The MLG National Championships always promise to be entertaining, and this year was no exception. For the teams and players that were invited to compete in the championships, this isn’t an event to hold back an ounce of passion and effort. One thing is for sure: when the prize pool grows, so does the excitement, action, and the heartbreak. For a glimpse at the event, be sure to check out our video recap of the event through our YouTube channel.
The major difference this year for the MLG Championships was the sheer size of the event. With the introduction of the Doritos combines into the circuit this year, paired with the launch of Halo Reach, a fresh opportunity to become one of the next pro players had the event attendance booming. Much like the DC event a few weeks prior, we had the opportunity to meet a plethora of first timers, some folks we hadn’t seen at events the entire year, and some others that we’ve recently met from other leagues making their play to be one of the next MLG stars. The Championships hosted a number of the usual games: Halo 3, Halo Reach, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Tekken 6, StarCraft II, and brought in the Call of Duty: MW2 crew as well. All of the extra players and fans meant an insane amount of spectator cheering and heckling as the tournament progressed. For many of the players, the benefit of the private voice network from the daisy-chained MixAmps at the stations made the difference when it came to team communication.
One group that never ceases to amaze me is the StarCraft II fans. It seems like the more space that they have to watch the games, the larger the audience gets. For the finals, StarCraft II had its own area with the entrance right next to the ASTRO Booth. For a good portion of the event, people were pouring out of the room trying to catch a glimpse of the battles. The crowd would be dead silent for the vast majority of the matches and then erupt with cheering and applause when the games would end. Despite the perceived oddity of the contrast of noise levels, the pure passion you could sense from the players and the fans was nothing less than inspiring. This will be a title that the MLG will likely continue to embrace and help grow. You know, not that the millions of people who played(and continue to play) the original StarCraft didn’t help at all.
For those CoD: MW2 fans, you probably saw some of the commentating from our friends Fwiz and Hastr0. If you didn’t, check out the post-event VoD. These guys have a bromance that breathes entertainment to the folks tuning in. It’s well worth the time listening in.
The finale for Halo 3 brought an extra value of appreciation as we saw one of the long-time fan favorites Tom “T2” Taylor coaching Status Quo for the event. Tom shared his expert abilities as a player with the SQ team to help bring them a second place finish for the finals, helping to break them past the placement barrier they had met all year. Final Boss once again showing that they truly have an appropriate team name, they brought home their third consecutive win. Let the off season and the full transition to Reach begin for the rest of these teams. Get the full list of event winners, keep an eye on the team changes, and watch the drama unfold over the next few months at mlgpro.com.
Congrats to all the champions for the event, and we’ll see you in 2011!
-X
