World Finals 2023 Recap

This year's World Finals were nothing short of special. From region power shifts to underdogs to upsets, it had everything you could've asked for from a World Finals. Let's have a look at each of the teams in detail:

BC* GAMING

Coming into the world finals as the only team from Mainland China, this team was seen by many to be the weakest team in the World Finals. To the surprise of everyone, they came very close to beating both Revenant Esports and Luminosity Gaming, two teams that seemed on paper to be much stronger than BC. Despite falling just short in the end, it's undeniable that their performance on the grand stage this year is a source of immense pride. The end result was expected, but China has demonstrated the potential to become a formidable force in the future.

NATUS VINCERE

One of the 2 EMEA Teams coming from the LCQ, many had high expectations for this roster. Although they looked very good against Reply Totem and Tribe Gaming, they just couldn’t finish it off in the end despite their best efforts. With MMA retiring and Nob joining their roster this year, this roster could do very well this upcoming season. Hopefully next year they will be able to return to their former 2021 glory.

NOUNS ESPORTS

The number 1 and only team coming from South America, Nouns Esports was looking to make history for the South American Region. This team flew out a few months before World Finals to bootcamp in Europe, and they were looking like a dominant team in events like the Snapdragon Pro Series and Queso Cup. Unfortunately, they were placed into what could be arguably the hardest group, with STMN Esports from NA and ZETA Division from EU. They ended up losing both matches and going out in the group stage, but hey, at least they lost to the 2 teams that would end up in the grand finals.

FUT ESPORTS

The number 3 seed from EMEA, this team was looking amazing coming into the world finals. With some very convincing wins in the Snapdragon Pro Series against top teams like ZETA and SK, many expected this team to make a deep run in Worlds. Unfortunately, this team fell all apart on game day, losing to Crazy Racoon 0-3 and SK 2-3 in possibly one of the craziest reverse sweeps of all time. Maybe next year will be the year for these players, but this loss had to have hurt.

TRIBE GAMING NA

The number 1 seed from NA East, this team barely needs any introduction. Consisting of veterans Tyrant, Zoulan, and Ezlivi, this team was coming off a hot streak going into the world finals with a monthly final win over their main rival, Chasmac Gaming NA. Being placed in a group with NAVI and Reply Totem, two teams that were not looking hot coming into the world finals, Tribe was expected to be the leader in their group. Unsurprisingly, they beat both NAVI and Reply Totem in quite convincing fashion - a 3-1 scoreline in both matches. Going into day 3, they were looking to be one of the top contenders for the Grand Finals. First, they would have to go against a red-hot SK Gaming, coming off a momentous reverse sweep against FUT Esports, their long-time rival. Unfortunately, they conceded to SK in a 3-1 scoreline, losing their chance to bring home the trophy.

LUMINOSITY GAMING

Luminosity Gaming from NA West, a team consisting of Charlz, Chino, and Patchy was a rookie team coming into this tournament. With none of the players having much LAN experience, many people had low expectations for this team. This team was placed into group A, a group consisting of BC* Gaming, and Revenant Esports. Many considered it to be the weakest group out of the 4. This claim was proved to be false, with BC* Gaming from China putting up a good fight against LG and Revenant. Going into day 2, they were faced against the number 1 seed from EMEA, ZETA DIVISION. Despite a somewhat grim beginning, LG made an impressive comeback, pushing the series to a decisive final set. The double matchpoint game was a heart-wrenching moment, with Charlz narrowly missing a match-winning goal, leading to a swift counterattack by ZETA that sealed the fate of the match. It was a painful defeat that ended LG's tournament run, but what they accomplished at Worlds was truly impressive and you should expect to see even better things from them this year.

REPLY TOTEM

The number 2 seed from EMEA, Reply Totem on paper looked to be one of the top contenders for the trophy. Comprising players Maru, Maury, and star player Joker, this team won the ESL Masters tournament just a few months before in Japan. Unfortunately, ever since, this team has not looked the same with lackluster performances in BSC and the Snapdragon Pro Series leading up to the world finals. They barely made it past the group stage with a nail-biting match against NAVI, and then lost to Crazy Racoon 1-3 on day 3. It seems like the Totem curse continues, with them being eliminated from the world finals by a team from Japan the past 3 years.

REVENANT ESPORTS

Many were surprised to see this team at worlds, as their only qualifying path was through LCQ and many people viewed this team as being one of the weaker teams in the tournament. This Indian roster was placed into Group A, and made it to day 3 by beating out BC* gaming in a 3-2 scoreline. Unfortunately for them, their next opponent was STMN Esports, a formidable opponent who looked to be one of the main contenders for the trophy. This team put up a good fight against them, almost taking STMN to a set 5 but they just couldn’t close it out in the end and lost in a 1-3 scoreline. 

SK GAMING

Nobody expected this team to make it far into the world finals, but they managed to surpass all expectations and place top 4 in the entire event. The roster of Ope, Ikaoss, and Yoshi managed to pull off an insane reverse sweep against FUT Esports, their main rival sending FUT home and themselves into day 2. On day 2, they faced Tribe Gaming, another amazing team who many were expecting to beat SK. Well, they managed to get their revenge from last year by beating Tribe in a convincing 3-1 fashion. They then faced off against a red hot STMN Esports, and could not finish the job, losing to them in a 3-0 scoreline. From not qualifying to the first 2 monthly finals, this team has gone a long way and should be proud of themselves.

CRAZY RACOON

This team on paper is the definition of a Brawl Stars superteam. Comprising of arguably the top 3 most mechancially skilled players in the world: Moya, Sitetampo and Tensai, this team was looking to bring home a third world champion win for their homeland Japan. They were placed in a group with SK Gaming and FUT Esports, 2 strong teams from the EMEA reigon. They managed to sweep both teams convincingly, and it looked like Japan was on top of the world again with all doubts of them being weak dispelled. In day 2, they faced against Reply Totem, and managed to beat them in a 3-1 scoreline, this time showing a bit more cracks in their gameplay and drafts. They then faced off against ZETA Division, their old org but under a new team of Gero, Nowy, and Meow. The game was very close, with Crazy Racoon almost pulling off a reverse sweep against ZETA but a few bad drafts cost them the game, and for the first time in 2 years, East Asia did not win the world finals. I have no doubt next year this team will be back to prove themselves, and I am very excited to see what they do in 2024.

STMN ESPORTS

Possibly one of the best if not the best LAN teams in the world, many had this team winning the world finals. Made of longtime NA veterans Bobby and Zhar joining forces with upcoming top player Sans, this team had a slow start to the BSC season losing 2 monthly finals to Luminosity. They were not able to qualifty through the normal BSC season, and had to qualify through LCQ. They suprised everyone by sweeping REJECT, one of the strongest teams in the world at the time to qualify for worlds. Their bad luck didn't end there, as they were placed in arguably hardest group at worlds. There, they managed to beat both Nouns and Zeta Division, placing number one in their group. On day 2, many expected this team to finish the job and finally bring home the championship trophy for NA. They quickly made their way to the finals, and their final opponent was Zeta Division. Unfortunately for them, Zeta got their revenge and beat them in a 3-1 scoreline, ending NA's dream for a world title in 2023. The things this team has been able to accomplish are very impressive and many believe that the 2024 season will be the year they finally bring home the trophy.

ZETA DIVISION

Last but most certainly not least, we have Zeta Division. When this org picked up the Polish roster of Gero, Nowy, and Meow with former Reply Totem coach Inso, no one expected this team to accomplish once and many questioned Zeta's decision. But as the BSC 2023 season unfolded, these doubts were quiclly dispelled as they were able to win a whopping 4 out of 6 monthly finals in EMEA, the most competitive reigion in the world. Coming into the world finals, this team was looking like the favorites to take home the trophy, and they did not dissapoint. Making their way through both the group stage and bracket, this team showed everyone that they were not just mechanically skilled online, but were also insanely skilled in LAN settings. They took down their main rival STMN Esports in the finals in 3-1 fashion, using the same exact brawlers in the final set Zeta Division from 2021 did to bring home the trophy. What this team has done in 2023 is absolutely insane and I cannot wait to see what they will do next year under the same organization. 

Written by Leafy (@leafy_bs)