On the League of Legends stage, Fnatic and Cloud 9 HyperX are facing off in an emotional NA vs. EU rematch of the Season 3 World Championships and the right to advance to the Intel Extreme Masters Grand Finals. It’s a neck-and-neck struggle in which a previously struggling Fnatic side are pulling out all the stops and taking down the up-until-now dominating Cloud 9 HyperX.
Yet it’s hard to stay glued to the screen as on the StarCraft II stage an amazing sOs is currently crushing jjakji with a fleet of carriers, with the commentators unable to believe what they're seeing. Pulling out one crazy and innovative strategy after another, he has the crowd on their feet and the commentators in awe. Meanwhile on the third screen, CS:GO legends Ninjas in Pyjamas are facing off against none other than the so far stellar Team Dignitas, supported by a roaring crowd in the first semifinals of the tournament.
The commentators on all channels are ecstatic and my attention is torn as I sit in awe of what is transpiring before me. Sitting here with three monitors and the ability to choose between some of the best eSports I’ve ever seen across all three games, I ask myself if perhaps I'm actually better off being here instead of at the venue. Then the camera pans across a screaming crowd, I look at the ESL Flickr gallery and my Twitter and I decide on being undecided.
The thought is interrupted by loud cheers of Virtus Pro CS:GO fans which I'm sure can be heard across the entire stadium. Meanwhile, Fnatic and Cloud 9 HyperX have gone 1-1 just as Taeja and Life sit down to start their matches.
I look forward to Sunday.
I look forward to Sunday not just because it will have a US$100,000 winner takes all StarCraft II match that I’ve been looking forward to for weeks, or a surely epic League of Legends Grand Final, or the opportunity to see Artosis play Hearthstone, or because the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournament final will at last move to the main stage of the Spodek arena.
I look forward to Sunday because I will be able to watch it all.
I will be able sit back with a bag of chips and a beer and will be able to enjoy eSports for an entire day without needing to mark down missed games to watch later as VODs. Sunday will be a true day of eSports, and to those who don’t generally watch 'other games' - check them out. If the finals are anything like the matches we’ve seen so far, you won’t be disappointed.
Sunday Grand Final lineup
- 13:00 CET: Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Grand Final - Schedule
- 15:30 CET: StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm Grand Final - Schedule
- 17:30 CET: League of Legends Grand Final - Schedule
- 21:00 CET: Hearthstone Grand Final - Schedule
Luckily we have been busy uploading all matches to our YouTube account so that even if you missed some, you can still check out what's been happening on other stages!
