Introduction
There’s no question that The Grand Finals is Wargaming’s biggest event in the eSports calendar. Now that the 2015 tournament has recently come to a close, we’re wrapping up all the action. For those of you that may not know what we’re talking about, The Grand Finals is where the best World of Tanks teams from around the globe meet on the e-battlefield for the title of champion and a hefty chunk of the prize money.
This year’s event was bigger and better than ever. Held at the EXPO XXI in Warsaw, The Grand Finals 2015 had a slice of $300,000 on the line for the victor. Over two exciting days, thousands of spectators at the stadium and at home watched the teams clash in some impressive victories, close calls and thrilling comebacks.
The Venue
Warsaw is no stranger to the eSports scene—Poland ranks second in the world for PC gaming popularity with 98% of its 13.4 million gamers playing on PC. Fans will know that this year’s tournament was the second time we’ve been to Warsaw.
The EXPO XXI arena held over 300 journalists and was packed to capacity with 2,500 people. 20 cameras livestreamed the whole show over Twitch.tv in English, Russian and Polish, and there were close to 30 casters streaming the matches.
But the entertainment didn’t stop with the matches. Outside the venue, attendees could find the fully functional T-34-85 and M4AI Sherman. People could snap pictures, jump on top of the vehicles and learn about their history. Event sponsors and partners had booths set up around the arena. Fans could snag great hardware from GIGABYTE, HyperX and Razer peripherals, as well as win amazing clothing and accessories from J!nx and Musterbrand.
Also rolling into the arena was the MGT-20, Wargaming’s official military gaming truck. Outfitted with 14 PCs, attendees had the chance to sign up for 7 vs 7 tournaments during breaks to test their skills.
And the best part of all it? The event was totally free!
Day 1
The first day had 12 hopeful teams jump into the cockpit and get ready to roll out to the frontlines. Representing Europe were Virtus.PRO and Schoolbus; Reforn and YaTo represented China; ELONG and ARETE arrived from Asia; Russia has Natus Vincere and HellRasiers; North America were RUlette and eLevate; the two wildcards were Kazna Kru and Santa Claus and Six Deers.
The 2014 champions Na`Vi made short work of their opponents, EL Gaming and RG Razer, in two 5:0 victories, showing just why they were the previous year’s champs. Virtus.PRO and Santa Clause and 6 Deers brought the pain to Elevate, 5:1 and 5:0, respectively. The second NA Team, RUlette, came unstuck against Schoolbus 5:0 and YaTo Gaming 5:2.
When Day 1 came to a close, RG Razer, Elevate, RUlette and Arete were all sent packing, whittling the 12 teams down to eight.
Day 2
Newcomers Santa Clause and 6 Deers were sent back to the North Pole by Elong, who beat them 5:2. Battle-hardened Schoolbus went head-to-head with their EU counterparts and wildcards Kazna Kru, but were knocked out 5:3.
Na`Vi and HellRaisers, the two CIS teams, stormed to the semi-finals after conquering their opponents Virtus.PRO, ending 5:3, and YaTo, 5:4, respectively. Kazna Kru, a team that had impressed all since becoming EU champions, were knocked out by Chinese EL Gaming 5:3 in a well fought tussle. To secure a place in the final, Na`Vi locked horns with HellRaisers, but lost 2:5.
However, before all the finals action kicked off, the third place spot had to be decided. This battle saw Kazna go up against former champs Na`Vi, with Na`Vi managing to recapture some former glory to seal the bronze.
Giant slayers HellRaisers and EL Gaming took to the stage for the ultimate Grand Finals match. While many people believed this would be fight too close to call, EL Gaming were far too aggressive—a style of play that HellRaisers were more than equipped to combat. EL Gaming fell 7:1 in a series of decisive victories under the watchful gaze of 136,000 viewers.
So, there you have it—The Grand Finals 2015. It was an event to remember and just the start in a long list of exciting initiatives for the Wargaming.net League eSports scene. In the future, you can expect even more tournaments, young teams rising through the ranks, and the veterans battling to keep their place at the top of the podium.