After three days of intense action in a packed Agganis Arena, American esports team Cloud9 beat Europe-based challenger FaZe Clan after three rounds of gameplay and two bouts of overtime to win the 2018 ELEAGUE Major Championship on Sunday.
The championship was the culmination of an international tournament, bringing together eight teams from around the world to compete against each other in the video game Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
Each round of the playoffs was a best-of-three series with the victor taking two rounds. Each round consisted of 30 games, with the winner taking at least 16 games.
Lucas Colucca, a fan from Daytona, Florida, said the atmosphere at the event was exhilarating.
“There is an electricity at American events,” Colucca said. “It’s crazy!”
Ukrainian player Oleksandr Kostyliev, who plays for European team Natus Vincere told The Daily Free Press he enjoys the opportunity to travel around the world for esports tournaments.
“It’s my first time in Boston, and I really like it,” Kostyliev said. “It’s something new for me, not like LA or New York.”
Kostyliev said his parents were initially confused by his choice to become a professional gamer, but supported him once they realized how much he enjoyed it.
“My parents didn’t understand what these video game competitions [were],” Kostyliev said, “but … they [saw] that I like it and they tried to help me as much as possible.”
During a press conference on Wednesday, Kostyliev said it can be difficult to spend so much time away from home, but that for him it is worth it.
“You know that [your family is] waiting for you, so you just come back home, spend one week together … you know it’s your job.” Kostyliev said. “It’s your dream to become champions and a legendary team, so you’re just spending all your time on this beautiful game.”
Alan Ruan, 18, of Concord, Massachusetts, said he thought the major, his first live CS: GO event, was amazing.
“My voice may be shot,” Ruan said, “but I’m still hyped.”
During the Wednesday press conference, Gabriel Toledo, one of the players for the team SK Gaming, which is based in Germany and Brazil, said that while professional gaming may seem fun, a lot of hard work goes into it as well.
“While we’re trying to have fun, we’re playing every single round and every single game very seriously,” Toledo said. “It’s not only about winning, it’s not only about having fun, it’s about trying to become the best team in the world and staying there.”
Toledo said esports teams sometimes face issues that traditional sports teams don’t have to think about, especially when it comes to teammate dynamics and utility.
“In soccer or football or basketball, you can change a player,” Toledo said. “In Counter-Strike, if you have a fight with someone, it’s very difficult to find another replacement.”
Philip Skipitaris, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences, who estimates he has logged 5,000 hours of CS:GO himself, said he loved getting the chance to watch some of his gaming idols play.
“I wish I was able to interact with some of the pros,” Skipitaris said, “but just seeing them was a dream.”
