Why international e-sports teams struggle with Call of Duty’s powerful incumbents

For love of the game

After I spoke with Chimura, the Trident T1 Dotters continued their shocking run until the U.S. teams Optic Gaming and EnvyUs knocked them out of the top four. They ended up in fifth place, took home $70,000 for their troubles, and as Chimura predicted, their success put a giant spotlight on the Australian e-sports scene. Vexx Revenge was the only other international team who placed in the top eight, earning $25,000.

Unfortunately, the future isn’t as bright for NSP, who, like Rize ZA, didn’t last the first day. Park and his teammates are all older compared to their peers, ranging from their mid-20s to their mid-30s. For “practical reasons,” Park said, none of them will likely ever get to play full-time. And it doesn’t sound like anyone else in South Korea is hungry enough to take over.

“The younger guys are into League of Legends,” Park said. “They’re not really into buying a game console or buying a game together with us. We don’t really have other people to pass down the torch.”

After losing their first three games, Echelon were out. Teoh and Lim just considered themselves lucky for even having the chance to compete. They at least have one cool story to bring back with them to Singapore: You know that magnitude 5.1 earthquake that struck La Habra, Calif? Echelon and three other teams were playing late into the night when it hit downtown L.A., shaking the place pretty hard.

No matter what kind of difficulties these teams faced — even those brought on by Mother Nature herself — the games went on. Regardless of where they were from, all 31 squads had to deal with crushing defeats and emotional victories, hopefully learning some lessons about Call of Duty and themselves along the way. Some will jump right back into practicing to get ready for the next tournament, while others may just stop playing altogether.

It’s easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of organizations and companies that contribute to the competitive Call of Duty scene, as well as the money that surrounds it. But this year’s championship reminded me that behind all the noise are real people just doing what they love.