ESL One Birmingham: Team Falcon Takes Home First Prize
The Resort World Arena was filled with esports fans over the weekend as Birmingham hosted the grand final of ESL One Birmingham 2024. The event was attended by 15,000 fans and viewed by over 300,000 fans online. It is the first time that the tournament has been held in Birmingham since 2019.
Players battle for first prize in Dota 2
The tournament features multiplayer online battle arena game Dota 2, where two teams of five players compete against each other to destroy the other team's base. The game is known for being extremely strategic and has been compared to chess by gaming analysts. However, fans state that the complexity of the game is part of the appeal.
The finals saw Saudi Arabian esports group Team Falcon take on the Russian esports organisation BetBoom. Team Falcon won the tournament with a clean sweep against BetBoom, taking home the $300,000 prize.
UK aims to host more major esports events
Although viewership took a slight dip compared to the last time it was held in Birmingham in 2019, organisers still emphasise the importance of the event being held in the UK, stating that the event being held in an English-speaking country allows for a wider international audience.
The ESL One is not the only esports tournament being held in the UK this year, with the League of Legends Worlds finals being held in London this November as the UK starts to try and solidify its place as a home for major esports events. This is not the end of the ESL Pro Tour either, with the next and final tournament being DreamLeague Season 23.
