The Wargaming.net League Grand Finals was an event many will remember fondly for years to come. It certainly left quite an impression in the hearts of the crew working on the event, so we talked to some of them and asked for their favorite moments.
Sean Charles, mobile host and interviewer at the event, will remember one moment the most of all:
"Standing next to someone who is so obviously taken aback by the pure love and support found in competing in front of a live audience and feeling the crowd get behind his team was a really special moment to be part of. One of the fundamental reasons we do all this is to entertain, and when the entertainment truly sparks with the audience, magic happens, and Batman seeing that was so pure, and such an honor to be part of."
Oliver Maxfield, commentator at the Wargaming.net League Grand Finals, was as close as to the action as you could get. His fondest memory is a battle between Povel and Ealien.
"[It was] one of those moments that defines eSports. The two best players in a 1v1, the winner going through and the losers going out, the crowd following every movement - just a fantastic moment."
But that wasn't Oliver's only memory of the event. The final map between Fnatic and PVP Superfriends left quite the impression as well:
"This whole map was sensational. Fnatic makes a number of catalytic errors from choosing the wrong tanks to playing with their egos and not brains, and then the celebration after was just awesome, truly a great moment for relatively unknown team PvP Super Friends."
"A 3-0 victory was the prediction of many for the match. PvP Superfriends were down 0-2. Everything was happening as predicted but something changed. The audience started to lean forward in their chairs. The casual conversations in the lobby ceased as a reverent focus on the giant screen prevailed among all. PvP had taken a game. And then another.
Map 5, Ruinberg. PvP's weakest map. Batman, the team captain, is fidgeting at the speed of light in his chair. Fnatic pushes. One tank after another falls. The battle is tense, but swift. The dust settles. PvP Superfriends win. It's an explosion of emotion inside the Superfriends' booth, the audience is on their feet, and the entire world audience is both stunned and overjoyed. They may have considered themselves 'the vacation team' but their victory was a testament that at any given tournament, even the global grand finals, anything can happen, especially with friends like these."
The Wargaming.net League Finals were an amazing event, with some great stories and masterful plays that will stay in our minds for years to come. If you missed any of the action yourself, be sure to check out the VODs on YouTube.
