KovaaK's
KovaaK's (previously known as KovaaK's FPS Aim Trainer, and KovaaK 2.0...[1]) is a training platform for first-person shooter and third-person shooter video games, developed by The Meta[2]. KovaaK’s is programmed using Unreal Engine. It was released on Steam for PC on April 3, 2018[3].
Gameplay
KovaaK's is a mouse-and-keyboard aim training platform that offers complex training customization and removes the distracting elements and interruptions present in shooters[4][5].
Players can choose from over 17,000 player-created scenarios, or create their own, using the weapons and physics cloned from a variety of FPS/TPS games[3][4], including Apex Legends, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive[6], Fortnite, Overwatch and Valorant[7].
Scenarios can be played in Freeplay mode, allowing for casual training, or in Challenge mode, with a time limit, leaderboards and performance analysis.
Development
In 2016[8], Garret "KovaaK" Krutilla, a former Quake pro[9] and QuakeWorld Champion[10], started developing an aim trainer in his free time, in order to create a self-guided tool capable of helping players consistently improve their aim[9].
“The hardest part about improving mechanics in most games is that there is so much downtime between fights. This got me thinking about the best way to provide players with easily grindable content that mimics certain in-game situations, along with creating systems that could emulate weapons and characters from a wide variety of games.”[9] Garret Krutilla
The Meta (co-founded by Duncan Haberly, Chris Olson, and Jay Brown), who had been working on a guided training platform since 2017, joined forces with Krutilla in 2018 to create the KovaaK's aim trainer as we know it today.[11]
The KovaaK's League
A seasonal competitive aiming league, where hardcore aimers show off their skills[12] in a series of 4 KovaaK's scenarios. Every season lasts 4 weeks and has a total prize pool of $2,500.
NVIDIA Partnership
On September 4, 2020 NVIDIA announced a partnership with KovaaK's.
Together, they created, and continue to update, a series of playable challenges, called NVIDIA Experiments, in the KovaaK's platform. These challenges are designed by the NVIDIA eSports research team in order to test how different human and hardware factors can condition gaming performance, as well as how to improve latency[13].
From December 14 to December 21, 2021, a weeklong challenge on NVIDIA Experiments called NVIDIA System Latency Challenge[14][15] for players to compete under reduced latency to maximize their gaming performance[16].
The NVIDIA Experiments provide users with data[17] to improve their gaming experience.
Overwatch's Houston Outlaws Partnership
Collegiate eSports Partnerships
KovaaK's has been a strong advocate for college eSports, and has partnered with almost 200 colleges across America, including Lawrence Technological University[21] and State University of New York[22]. As well as multiple European institutions, such as H20 Esports Campus in Amsterdam[23].
KovaaK's has also partnered Stay Plugged In, an eSports platform providing collegiate and high school recruiting opportunities[24].
Mousepads
On December 15, 2021 KovaaK's announced their merch line of 3 mousepads made in collaboration with EspTiger[15].
Downloadable Content
Currently, KovaaK's has one paid DLC item available:
- KovaaK's Tracking Trainer[25], a guided trainer teaching target tracking skills.
Fundraising
The Meta[11] has raised $7.3M[26] in funding from investors, Jazz Venture Partners, GFR Fund, Betaworks, AET Fund, Courtside Ventures, Village Global, and Canaan Partners[27]
References
- ↑ "Previously known as KovaaK's FPS Aim Trainer and KovaaK 2.0". Steam. December 5, 2019.
- ↑ "The Meta website". The Meta.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "KovaaK's". Steam. February 3, 2022.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "About KovaaK's". Techspot. February 4, 2020.
- ↑ "Improving FPS performance with Aim Trainers". Gamepur. July 12, 2021.
- ↑ "Training with KovaaK's for CS:GO". WIN. November 26, 2021.
- ↑ "Training with KovaaK's for Valorant". Sportskeeda. January 4, 2022.
- ↑ "Early development stage video". Youtube.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Krutilla, Garrett (6 September 2021). "Kovaak on KovaaK's". win.gg.
- ↑ "Quakeworld Champion". Quakeworld Wiki. August 29, 2007.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 "On The Meta". TechCrunch. 4 February 2020.
- ↑ "The KovaaK's League". The Meta.
- ↑ "NVIDIA Experiments". NVIDIA. September 1, 2020.
- ↑ "NVIDIA System Latency Challenge". NVIDIA. December 14, 2021.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 "NVidia Challenge and Mousepads". WIN. December 15, 2021.
- ↑ "System Latency Matters". IGN. 14 December 2021.
- ↑ "Collecting data from NVIDIA Experiments". Dot eSports. January 3, 2022.
- ↑ "Houston Outlaws announces KovaaK's as official training platform". eSports Insider. March 24, 2022. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
- ↑ "KovaaK joins Houston Outlaws". March 26, 2022. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
- ↑ "KovaaK's to Serve as an Official Partner for the Overwatch League's Houston Outlaws". Beasley Media Group. March 23, 2022. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
- ↑ "Lawrence Technological University Partnership". ltu.edu. May 11, 2021.
- ↑ "SUNY Partnership". esports.gg. September 24, 2021.
- ↑ "H20 Esports Campus Partnership". H20.
- ↑ "Stay Plugged In". staypluggedin.gg.
- ↑ "Tracking Trainer DLC". The Meta.
- ↑ "The Meta Funding". Crunchbase. February 9, 2022.
- ↑ "Investors". Crunchbase.
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