With the completion of the final regional qualifiers on November 7, all spots for the world finals are now filled
After a year of planning, months of selections and weeks of qualifiers, all teams and athletes are now locked in for the Singapore 2021 Global Esports Games.
In all, more than 200 athletes from 48 countries and territories vied for a berth at the world finals of the inaugural Global Esports Games. That number was eventually whittled down, and more than 100 finalists from over 40 countries and territories will compete in person at the historic event in just over a month’s time.
The December 17-19 event will feature eight teams in DOTA 2 across two categories, as well as 32 players slated for Street Fighter V: Champion Edition and eFootball 2022. Competition will take place over two days live in person at the iconic Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore.
History is on the line, with the first-ever medals awarded for the Global Esports Games at stake.
For DOTA 2, teams had to go through national/territory selections and regional qualifiers before earning their spot in Singapore. Host country Singapore, Great Britain, Mongolia and Paraguay will compete in the Women’s Category while Singapore, Brazil, Great Britain and Mongolia will contest the Open Category.
In all, over 40 nations and territories will compete across the Games. Great Britain, Mongolia, and Singapore — as host nation — will be the only teams fielding athletes in all four medal events.
Said Hui Chun “Merody” Tay, part of Singapore’s women’s DOTA 2 team: “We are very excited to play against international women’s teams that we would not otherwise have the opportunity to.
“Although we didn’t get to go through open qualifiers, our preparations for GEG have been steady, and we really appreciate the support we’ve gotten from our local esports association. It has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience and we can’t wait to play!”
Khishigbat “Hishgee” Byambaa, captain for the Mongolian Open DOTA 2 team, added: "We value every competition and look for opportunities to improve and grow. In this competition, we will try to show what we have prepared for, and perform to our usual abilities. Then I am confident that the victory will be ours."
While Street Fighter V and eFootball 2022 did not involve regional qualifiers, athletes nevertheless had to face stiff competition in their respective national and territorial selections.
Serbia’s Aleksandar “Krie” Krstić, for instance, had to keep some compatriots who are also some of the best eFootball players in Europe at bay. Fielding a powerful Bayern Munich squad in his matches, he said Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting was a player that made the difference in the end.
“I can't wait to get to Singapore, because it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to travel so far away in the world. I’m sure that there are going to be a lot of great players, but I believe I can make a good result,” said Krstić.
Street Fighter V player Brandon “Brandon” Chia will enjoy home ground advantage, but also shoulder the pressure of representing host country Singapore.
He said: “I just competed in the Capcom Pro Tour Southeast Asia and finished third, so my form is pretty good. I’ll be keeping the practice momentum going all the way till GEG.
“Competing on home ground gives me the benefit of not feeling any sort of jet lag or discomfort, hopefully that gives me a slight edge!”
The opening ceremony of the Singapore 2021 Global Esports Games will take place on December 17.
GEFcon, a global convention of thought leaders, and the GEFestival, a celebration of esports culture highlighting music, art, technology and much more will run alongside the Games.