteen minutes and then murdered the guy with a letter opener. I m the world s deadliest killer.

Andy: When the mission failed screen came up, it suddenly dawned on me that I couldn t take another shot at it. I m so used to games giving me another chance that it didn t fully sink into my brain that this was a one-shot thing. And then I wished I d been a bit more patient and studied Larin s movements more, or at least killed him more quietly. Well, I say you only get one chance

Samuel: Ha. Haha. Hahaha! So, I might ve cheated at this elusive target business. Defeated the first time, I signed into PC Gamer s press account on Saturday morning a magical set of keys to every game on Steam skipped the intro, then had another go at the elusive target.

This time, I located Larin right away. I took the same approach as before, but didn t bother shimmying around the mansion this time. Dressed as the help, I went into the room where he was painting. With the auction worker also in there, I waited a couple of minutes until he went into the next room, where there was no-one except Larin and his bodyguard.

I shut the door behind me, garrotted the guard, then garrotted Larin. I briskly walked out of the venue, and made it to the front gate to escape before anyone found the body.

Yes, I know this technically counts as cheating to replicate this you d have to buy the game twice on two accounts, which is, of course, madness yet I regret nothing. In fact, I feel the same sense of pride that I would ve done had I finished the elusive target properly I m very happy with my decision to do this! It was worth it to see the expression of disdain on Chris s face when someone brought it up this morning.

Chris: Now I have to hide in Sam s cupboard for fifteen minutes, and kill Sam with a letter opener.

Andy: I m appalled by this. Have you no honour? You have sullied the noble art of fictional assassination. You bring shame on this family. Of course, given the chance, I probably would have taken another stab at it.

I like the concept of the elusive targets in general, but I think they could have done more with it. I thought I would have to do some work to identify the target, but then they show you a picture of him in the intro and he s pretty hard to miss when you see him. It would have been loads better if you only had a few clues to the target s identity and had to figure it out for yourself. Because then there would be the added risk of killing the wrong person.

Samuel: Hey, I never claimed to have honour. I didn t get to where I am today because I played by the rules. I got here by very occasionally diverging from the rules when doing so offered little or no consequence to me or the people around me. And, because I have such a fabulous arse.

I agree that the elusive target idea ended up feeling fairly subdued, Andy the finite nature of the mission aside, it s essentially just one more NPC they dropped into the world as a contract. It was fun, like killing any target in Hitman, but more for the novelty than execution.

Chris: I don t think it s perfect yet, but I do think they re on to something. There s real tension, a real sense of achievement for getting it right (by hiding in a cupboard for fifteen minutes) and a real sense of failure for getting it wrong. Also a real sense of REAL SHAME for cheating. It s the Spelunky Daily Challenge of murder.

Phil: Exactly that. Hitman's episodic structure diminishes the stakes of each individual run. It doesn't have the cohesion of the full Blood Money campaign. But this is a nice substitute. It's as tense a slice of Hitmanning as I've played, and I look forward to more.

At the same time, I want to be surprised. Larin has his own voice lines, and the level has been changed in small aesthetic ways. I want to see future elusive targets push that custom aspect further. I did well because I knew the level. By making more dramatic changes, IO could create some memorably unexpected moments.

This week on the Mod Roundup, we've got a mod that lets you conquer the galaxy as a race of robots in Stellaris! Also, an extremely welcome mod that lets you play Final Fantasy X and X-2 with Japanese audio and English subtitles, plus a mod for XCOM that pits four rookie soldiers against an unending wave of alien enemies. And finally, a mod that lets you quicksave while playing Fallout 4's survival mode.

Here are the most promising mods we've seen this week.

Playable Robots, for Stellaris

Steam Workshop link

As we learned back in March, researching technology to the highest levels in Stellaris may have its drawbacks, if you call destroying the entire universe a drawback. Robots, for instance, may use their newfound artificial intelligence to take revenge on all the cruel organics who have been using them as a cheap labor source. This mod from Delincious takes the concept a step further, allowing you to play your campaign as the robots themselves.

Japanese audio and English text, for Final Fantasy X, X-2 

Steam Workshop link

As Wes reported on Friday, the remaster of Final Fantasy X and X-2 arrived on Steam with dual langauge support, but no way to listen in Japanese while using English subtitles. Which is dumb. Luckily, modders are smart, like Kaldaien, who quickly created a fix that lets you mix and match your audio and text options. Nice work!

Wave COM, for XCOM 2

Steam Workshop link

In an appealing twist to XCOM 2, this mod creates an entirely new mode. Rather than fighting through a campaign, you can recruit four rookie soldiers and see how long they can last through wave after wave of progressively stronger aliens and advents. You'll still have access to engineering and research in this mod created by Maluco Marinero.

Thanks to Nathan at Kotaku for the tip!

Survival Quick Save, for Fallout 4

Nexus Mods link

My personal thanks go to modder Gopher, who has created a mod for quicksaving your progress while playing Fallout 4's survival mode. I get called a "save baby" everytime I bring this up, but bed-based checkpoint saves completely suck, not because they make the game harder but because they make the game more inconvenient. Sometimes, I just want to stop playing for a bit without having to scrounge around for a bed first, and now I can without losing my progress.

Looking for more mods? Check out our list of the best mods for Fallout 4 and the best mods for XCOM 2.

Grinding has always been a dirty word in online role-playing games, but it's one that, for better and for worse, Tree of Savior proudly wears on its sleeve. When I wasn't grinding levels, I was grinding for new equipment or grinding money to afford upgrading that equipment. And when I realized I hated the class I chose after two dozen hours, I began that grind from the beginning. But for all those hours spent squeezing experience points from enemy corpses like water from a desert cactus, there's something about Tree of Savior that keeps me coming back or maybe I've just spent so long with it I'm taking my captor's side.

That grinding is the heart of Tree of Savior won't be a surprise to anyone familiar with its spiritual predecessor Ragnarok Online, the long-running Korean MMORPG. Tree of Savior bears more than a few similarities, but its expansive class system and gorgeous presentation make it much more than just a rehash of an older game. With over 80 different classes, Tree of Savior offers one of the most robust progression systems I've ever seen but learning its ins and outs has been as painful as fun.

A class act

There's only four base classes to choose from when starting out, but I eventually unlocked new ones I could stack on top of my base class, adding more abilities that redefined my character. This process happens six times over Tree of Savior's 200-plus levels, creating a ton of complexity that had the part of my brain that loves theorycrafting dizzy with all the possibilities. This all plays out rather slowly as you explore the world, completing quests or tracking down monsters to kill in hopes of getting a specific piece of gear. Fully exploring maps or collecting specific items dropped from monsters can also net you bonuses like extra experience or permanent stat increases from NPCs in each town. While I played mostly alone, there was always the option to join up and murder the incredible variety of monsters that dot the landscape as a group, potentially increasing how fast I could level.

Unfortunately, much of that potential is wasted on poor class balancing. Not every option you choose will be viable, and in true old school RPG fashion, it's possible to ruin your build if you don't know what you're doing. Those dead ends wouldn't be so painful if Tree of Savior provided an option to salvage mistakes which it partially does in the form of potions that can reset skill points in exchange for real cash. Class choices and allocated stat points, however, are permanent.

Knowing this, I felt terrified of making my own choices when building my character, which is a huge disappointment given how rewarding this system could be if it would let me experiment without potentially wasting so many hours. Instead, I took to community websites to get inspiration from popular builds, but character progression happens so slowly that it's impossible to tell if a class suited my playstyle until after I had sunk dozens of hours into it. That's exactly why my poor hoplite has been gathering dust in the character select screen. His reliance on passive buffs to enhance his basic attack is painfully boring.

While some might praise this aspect of Tree of Savior as hardcore, I'd argue it's simply unfun and needlessly punishing. There are truly original ideas behind some classes, like alchemists being able to "awaken" an item's potential by braving a special dungeon or squires being able to set up vendor stalls in town to repair equipment. But one wrong move or one unfavorable balance update and all those hours invested in building them could be wasted.

The extreme variety of classes also means that there's an extreme variety to combat. My hoplite ran around smacking enemies with his basic attack and bored me to tears, but my new wizard delightfully devastates whole groups of enemies with her spells. When this new build clicked, I entered into an intoxicating rhythm where hours melted away as quickly as the monsters before me. Enemies burst like pinatas when they die, and the catchy music and vibrant spell animations make Tree of Savior scarily capable of turning me into a grind-zombie.

And then a crippling bout of latency grips the servers and the next fifteen minutes are spent wrestling with an unresponsive interface and delayed combat animations. That spell Tree of Savior cast over me is gone and I'm back to wondering whether all these hours are even worth it. While the free-to-play launch is certainly pushing the servers to their limits, many of these problems existed in the quieter early access period too. There's the option to switch "channels" within a map to find one less crowded and more stable, but it feels like a poorly designed and anti-social solution.

 Technical troubles

Tree of Savior's hand-painted aesthetic is absolutely stunning, but it's far from being the kind of technical marvel that could ever justify the constant frame dips and unstable server connection I've experienced. While I can grit my teeth through dips in framerate, server lag is a far more lethal enemy. Slow connections can make classes dependant on quick reactions unviable as if I needed even more reasons to be terrified of committing to one type of character. Coupled with the fact that some classes aren't suited to using certain control schemes (in-game messages warn me that using a mouse to control my hoplite isn't recommended) and suddenly 80 classes feels like only a few actual choices.

That so many hurdles stand between me and how I want to play Tree of Savior is frustrating only because I believe this could be a game I would want to spend more time in. With such a singular focus on grinding, Tree of Savior sometimes displays a real mastery of what can make that grind fun. The pacing through levels and new maps is so quick that I often have trouble logging off at night, which starkly contrasts how I feel the next morning when the spell has worn off and I have to force myself to log back in.

There's a powerful sense of nostalgia buried within Tree of Savior, a deep love for a time when MMORPGs offered freedom and simpler pleasures accented by the risk of failure. The expression of that love is a frustrating, broken, and sometimes wonderful thing. My journey through building my hero and grinding is one of confliction. Even while I might persist along that road, I'm not so sure I'd ever recommend you follow.

Details of the first Hitman Elusive Target have been revealed: His name is Sergei Larin, he's a forger, and you've got less than 48 hours to ensure his wife needs to buy a suitably sombre new black dress.

Don't feel too bad about his grieving widow, though. Based on the Elusive Target trailer released today, she's the one who wants him dead, or at the very least wants to be sure she has a rock-solid alibi when the deed gets done. Larin's location wasn't known when the job was first announced, but it turns out he'll be in Paris over the weekend, which is your window your only window to do the job.

The Elusive Target timer began at 9 am PDT/12 pm EDT today, and will run for precisely 48 hours. If Larin is still alive when the timer hits zero, you're done. If you get killed, you're done. If the target gets away, you're done. If you botch the job and end up having to massacre dozens of innocent bystanders... well, that's okay, as long as Larin gets dead in the process.

An Elusive Target is the closest thing to the Hitman fantasy that we've ever created. Each one is a custom-created character with their own backstory and their own unique reason for being in that location, Io Interactive said. We call them Elusive Targets because they are added to an existing location for a limited time in real-time and you'll only have one chance to take them down. If you kill them, that's the way that you killed them. There are no do-overs and no second chances. When an Elusive Target leaves the game world, they never return.

Elusive Targets are particularly tough to nail because they don't appear on the mini-map or instinct, and you can't save your progress along the way. But with risk comes reward: Taking out five of them will get you the signature suit from Hitman: Absolution, while killing ten will earn the suit from Hitman: Blood Money.

Whatever your game, there s loads to watch this weekend. LoL s MSI is the highest-profile official event, but both Dota 2 and CS:GO have massive tournaments of their own and then there s a bunch happening in the house of Blizzard, another stop on the Capcom Pro Tour, and regular season play in Smite. Find all the details below.

League of Legends: Mid-Season Invitational

Catch the finale of what has been a dramatic event so far and will undoubtedly continue to be so. Our columnist Cassandra Marshall covered the main points you need to know earlier in the week. One semi-finalist will be decided today, with CLG and Flash Wolves duking it out for the remaining spot in Sunday s grand final tomorrow. Play begins at 06:30 BST/22:30 PDT (the night before) on both days, with rebroadcasts at 19:00 BST/11:00 PDT. Find the livestream on LoLesports.

Dota 2: Epicenter LAN

Epicenter has been a brilliant event so far, with over-the-top staging matched by phenomenal games. Newbee s record-smashing 29-game winning streak was brought to a halt by OG yesterday as TeamLiquid s star continues to rise. The remaining playoffs will be played over the course of the weekend, with games beginning at 09:00 BST/01:00 PDT on both Saturday and Sunday. Here s the English language stream.

CSGO: ESL Pro League Season 3 Finals

Top-tier CS:GO with a $512,000 prize pool to match. Play has been ongoing since Wednesday, with finals taking place this weekend at the O2 in London. Tune in tomorrow for semifinals between Ninjas in Pyjamas/Luminosity and G2/Fnatic, with the grand final set to take place on Sunday after a showmatch. The livestream for both days starts around 14:00 BST/06:00 PDT, with matches beginning around an hour later. Find it here.

Heroes of the Storm: Europe Summer Regional 2

The second European Summer Regional rounds up the best of the region s Heroes of the Storm teams in Tours, France. In addition to the main prize, there s a slot at next month s Summer Championship on the line. The final day begins at 10:00 BST/02:00 PDT on Saturday and you can watch on Dreamhack.tv.

Hearthstone: Europe Spring Preliminary

160 of Europe s best Hearthstone players go toe-to-toe over the course of three days, starting today. You can watch the livestream on Twitch from 13:00 BST/05:00 PDT on Saturday and Sunday, but this event also has a substantial live component. Venues around Europe are running their own viewing parties with side events for attendees: check out this post for more information.

Capcom Pro Tour: Battle Arena Melbourne 8

The latest stop on the Capcom Pro Tour brings Street Fighter V to Australia. As usual, this is an open tournament featuring pro talent: if you re only interested in seeing the very best, consider jumping in later in the event. That said, BAM8 have a healthy livestream schedule planned: pools start at 01:00 BST on Saturday/17:00 PDT on Friday and the top 32 will be streamed from 08:00 BST/00:00 PDT on Sunday. You can find the stream, and more details, here.

Smite: Spring Split Season 3

Smite s regular season continues with an evening of play in Europe on Saturday and North America on Sunday. Find the games on Twitch starting at 18:00 BST/10:00 PDT both days.

StarCraft 2: Spring Championship

Alongside Heroes of the Storm at DreamHack this weekend, StarCraft 2 is hosting its Spring Championship. 32 players from 17 different countries makes this a massive international showcase, with everyone fighting for a portion of the $150,00 prize pool. You can watch it on Twitch here, with games starting at 10:00 BST/02:00 PDT on Saturday and Sunday, and 11:00 BST/03:00 PDT on Monday.

If the thought of playing Arma 3 has always appealed but you've never bitten the bullet, here's a nice opportunity: the FPS war sim is free to play on Steam this weekend. That means you can download it and play until late on Sunday for zero dollars, but if you like what you see, it's currently 50% off until May 17 (that's $19.99).

Meanwhile, the Apex Edition of the game which bundles all DLC is available for $48.99. Is it worth your time, though? Bloody oath it is, according to Evan. It's "a significant step forward for the king of military simulation," he wrote in his review.