The esports world is a big place. Any given weekend, there can be more than a dozen competitions taking place worldwide, from massive events such as Dota 2's The International to League of Legends domestic play and regionals in Smash. Each week, we'll take a look at the big picture and decide who had the biggest weekend, be it in impact on the esports scene, dominance of their game or making the most of a moment.
Here are our picks for the players and teams that took over the weekend that was in esports.
Winner: Ardis "Ardiis" Svarenieks (and G2 Esports)
It's always awkward when you bump into your ex. Neither of you really want to be there, and more often than not, it ends in a goodbye that both parties wished they could have avoided in the first place. G2's Ardiis bumped into his ex this weekend, when G2 Esports matched up with Fish123 in the finals of the $50,000 WePlay! Invitational. Since their breakup last month, both sides seem to have rebounded nicely, with Ardiis joining G2 and winning the first pro Ignition Series event in Europe, the Vitality European Open, and Fish123 reportedly signing with fellow esports powerhouse Team Liquid along with Counter-Strike legend Adil "ScreaM" Benrlitom.
Although this rivalry between Liquid and G2 is far from over and will become the focus of Europe's early days of professional VALORANT, Ardiis can say that in the first battle of this star-studded war, he got the first victory. Best of all for Ardiis, Fish123 clearly lacked his expertise on the game's vital sniper rifle, the Operator. Although the Fishes could keep up toe-to-toe with G2 in terms of aim, they couldn't beat G2 in terms of synergy and play on the Operator. Ardiis and G2 took a clear 2-0 final over their newfound rivals.
Not only did Ardiis dispatch his former team, but he also continued his perfect record in VALORANT finals, bringing it to a spotless 10 wins in a row. He made sure not to let the WePlay! casters forget this accomplishment during his postmatch interview, recounting his recent triumphs in VALORANT. For a man who is the self-proclaimed "King" of the three-month-old game, it's par for the course for G2's ace/Operator/trash talker/hype man/royalty, slinging banter outside the game as well as he does within it when communicating with his teammates.
Aside from his wins in-game, Ardiis is beginning to separate himself as a personality to watch in the world of VALORANT. He has the boasting of a Conor McGregor with the pinpoint control needed to be one of the best video game players in the world. In North America, TSM's Matthew "Wardell" Yu, has exploded in popularity the past two months, going from a streamer who averaged hundreds of viewers daily to now pulling more than 10,000 whenever he goes live. A lot of that has to do with his bombastic, expletive-ridden personality backed up by his flashy playstyle and highlight plays.
In a similar fashion to Wardell, I could see Ardiis being the same figure in Europe. Daniel "Dafran" Francesca occupied that spot early in VALORANT's lifespan, but the former Overwatch League pro quit streaming earlier this summer. If Ardiis starts streaming regularly, don't be surprised if his numbers climb as quickly as Wardell's, as their two teams continue to rack up parallel wins in North America and Europe.
As G2 continues their winning streak, fans will tune in to watch Ardiis and his teammates with his perfect record on the line. The more he boasts, the more people will either want to see him keep up his word with victories or wish for him to crash and burn. Fan or hater, though, it's hard to deny that early on in Europe's VALORANT scene, if there were to be an elected king, that throne might belong to Ardiis.
Honorable Mention: Matthew "Super" DeLisi
From one wisecracking big personality to another, we have to give our honorable mention of the week to San Francisco's Super. After finding himself on the bench recently, the reigning Overwatch League and World Cup champion was the first on his team to raise his hand, with the emergence of Genji becoming a common course in the pro scene. With no one on his team a specialist at the sword wielder, Super wanted his shot to take the stage and prove his worth in a new role. Team head coach Park "Crusty" Dae-hee publicly balked at the suggestion, not wanting the fans to get ahead of themselves before penning their Super as Genji fanart.
Well, sometimes dreams come true, and Super got his call-up to play Genji this past weekend against the hapless Boston Uprising. What could have been a one-note joke with the Uprising smacking Super aside and making the Shock take them seriously transformed into Boston becoming the butt of the joke, with Super outmuscling Kelsey "Colourhex" Birse and the Shock taking the series in a crushing sweep.
If there were an upcoming draft in which Boston could select a promising blue-chip prospect to provide hope, this defeat to Super's Genji might be worth it. Unfortunately for Boston, there is no draft, and the only thing they have to look forward to is Super making a YouTube video out of his Genji highlights against them.