- Milestone moment in Saudi esports history as hometown heroes seal Grand Final victory to take $200,000 first prize
- Trio of Shifty, Soka, and Biffle attribute the win to ‘electric arena’ and ‘incredible support from the fans’ at Boulevard Riyadh City
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – -: Saudi Arabia’s hometown heroes Team Falcons made history at the Esports World Cup on Saturday evening – winning the Call of Duty: Warzone competition in sensational fashion at Boulevard Riyadh City.
Local esports enthusiasts enjoyed a sensational evening of action-packed drama in the Call of Duty: Warzone Grand Finals as 10 clubs battled it out for historic glory within the state-of-the-art SEF Arena.
Following eight rounds of epic showdown featuring elite athletes, Team Falcons was crowned champions. The trio of Shifty, Soka, and Biffle proved unstoppable on the night, topping the final standings on 227.9 points – 19.7 ahead of US-based Fnatic – to take the $200,000 first prize and become the first victors at this year’s inaugural edition.
Reflecting on a milestone moment in Saudi esports history, an elated Soka credited the ‘inspirational’ Saudi Arabian fans for helping Team Falcons secure a famous victory on home soil. He said: “The arena was absolutely electric and the fans gave us incredible support. Even when we were behind, they were still cheering for us – with us all the way. All three of us – we fed off that energy and this inspired us to bring it home for those guys. We feel on top of the world right now and representing Team Falcons – the home team – on home soil and winning is a great feeling.”
Biffle followed suit in praising the home support, insisting the atmosphere was unlike any he had experienced anywhere in the world. He revealed: “The crowd was electric – it was insane. Every kill we made, the noise got louder and louder. We really felt the love and energy. It was an unbelievable moment and something we’ll never forget. We’re truly blessed to have had that level of support from the fans. It was 10 times greater than anything we’ve experienced before – the fans carried us.”
Securing Grand Final victory rounds off a sensational week for Team Falcons and their tremendous Warzone trio. In a 21-strong tournament boasting some of the world’s greatest athletes and clubs, Team Falcons were dominant throughout and headed into the Grand Final as favorites having topped the Group Stage.
Team Falcons earlier made gaming history on the second day of the Call of Duty: Warzone group stages by winning all four of their games, something that had never been done before in any tournament.
When asked about their consistency and performance levels throughout Week 1 of the Esports World Cup, Shifty credited pre-event preparations and the team’s chemistry, adding: “It was all the hard work we put in beforehand. We practiced super hard and to come out here, perform like we did, and deliver a big win for the Saudi fans – it propels into a level of confidence that no matter who we play, in what format or which map, we’re going to come out on top. We want to win every single match we play in. We have a love, trust, and respect that no other team has and with this chemistry alongside the Saudi fans, we feel we’re unstoppable.”
The Esports World Cup is the pinnacle of professional esports – running from July 3 – August 25 with 22 tournaments across 21 titles throughout its eight-week duration.
Week 1 concludes on Sunday with matches across the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, League of Legends, and Dota 2 locked in.
