We look at the results from the three titles and also share a preview of what you can expect in week 7 of the 2024 Esports World Cup.
Fortnite
Fortnite was one of the most anticipated events from week 6, with the event following a new format that doesn't revolve around the standard game mode. Instead, the action focuses on a fresh competitive UEFN Island as Fortnite, true to form, continues to push boundaries in the esports scene.
The group stages of Fortnite kicked off on Thursday the 8th of August, with spectators getting a comprehensive look at the new game modes. Group stage matches were played in a best-of-five (BO5) format featuring the following maps and modes:
- Chalet (Capture the Flag)
- Chalet (Hardpoint)
- Panther (Capture the Flag)
- Panther (Hardpoint)
- Taverna Zoni (Keeper)
Team Falcons avoided a scare in Group A, making it out in second place after a narrow win against DRAGONS eSports in their final series. Fnatic were sent home in the group stages, winning only 1 map of the 7 they played. Other teams that faced elimination during the group stages included fan favourites PWR, w7m esports, ZETA DIVISION, and BIG.
The Quarter-Finals saw the format change to a best-of-seven (BO7), however, this didn't stop things from being business as usual for XSET and Heroic, cruising past Gaimin Gladiators and R8 Esports in 4-0 and 4-2 fashion, respectively. Falcons were stunned and sent home after losing 4-1 to Exceed, despite most of the maps being incredibly tight, while Karmine Corp managed to take down Dignitas 4-1.
One of the biggest upsets from the Fortnite event occurred in the Semi-Finals, as Karmine Corp was outclassed by Exceed 4-2. On the other end of the bracket, XSET had no trouble getting past Heroic, as a 4-1 scoreline helped to set up an interesting Grand Final, pitting two rival organisations against each other.
The Grand Final started off on Chalet for Capture the Flag, which XSET dominated as the map ended 3-0. Exceed answered back immediately, winning Panther Hardpoint 250 to 238. Moving on to Keeper on Taverna Zoni, XSET would pull ahead again before Exceed levelled the series on Panther Capture the Flag, locking the series at 2-2.
Just when it seemed like the Grand Finals would be going the distance, XSET ran away with Chalet Hardpoint 250-166 before a crazy game from Edgey helped them to close the show on Taverna Zoni Keeper. XSET lifted the trophy after losing only 3 maps throughout their entire campaign, with Ritual being named the MVP, pocketing an extra $50,000 for his efforts!
Teamfight Tactics
Much like Fortnite, Teamfight Tactics saw a group stage featuring a GSL format, with the rest of the tournament consisting of elimination matches. Each series followed best-of-three (BO3) rules, apart from the Grand Final, which was a BO5.
The initial stages went as many would have expected, with Wolves Esports, Team Vitality, T1, and Toronto Ultra all topping their groups. Branching Out, Twisted Minds, Weibo Gaming, and Natus Vincere also earned themselves a spot in the Quarter Finals. Notable teams that were eliminated in the groups include Team Falcons, Fnatic, and Zero Tenacity, as all three failed to really get their campaigns rolling.
All four victorious teams put on an impressive display in the Quarter Finals, as Wolves Esports, Team Vitality, Toronto Ultra, and T1 all won their matches in 2-0 fashion. This trend continued in the Semi-Finals, as Wolves Esports defeated Team Vitality 2-0, with T1 doing the same to Twisted Minds.
The Grand Final started off with T1 taking map 1 with an impressive 22-14 scoreline, however, this seemingly took all of their energy as Wolves Esports fought back to win maps 2, 3, and 4 in succession. With that being said, the 3-1 scoreline doesn't do T1 justice, with the final 3 maps all being incredibly close.
Wolves Esports would lift the Teamfight Tactics trophy, bagging 1,000 EWC Club Points and $200,000. The star from the event, LiShao, will take home even more after being named the MVP in Teamfight Tactics!
Street Fighter 6
The last event to discuss from last week is Street Fighter 6, a solo competition that consisted of three different stages. To start, all 32 players were split across 8 different groups, with the top two making it to the next stage. Afterwards, the remaining 16 players would again be split into groups of 4. Players who managed to secure two wins in the second stage would progress to the single elimination bracket to fight for the trophy.
A huge variety of different matches were played on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, while the conclusion of Phase 2, the playoffs, and the Grand Final were all wrapped up on Sunday. After over 3 days of fierce competition, the top eight players, alongside the clubs they represented, were as follows:
- AngryBird - NASR eSports
- gachikun - Good 8 Squad
- Ryukichi - FAV gaming
- Xiao Hai - KuaiShow Gaming (KSG)
- Hikaru - EVA:e
- Kawano - Good 8 Squad
- Higuchi - Saishunkan Sol Kumamoto
- Tachikawa - Burning Core Toyama
One of the most entertaining matches from the Quarter Finals saw Xiao Hai eliminate Hikaru in an incredibly tight 5-4 match. Kawano beat Ryukichi with the same scoreline, too. The other two matches were relatively straightforward, as Tachikawa beat AngryBird and gachikun prevailed against Higuchi, both ending in a 5-1 outcome.
The Semi-Finals were equally as entertaining, with Kawano and Xiao Hai both prevailing in two close matchups. However, the Grand Final was much more dominant in favour of the player from China, as Xiao Hai reigned victorious with a 5-2 stomp, netting him a total of $300,000. In addition to this, Xiao Hai will be etched into the 2024 EWC totem and KSG will also be awarded with 1,000 hugely important club points.
All eyes are now on the week 7 schedule for the Esports World Cup, which will see the introduction of StarCraft II and EA SPORTS FC 24, alongside the highly anticipated Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III event!
