ESL One Kuala Lumpur Wraps Up With Epic Last-Minute Comeback
It was a memorable event for all parties involved.
By Syazwan Bahri — 18 Dec 2023, 03:41 PM
This year’s biggest Dota 2 event in Malaysia has drawn its curtains, solidifying its status as a marquee event for the ages.
The highly anticipated ESL One Kuala Lumpur was held in front of a sold-out crowd this past weekend, with Chinese squad Azure Ray being crowned champions after a nail-biting showdown in the grand finals. Held at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC), Dota 2 fans from across the world thronged to watch this spectacle unfold.
Twelve of the best teams in the world descended on Kuala Lumpur, and after the dust settled, ESL One is gearing up for its next premier tournament in Birmingham, United Kingdom, in April next year.
Before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s briefly recap the epic showdown between the two grand finalists of ESL One Kuala Lumpur — Azure Ray and Gaimin Gladiators — which delivered one of the most satisfying outcomes that will be talked about for weeks to come
Arguably the best team in their respective regions, both the Chinese and European squads have previously locked horns in the recent ‘The International 12’ (TI12), dubbed the World Cup of professional Dota 2.
In that encounter, Gaimin Gladiators sent Azure Ray packing and went on to play against Team Spirit, who became eventual champions of TI12.
History repeated itself as both Azure Ray and Gaimin Gladiators faced off again. This time, the Chinese were eager to redeem themselves on the biggest stage in Kuala Lumpur.
Gaimin Gladiators started well, dominating the first two matches with little to no resistance from Azure Ray. The crowd was devastated to see Azure Ray on the backfoot for two matches in a row. The Gladiators had to win just another game to secure the grand prize of US$300,000 (RM1,410,000).
However, Azure Ray managed to pull off the unexpected — a 3:2 reverse sweep — after what felt like all hope was lost for the team. The team also won 4,800 EPT points out of 19,980 available. These valuable points will help determine which teams place high enough on the Leaderboard to receive a direct invite to another premier competition, DreamLeague Season 22.
The event saw the attendance of over 18,000 people
MITEC was alive with the booming chants and cheers from the crowd. The experience of being in the midst of a Malaysian Dota 2 crowd was surreal.
In fact, fans all over the world were tuning in to streaming platforms such as Twitch, amassing over 338,239 viewers over the weekend with a total watch time of over 8,113,046 hours, according to Esports Charts.
Esports is a booming industry in Malaysia
ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023 is only one of many esports events happening in the country. Last year’s ESL One, hosted at the Arena of Stars, Genting Highlands, was also a prominent event in the esports industry.
Here’s hoping that more and more esports events will be held in Malaysia.
This article originally appeared on IGN SEA, with rights to be republished on SAYS.
