As 2019 comes to a close, esports fans are left to reflect on the best competitive moments of the past year. Jaw-dropping plays, unbelievable tournament runs, and shocking levels of consistency from the world’s best players. Five of the biggest esports titles saw their biggest talents rise to the top, taking their rightful places as some of the best players in the world.
Luka “PerkZ” Perković
Long-standing G2 Esports mid laner Luka “PerkZ” Perković took the League of Legends world by storm in 2019. Prior to this year's season, G2 announced their addition of former Fnatic mid laner Rasmus “Caps” Winther. As a result, PerkZ moved to the AD carry position. The risky move left many wondering where the team was headed, though G2 came out the other side even stronger than before. With PerkZ as their carry, G2 won LEC Spring after topping the regular season’s leaderboard. They next attended the Mid-Season Invitational, where they took down Korean powerhouse SK Telecom T1 and destroyed North American side Team Liquid to take the crown.
Back in the LEC, G2 won the Summer season before moving on to the World Championship. They advanced to the Worlds play-offs, racing past DAMWON Gaming and SKT to reach the Grand Final. Though FunPlus Phoenix took home the Worlds title, G2 Esports had a formidable year. PerkZ was a massive part of G2’s legendary run, in which they stood just one series away from a never-before-done grand slam. He fit into the AD carry role nicely, holding his own against the game’s best.
Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut
Counter-Strike’s Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut made a splash in 2019, lighting up scoreboards with a consistent form that rivals the game’s best historic talents. The 19-year-old star debuted with Vitality in late 2018, and immediately turned heads as the newest French star. Following in the footsteps of legendary AWPer Kenny “kennyS” Schrub, ZywOo took over every server he played on. In 2019 alone, ZywOo lifted trophies at cs_summit 4, the ECS Season 7 Finals, and EPICENTER 2019, earning the MVP accolade at each event. Vitality also reached the Grand Finals of ESL One Cologne and DreamHack Masters Malmö, and, despite losses, the teenager was named MVP of both tournaments. ZywOo boasts staggering statistics, having maintained a 1.31 rating for big LAN events in 2019. His consistent performances this year place him among Counter-Strike’s very best, and this is only the beginning of his career.
Jay “sinatraa” Won
San Francisco Shock star Jay “sinatraa” Won took over the Overwatch League in 2019. Remaining consistent through meta and rule changes, the 19-year-old damage player earned his spot on everyone’s Overwatch radar. The San Francisco Shock reached the Grand Final of each Overwatch League stage in Season 2, and won stage 2 over the Vancouver Titans. Once in the postseason play-offs, the Shock suffered an unexpected early loss to Atlanta Reign. Led by sinatraa, the team went on an incredible lower bracket run to the Grand Final. Their dominance continued in the Final, where Shock came out victorious with a 4-0 scoreline. Along with the Overwatch League, sinatraa aided Team USA in a victory at the Overwatch World Cup. Sinatraa was named the MVP of both the Overwatch League and the Overwatch World Cup. The standards the 19-year-old set this year will live on in Overwatch’s esports history.
Anathan “ana” Pham
Though OG didn’t find consistent Dota 2 success throughout 2019, one player among their ranks powered them to victory at the biggest tournament of the year. Then-19-year-old Anathan “ana” Pham returned to OG in March after an extended hiatus. With ana back on the roster, OG began their climb back to peak form. They qualified for the MDL Disneyland Paris Major, and placed 5-6th at the main event. They then competed in ESL One Birmingham and the EPICENTER Major, placing 7-8th at both tournaments. The International 2019 arrived, and OG immediately exerted their dominance over their group stage opponents. To much surprise, ana played Io, traditionally a support hero, in the carry position. With that out-of-the-box pick, OG were able to top the group stage and secure a play-offs upper bracket berth. OG then took down Evil Geniuses, PSG.LGD, and Team Liquid to become the first team to ever win The International twice.
Arslan “Arslan Ash” Siddique
Tekken phenom Arslan “Arslan Ash” Siddique skyrocketed to the top of the fighting game scene in 2019. Though he competed in very few professional events the year prior, Arslan Ash cemented his name in FGC history in 2019. The 24-year-old kicked off the year at Evolution Championship Series Japan, where a lower bracket run ended in a Grand Final victory over Alexandre "AK" Laverez. He next won the TGU x SEA Thailand Major over two-time EVO champion Jae-Min "Knee" Bae. The Tekken 7 star then doubled up on his EVO Japan title, defeating Knee once again to take home the EVO Las Vegas title. He became the first player to win EVO Japan and Las Vegas in the same year.
During his unprecedented rise to fame, Arslan battled obstacles outside of Tekken. Coming from Pakistan, travel restrictions made his journeys to international tournaments even more difficult, and certain religious dietary guidelines resulted in stomach upset while traveling and during tournaments. Coming out victorious at every turn, Arslan Ash brought Pakistan to the forefront of Tekken esports.
The world’s best esports professionals will return in 2020, bringing more of the competitive spirit we all love.