With esports more popular than ever before, 2019 was a year of records, underdog success stories, and international controversies. But through all the blood, sweat and broken mice, several moments stood out due to their tremendous impact on the global gaming community.
VKLiooon’s Hearthstone Grandmasters Victory
Xiaomeng "VKLiooon" Li made history as she secured the top spot at Hearthstone Grandmasters Championship, becoming both the first woman the first Chinese person ever to do so. Upon earning the title, she said shared a message of inspiration for female gamers around the world. “I want to say for all the girls out there who have a dream for esports competition, for glory,” she said through a translator. “If you want to do it and you believe in yourself, you should just forget your gender and go for it."
Bugha’s Fortnite World Solo Championship Win
Outside of the Fortnite competitive community, Kyle "Bugha" Giersdorf was relatively unknown prior to July of 2019. But with millions on the line, he took on the best players in the world in a stunning display of game prowess to earn a massive win at the Fortnite World Cup.
The 16-year-old launched ahead of the pack early, winning the first of six total matches in the championship game. Through strong and consistent gameplay, he went into the final match with a massive lead that practically guaranteed the win. He ended the finals with 59 points, which was 26 points ahead of the second-highest ranked player, who had only 33 points. For his efforts, Bugha took home more than $3 million.
SF Shock’s Blowout Victory At The Overwatch League Grand Finals
Coming off of a strong season, the Overwatch League's (OWL) SF Shock suffered a blow in the playoffs when it lost against the sixth-seeded Atlanta Reign. However, the Shock recovered and pushed its way through the losers bracket. The team went on to face its most notable rivals, the Vancouver Titans, in the Grand Finals.
While fans expected intense, drawn-out gameplay, the SF Shock surprised everyone with a series of successive wins against the Titans. The team claimed several quick victories and leveraged that momentum as the Titans struggled to keep up. The Shock closed out the event with a 4-0 victory and a $1.1 million prize.
FPX League Of Legends Underdog Victory
Having seen only limited success in the prior year, Chinese League of Legends team FunPlus Phoenix (FPX) revamped its roster leading up to the 2019 season. An unlikely success story, FPX went on to achieve a regular season record of 13–2. A series of victories qualified the team for its first Worlds, with Kim “Doinb” Tae-sang playing an integral role in the team’s efforts.
After a tiebreaker win to Splyce, FPX beat Fnatic in the knockout stage. Soon after, the team defeated defending champions Invictis Gaming, which put the underdog team up against Europe’s G2 Esports in the Grand Finals event. To many fans’ surprise, FPX dominated to claim a surprose victory, becoming World Champions at its first-ever Worlds event.
Arslan Ash Emerges Victorious At EVO Japan
Arslan “Arslan Ash” Siddique surprised the masses when he showed an impeccable Tekken 7 performance at EVO Japan. The Pakastani player was relatively unknown outside of tight Tekken circles at the time. He nearly didn’t make it to the event after encountering visa issues as a Pakastani citizen, and he ultimately found himself taking five flights over two and a half days just to get to the event. He encountered another setback when a Japanese airport was unable to trade his rupees for yen. Still, he emerged the Tekken victor, beating players from all over the world in a stunning defeat. He then went on to claim the championship win at EVO Vegas, too.
Global Backlash Against Blizzard Following Blitzchung’s Message Of Support For Hong Kong
When Hearthstone player Chung “blitzchung” Ng Wai expressed his support for Hong Kong in a streamed interview, he set off a chain of events that impacted global relations around the world. Wearing ski goggles and face mask, the Hong Kong national made a statement that translates to “Liberate Hong Kong. Revolution of our age!” Hearthstone developer Blizzard quickly banned the player for a year and confiscated his earnings.
Though the gaming community acknowledged the fact that the player violated a tournament rule, people around the world came out in full force against what it saw as a Blizzard conforming to Chinese interests by suppressing pro-Hong Kong speech.
Ultimately, Blizzard reduced the ban — but not before severely tarnishing its own reputation.
Astralis CS:GO Win At StarLadder Berlin Major 2019
Astralis's Counter-Strike:Global Offensive team had a strong year, but it was the StarLadder Berlin Major that cemented the team’s place in history. Here, the team not only became the first in history to win four majors, but it also was the first team to win three back-to-back majors. In the Grand Final event, Nicolai "device" Reedtz put up a blinding performance, ending the series with over 40 kills across two maps and cementing the MVP award. The win amounted to an incredible feat in an extremely competitive gaming landscape.
GO1 Beats SonicFox At Evo in Dragon Ball FighterZ
At the EVO Vegas Dragon Ball FighterZ Grand Finals, Goichi “GO1” Kishida found himself toe-to-toe against reigning EVO champion, Dominique “SonicFox” McLean. Though the two are friends, they also comprise one of the biggest rivalries in the competitive fighting game scene. The previous year, the same event came down to these two players sparring against one another for the championship title. That year, SonicFox managed a comeback win against GO1 to earn the title.
During the final face-off, things looked bleak for GO1 as SonicFox took the first two rounds in a best-of-three matchup. But in a remarkable recovery, GO1 managed to defeat SonicFox three rounds in a row, dethroning the prior year’s champion. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he celebrated the victory in front of a roaring audience.
OG Dota 2 Becomes The First Team To Win Two Championship Titles At The International
Not only was OG's Dota 2 team the first to win twice at The International (TI), but the team remarkably did so in back-to-back years. Despite having won TI 2018, OG was barely on fans’ radars for the 2019 TI event as the group faced contenders with far superior 2019 season records. But when it came down to OG and Team Liquid in the best-of-five series finals, OG took home the champion title and more than $15 million, securing its place in esports history.
Shanghai Dragons Snap A 42-Game Overwatch League Losing Streak
The Shanghai Dragons were unable to secure a single win throughout the Overwatch League’s inaugural season in 2018, ending the season with a devastating 0-40 record. By the time the team faced the Boston Uprising in 2019, it had racked up 42 total losses in a row the longest losing streak in the history of professional sports.
Because of its losing record, the team developed a fanbase eager to cheer the team on for an elusive win. It was in anticipation of this moment and fans watched on edge as the team broke its losing streak in February, defeating the Boston Uprising with a score of 3-1.