Eurogamer beats IGN at MAG event

By Ellie Gibson Published 21 January, 2010

But everyone loses to Americaland.

Eurogamer walked away triumphant, victorious and unbearably smug from last night's MAG tournament, beating rivals IGN 2-0.

Dozens of loyal readers flocked to the P3 venue in London's Baker Street for the event, where they were kept waiting for just hours before being let in. Then it was action stations as 64 specially selected operatives took on 64 of IGN's finest and proved they were even finerer.

Eurogamer regular Tim, 18, from Uxbridge, scored the most points in the first round, which did we mention we won. "It's a great game but you need teamwork - you need everyone to work together and then it's even better," he observed. "Everyone was working well as a team so we got all our objectives done."

Tim was also on top in round two, which saw IGN told who's boss in just eight minutes. "We beat them a lot quicker so that's always good," Tim said. The secret to Eurogamer's success? "Good teamwork and great leadership, that's what's important."

"When Eurogamer gets together, instinct and intuition just takes over," chimed in Colin, 37, from London. "It's that hive mind. It's the fact you're picking up on the news even before you get it. Or making it up as you go along, and it's just quite enjoyable that most of it turns out to be true."

IGN readers were less vociferous about the power driving Eurogamer's victory, with 19-year-old Londoner Ciaran telling us, "I've heard of Eurogamer. I've seen the magazines. Haven't they got magazines?"

Both teams then put their differences aside to join forces and take on developer Zipper Interactive, all the way over in the States, in an epic 128 vs. 128-player match. Zipper won. "They just camped and shot the f*** out of us," said one anonymous observer.

Despite the defeat many attendees agreed it had been a great event, not least because there were free sweets, sausages and beers. On top of that every tournament participant received a free special edition copy of MAG, which will be playable once the game launches and the servers go live on 26th January. "Great game, great event, Eurogamer won - yeah, great, excellent, thank you very much," summed up Phil, a 26-year-old Caterham resident.

But not everyone enjoyed themselves quite so much. "The queuing was the main thing, because I needed a wee quite badly," said Robin, 31, from London. "But yes, we've had a lovely time, thanks for having us."

Thanks indeed to Sony, especially for the games and sausages, and to IGN for bringing it. Look out for our full review of MAG soon.

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (40) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • mkreku #1 2 years ago

    Go Eurogamerers! :p

  • Rirekon #2 2 years ago

    Nice one lads and lasses!

  • Nazo #3 2 years ago

    So IGN readers are as good at playing games as IGN writers are at writing about them then? Excellent.

  • thepaddedcell #4 2 years ago

    I had a blast last night! Thanks EG :D

  • tobsen #5 2 years ago

    You guys are total nerds... winning at an FPS tournament!

  • Hamflank #6 2 years ago

    Not quite fair, picking on 12-year olds.

  • DDevil #7 2 years ago

    I hear PiD smells badly :) Oh and how do I subscribe to Eurogamer magazine? I never see it in the shops...

  • charliemouse #8 2 years ago

    I genuinely did need a wee quite badly.

  • Xieldos #9 2 years ago

    Sausages? Just, on their own?

    Weird....

  • PiD #10 2 years ago

    Curse you DDevil! *shakes fist*

  • Bertie Verified Senior Staff Writer, Eurogamer.net #11 2 years ago

    Well done, Eurogamers! I'm sorry I couldn't be there but you've made me as proud as a father. Jolly bloody good show.

  • thepaddedcell #12 2 years ago

    Not Sausages by themselves... there was mash AND gravy too!

    See here

  • Phily50 #13 2 years ago

    Do I win a prize for worst quote of the event?

  • actionfitz #14 2 years ago

    "They just camped and shot the f*** out of us,"
    lol.
    well done anyway folks.
    :)
    Edited by 1 at 21/01/10 @ 12:00

  • flaming-carrot #15 2 years ago

    Great event - thanks Eurogamer - lots of free food and drink, and the venue was set up well.

    I would concur that it was indeed very cold outside, and I was also bursting for a wee. Queues are never fun, but it was worth the (long) wait, and a two hour late night journey home.

    Sorry I couldn't stay for the last match - sounds like you could of done with some more help against Zipper........it does help when you actually know the maps I guess....... ;)

  • Ged42 #16 2 years ago

    We Rule \o/

    Great fun and free sausages :D

  • Daharvester #17 2 years ago

    'On top of that every tournament participant received a free special edition copy of MAG...'

    Not entirely true...I for one together with my friend, as well as several other guys, all of whom played for Eurogamer last night, didn't receive our free special edition copy of MAG. We were told not to worry and that we would receive our copy through the post, but they broke their word once. Let's see if they break their word for the second time...

    Otherwise, a great tournament. Well played everybody.

  • charliemouse #18 2 years ago

    Funny, there doesn't seem to be any coverage of the event over on IGN...

  • Bremenacht #19 2 years ago

    "It's that hive mind. It's the fact you're picking up on the news even before you get it. Or making it up as you go along"

    The EG hive mind! :o

    Nice quote.

  • knightmt #20 2 years ago

    Camping super gay, I never do it much.

  • UKLL #21 2 years ago


    Hah, I'm a member of both sites and I didn't even know this was going on.

    Well done though.

  • Mopzey #22 2 years ago

    it was a great night free food :D and beer

  • jefranklin18 #23 2 years ago

    Was a fun night although I think my kills/death ratio was heavily skewed in the wrong direction :)

    Was good to speak with MAG Product Manager as well.

    Edit: typo, thinking about the sausages and mash obviously...
    Edited by 1 at 21/01/10 @ 15:10

  • photoboy #24 2 years ago

    The IGN writers were probably too busy trying to book another bikini photoshoot to remember they're supposed to be covering games.

  • icematt12 #25 2 years ago

    Yep, Iggen couldn't resist the EG assault. I shot a few in the face but stabbed one in the back as well. Had to leave at 10 though, last train was quarter to. The Sony "host" helped a lot. The event must have cost them a bit, but no doubt cheaper than an advert in the media.

    SVER43 signing off

  • thepaddedcell #26 2 years ago

    For those that missed the link, I've uploaded my photos from the event to Flickr

  • Lady_Emjay #27 2 years ago

    I wish i knew about this....been kicking ass on the MAG beta, miss it now its gone... that game is about teamwork!
    i really like it, but i dont know if it will convert any of my friends who are full blown COD addicts lol
    whens the next event?

  • privateeye15 #28 2 years ago

    The event was fantastic, let's hope the game sells good.

  • Chufty #29 2 years ago

    Great event guys, thanks to all involved for putting on a jolly fun evening. It was highly satisfying shooting plenty of Iggeners in the face!

    I was 2 screens away from Tim. He just camped the turret! But well done him anyway, he became quite the celebrity.

  • RedSparrows #30 2 years ago

    'So IGN readers are as good at playing games as IGN writers are at writing about them then? Excellent. '

    Hehehehe exactly what I thought.

  • mrhand #31 2 years ago

    Great event last night. Had lots of fun. Glad to get inside after nearly freezing to death waiting! But the beer, sweets and gaming were awesome.

  • ReaperOscuro #32 2 years ago

    Dho, forgot there is this comment section too...wanted to say thanks Eurogamer for organising this, it was the first game launch party I ever went to and a very valuable experience. Thanks Sony guys for letting me join the previous event too, and thanks for making MAG, looks pretty awesome!

    But above all, undisputably, the winner of the Shadow War...is the sausage and mash. The mash, I guess a bit too buttery, but the sausages....hhhmmmm....in ration metal containers? Very clever. I like sausages (which way can you say it that doesn't sound bad?!?). Thank you. They were very tasty. Yum Yum. Were they cumberland? I think they were, even better. Nice and thoughtful the vegetarian option. NICE BLOODY SAUSAGES!!
    Edited by 1 at 21/01/10 @ 23:53

  • Electric #33 2 years ago

    People are already referring to this as "the Eurogamer MAG thing".

  • Toadie48 #34 2 years ago

    I just wanna say the IGN american staff will pwn the eurogamer staff all day........ every day @ everything in life. Put IGN's Mark Bozon, Jeff Haynes or Matt cassamasina and be prepared to loose. lol.

  • ReaperOscuro #35 2 years ago

    Thats all well and goo Toadle, but the fact remains: IGN lost. Big time.
    So while that theory may very well be true, it remains only that, while Eurogamer can wallow in their victories like a happy little piglet :)

    unless a new tournament gets organised in which thr European Eurogamers go head-to-head in another tournament for world supremacy with the American IGN...hint hint nudge nudge

  • sneetch #36 2 years ago

    "free sweets, sausages and beers"

    Dammit! There were free sausages? Now I really feel cheated by Eurogamers UK focus etc. etc. yadda. yadda. ;(

    At least tell me they were horrible gristly sausages?

    Edit: From thepaddedcell's flickr photos no they weren't.
    http://ww w.flickr.com/photos/craigstanfo...
    Edited by 1 at 25/01/10 @ 12:06

  • CaptainCortez #37 2 years ago

    I'm a bit late replying, but thank you very much for an excellent night out, Eurogamer! :D

    I didn't realise Sony were there as well (duh!), as a few familiar names from the UK boards were there as well, apparently.

    Anyway, that was an excellent night! I wish there was more food than alcohol though. I kept drinking, but needed some pudding or something. :p

    Some naughty people had two lots of sausages and mash. Anyway, thanks very much guys. I'd love to attend another event sometime. All I can say now is, if nothing else comes up soon, then see you all at eurogamer in October! ;)

  • Cloudeh #38 2 years ago

    Thanks for all the free booze!!!
    Reckon I saved around £25 on alcohol alone >_>;

  • xxhiyaku187xx #39 2 years ago

    I played in the US Beta Tournament and i believe to my knowledge that i took 5th place.... I have yet to receive any emails from IGN ROFL. Back before the tournament in the BETA4 me and my team played aginst the all mighty ZIPPER Guyz... lets just say
    they were alot more scared of us then they were of anyone else lol its such a shame that they limited the comp to IGN and EUROGAMER people. Their is no way they could play this game properly. That is why they lost to zipper..... Annyway
    Just thought i should say something, The most probable reason of loss is that You guys dident swarm in together you have to
    overpower and overthrow!!! Hopefully their will be better selection of gamers for people's teams next time but only time will tell.

    xXHiyaku187Xx
    -Voted #1 player in MAG Beta
    Edited by 1 at 25/01/10 @ 19:40

  • charliemouse #40 2 years ago

    Servers were on last night and managed to get a few games in, not much teamwork or headsettery, hopefully will improve as time goes on.