‘League of Legends’ tournaments coming to ESPN+ starting in July

By Eric Brackett Published February 28, 2020

ESPN has announced that League of Legends is coming to ESPN+. The cable sports network made the announcement on Friday, saying that it has signed a multi-year agreement with LoL‘s developer Riot Games. ESPN+ will kick off its coverage on July 16 — just in time for the North American League of Legends Championship Series Summer Split. Following this, the summer finals will be held in September, followed by the world championships later this year,

ESPN’s agreement with Riot is not an exclusive one, so LoL fans will still be able to stream the matches on Twitch at no cost. ESPN is likely hoping this move will entice some people to sign up for its ESPN+ subscription service. The service costs $5 per month and gives users access to thousands of hours of live sporting events, original programming, and ad-free use of the ESPN’s site and mobile app.

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Like many traditional media outlets, ESPN has struggled with adapting to how the internet has changed news and sports coverage. The cable news network has had to contend with dwindling subscription numbers, as many people opt to cut ties with cable altogether. In its prime, ESPN was one of America’s most popular outlets for coverage of sporting events, analysis, and player interviews. Now that virtually every professional athlete has their own Twitter profile, there is less need for traditional sporting coverage.

The decline of cable may play a large part in ESPN’s decision to move into the realm of esports coverage. A decade or so ago, the idea of ESPN covering video games in a major way was a laughable concept, but esports have grown into a multi-million dollar industry, with a fanbase just as devoted as those of any traditional sport. In fact, many esports teams, such as those in the Overwatch League and a handful of LoL teams, are owned by major sports teams.

ESPN’s deal with Riot is not the first time that ESPN has covered MOBA competitions. In 2015 and 2016, ESPN partnered with Blizzard Entertainment for coverage of the Heroes of the Dorm tournament, which focused on Blizzard’s own MOBA, Heroes of the Storm.

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Gaming

All heart piece locations in The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

Zelda getting a piece of heart.

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom changes a lot about the traditional formula the series is known for. For one, we're playing as Zelda instead of Link, which means using magic over melee most of the time, as well as mixing up delicious smoothies. Of course, one thing that may never change is the hidden pieces of heart. These collectibles are perhaps the most valuable in any Zelda game. Collecting four of these will give you an additional heart container to increase your maximum HP permanently. Since you only start with three hearts and can get seven more by beating the main dungeons, the remaining half of your possible HP is locked behind finding these heart pieces. There are a ton to find, so let's mount up and track them down as fast as possible so you can get back to the adventure.
Every heart piece location in Echoes of Wisdom
Zelda's maximum HP in Echoes of Wisdom is 20 hearts, which means there are a daunting 40 heart pieces to find. They can be rewards for sidequests or solving puzzles, or could just hidden around the world.
Heart Piece 1

The first piece of heart is right at the start of the game in the water of Suthron Beach. Place an object in the water to jump on to reach it.
Heart Piece 2

Gaming

All outfits in The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom and how to unlock them

Zelda wearing the royal travel attire in Echoes of Wisdom.

Somewhat like Peach in Princess Peach: Showtime!, Zelda has access to a ton of different outfits in The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. While they won't drastically change how she plays like her Swordfighter form does, they do give her a fresh new style and occasionally a nice buff of some sort. When you combine these with accessories and smoothies, you can do some fairly deep build crafting in this game. These new outfits can't be picked up off the rack at Hyrule's local market, though. Zelda will need to work for most of them, and there are plenty you can easily miss if you don't go out of your way to find them. Here are all the outfits you can get in Echoes of Wisdom, how to unlock them, and what buffs they grant (if any).
Every outfit in Echoes of Wisdom
There are a total of 11 outfits to find and try on in Echoes of Wisdom. Some are given as part of the main story, but most are optional.
Disguise

This simple hooded outfit is unlocked automatically during the opening of the game. It has no added benefits to wearing it.
Royal Travel Attire

Gaming

The best smoothies in The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

Zelda makes a mixed smoothie in The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom.

Adventuring through Hyrule and the Still World is a tough job in The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, but our heroic princess is up to the task. She's armed with the power of Echoes, various accessories, and even outfits to give her an advantage over the various mobs and hazards in the world. But one new trick Zelda has access to that will make her adventure much easier (and more delicious) is smoothies. These consumable items offer dozens of benefits, from health recovery to temporary stat increases. You'll be collecting ingredients by the handful while exploring that you can give to the Business Scrub to whip up into a powerful drink. The only question becomes which ones are the best that you should spend your precious inventory slots to carry with you. Let's explore the best smoothies in Echoes of Wisdom, what they do, and how to make them.
The best smoothies in Echoes of Wisdom

Each smoothie must be made at one of the various Business Scrub stands in exchange for two ingredients and 10 Rupees. There are a total of 69 different recipes to test out, which is way too many to keep in your head to remember the best ones. However, you should still make each smoothie at least once if you want to get 10 Golden Eggs easily.
Refreshing Mixed Smoothie