LOOKING BACK ON THE EB GAMES EXPO
This past weekend saw one of Australia’s largest video game conventions, the EB Games Expo, take place in Sydney. Not only were some of the hottest upcoming games on display, but Aussie gamers got to witness first hand some of the top local talent in Counter-Strike and Super Smash Brothers. For those who missed out on the action, or want to re-live the memories, let’s have a look back on what went down.
Peak performance
As we looked at previously, the CS:GO tournament at the ESL ESPORTS ARENA was always going to be a tightly contested affair. All four teams who had qualified had something to prove, revenge to seize, and the drive to take the largest cut of the prize pool. And the action certainly didn’t disappoint.
The first day of action saw a brutal round robin round played out amongst all four teams, with those six games to determine the matchups and standings for the final day. At the end of the action three teams, AthleticoBH, Avant Garde, and oneStop, were all sitting on two wins and one loss each. The matchup between Avant and Athletico was particularly exciting, with Avant clinching it with a map score of 16-13. Legacy eSports, on the other hand, drew the short straw and had to play all three of their matches back-to-back. Finishing up at 0-3 at the end of the round robin, it wasn’t the best start for the team.
Heading into the finals, the first match would be played between oneStop and Legacy. While Legacy would make a spirited fight on the second map of the series, they were ultimately defeated 2-0 by oneStop. Having come out on top of the round robin stage based on Kill/Death ratios, oneStop performed to their seeding expectation and were one win away from the top prize.
In the other semi-final, we had a repeat of close match the previous day between Avant Garde and Athletico. It would be Athletico this time, however, who would take the victory from Avant Garde. Likely fired up from their previous loss the day before, the guys from Athletico secured their place in the EB Games Expo final with two quick, clean wins.
The grand final between oneStop and Athletico would be a rematch of their encounter during the ROGMasters tournament earlier in September. In that clash, it was Athletico who came out on top. The finals wouldn’t disappoint. After a quick 16-6 win in the first game, it seemed as if Athletico would come out on top. It would be oneStop, however, firing back and halting their momentum in the second game with a tight 16-14 victory.
Both teams were clearly in the zone at this point, and would need to play out of their minds to outdo each other and take home the victory. In the end, over a hard fought third map, it was Athletico who would come out victorious with a 16-13 victory. Matthew “Sheep” Woolley, CEO of AthleticoBH had this to say about the team and their finals run:
“The finals series was testing, exciting and fun. It was great to be a part of the event, and even better to be able to close it out when we needed to. The Team are extremely happy with their performance, and ecstatic that they were able to take home the trophy.”
Photo by ESL Australia
While this heated action was going on, two Super Smash Brothers tournaments were running to crown the king of their respective games. In Super Smash Bros Melee it would be ‘Rainbow’, one of NSW’s and Australia’s top players, who would take home the crown. Meanwhile in Smash 4, it would be ‘Ghost’ who would come out victorious of a pool of almost 100 players. What made both of these victories so impressive was that both ‘Ghost’ and ‘Rainbow’ did not drop a set the entire tournament. In ‘Ghost’s’ case, he only dropped one game within these sets, a feat truly remarkable and left no doubt that he was the best in Smash 4 on the day.
A little something for everyone
The EB Games Expo had a wide array of sights and features for fans of all genres of gaming. Fans got a sneak peak at titles such as Dead Rising 4, Final Fantasy XV, Tekken 7, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare and many, many more. Gamers also got to catch up with the developers from Nintendo, Ubisoft, Bethesda, and other major publishers who took their time out to chat with fans and answer questions about their upcoming titles.
Cosplay was rife at the event, with hundreds of fans turning out in costume to showcase their skills and represent their favourite gaming characters. You can have a look at some of the amazing cosplay that was on display in case you missed it, and appreciate the effort and skill that goes into them!
There was also a Pokemon Zone at the Expo. Not only did it showcase off the new, upcoming Pokemon games, Sun and Moon, but it provided a space for players and fans to battle and trade their Pokemon. On top of that there was lots of merchandise to be bought and be won, which made the Zone a must-visit for all fans of the series.
Shining brightly at the expo
We at Shine+ showcased our product at the EB Games Expo, giving away well over 5,000 samples to gamers and attendees. We had a blast at the event, talking to fans of both competitive eSports titles and more casual games alike. It was pleasant to hear the feedback from those who tried the drink, and we were pleased to hear the positive commentary on our product. It was also awesome to hang out with the CS:GO competitors, as well as the ever talented cosplayer ‘Fasffy’ and YouTube personality ‘Strubber’ among other content creators and professional gamers.
Shine+ had an amazing time at the EB Games Expo meeting fans of gaming, sharing our passion, and sponsoring the ESPORTS ARENA powered by ESL Australia. We hope you all had fantastic experiences too, and that our drink helped brighten your day when you tried it. If you’re keen to get some more, you can purchase Shine+ right here.
WORDS BY HAYDEN FITZGERALD
