A Trip Down Memory Lane: WSVG Dallas - Bcrbo's Column

The place to be that Summer, WSVG Dallas

Europe versus United States, the old guard versus the settlers, the controlling versus the conquering. There are simply too many comparisons to draw between probably the two biggest and world-impacting continents since Christs’s believed birth. Almost every world event can be boiled down to the classic EU vs USA. In gaming it's nothing different, on the contrary, we are often an even more hardcore representation of clinginess to your own in the world of fast-paced internet connections and world-wide contacts.

So, when Call of Duty 2 was graced with a World Series of Video Games event in Dallas, Texas, everyone looked forward to what was immediately dubbed the event of the game. It had been three years since the CPL's 2004 Summer event that the best of both continents would go head to head in a battle for a lot of dough. Sure, the American and Canadian teams would have the advantage in numbers, but Europe would be sending its Holy Trinity to finally see what's what.

Team-Dignitas, SPEED-LINK and TEK9 Networks; all legendary names in their own right but this was back in the day that all they had going for them were some events in The Netherlands, Denmark and Belgium. Events were a lot more sparse and teams had to peak even more towards these unique opportunities to get something out of the game, whether it be money, fame or that rare high you get when accomplishing something special.

The community sites were booming ahead of the event and all experts and like-to-be-experts shared an opinion on who would win and who could undoubtedly crown themselves the best team in the world. In a way it was beautiful to see a usually such distraught Europe debating about which of their teams would take home the title. Would it be the English Enigma? The German Greats or the Star-Studded Stampede? Everyone had something different to share, but all were certain they would not let those Yanks walk away with the majority of that $20,000 prize purse.

Tensions were running high, though, as Call of Duty's GGL Trans-Atlantic Showdown grew nearer and all teams arrived in style at the Gaylord Texan hotel and were introduced to an atmosphere unbeknownst to them from their usual Crossfire Challenge or Outpost on Fire experiences. Unfortunately, Call of Duty only had a minor role to play in the whole WSVG environment and was not given a lot of attention by the general eSports media who overlooked the game as if it was some other Guitar Hero-esque clone and stuffed our cherished game in one of the far-out corners of the tournament area. The turn-out was not bewildering either, another aspect of the event in which we had to concede to the CPL Summer 2004 event which featured a massive amount of local as well as European teams.

TEK9 setting up for their first game

Skipping the formal group stage, we were just going to be treated to a Double Elimination Best-of-One extravaganza with a total of 23 teams in Dallas. Luckily, the first surprises and upsets avoided the European teams all together and saw the young and inexperienced Eximius players fall to perhaps the biggest surprise of the American teams, 20ID. This five-man team had been seen relying too heavily on their star player, Chris "-47-!" Maglio, in the months before WSVG and was expected to let their unprofessional attitude get the best of them. But as would become apparent in the matches following, a lot was to come down to individual performances and shining at the right time would bring you back into the game or knock your opponents down.

Having survived their first day of matches, the teams retreated to their luxurious retreats, baking in the sultry Summer evenings of the Far West. Contemplating what was yet to come, arduously the biggest single day of Call of Duty they had to prepare for and at such times, it is difficult to not let your nerves get the best of you. Trying to sleep in such a hefty and humid climate was not an easy task, though, being accustomed to the more ordinary and rain-infested European regions.

D-Day. Knowing full well that there would be no more easy matches to boot. It was do or die and it was about so much more than one person or one team, even. The bulk of mainland Europe was stuck to their preferred community sites like a bee to that yellow-orangy substance, slowly wearing out the F5 buttons on their keyboards. Fortune cut short most people's aspirations as two Euros were set to meet in the first match of day two, SPEED-LINK clashing against the Chelsea of COD2, TEK9 Networks. In what was thought to be a battle of the finest, mp_matmata quickly turned into the German's worst Alptraum and questions quickly followed. Was this SPEED-LINK being badly prepared or was this just the tip of TEK9 Networks' iceberg?

USA's most prestigious team, Team-pandemic, was soon found making its maiden journey as a four-shafted steamship, heading straight for the icy cold composure of TEK9 Networks on mp_carentan. Joe "Nabore" Amorosa's experience was insufficient to tackle the more contemplated and inhibited style and a weak defensive side eventually cost them that game. Perhaps the fortune of set maps along the bracket stage, might have aided TEK9 Networks along a bit. Shattered dreams on behalf of the viewers-on, seeing their key hero drop into the Lower Bracket, just a couple of rounds away from early defeat and a Final Standing that would not do the All-American Stars justice.

Swapping to the other side, the mixture of experience and new talent was working well for the Brits so far, advancing on nicely. WSVG Dallas would be the start of Chris "blackmane" Kinnair's troublesome and weary relationship with Team-Dignitas and hitherto the frags were rolling in. That is to say, until they met the Eximius-killers, 20ID, in a taut mp_carentan affair. The unexpected rigidness of the American underdog required too much of the young, yet wilful Brits and similarly to the pandemic-TEK9 game, a mid-game tie foretold game-over for the then Axis side. With only the Upper Bracket Final left, both teams could enjoy some time off while the close-to-elimination teams had to fight to survive. Always perilous a thing. Whenever you take a break, after a major win has just been put in the bag, you might lose that edge, that in-the-zone-mentality that carried you over the top and both TEK9 Networks and 20ID needed to stay pumped up to gain that important Grand Final advantage.

Cheers of joy and excitement flooded the mIRC channels and community sites about an hour later. The -47-! and Ray "RayZer" Sheehan train had been knocked off its tracks and was finally stopped by the immovable object that was TEK9. Of all the European teams making the trip, TEK9 Networks was considered by many to have the least chances against the ostensible superior tactic- and teamplay-based style of the host country.

SPEED-LINK (l-t-r): Fuchstutte, phY1, Trigger, z1NSTAR, Nightwalker

Meanwhile, SPEED-LINK had been going strong round after round and mounted quite the comeback in the Lower Bracket. The warm climate was doing the pale Germans well and burnt faces were only in part due to the overwhelming sun and in part due to the friction they created themselves. With no statistical or factual data about their over-seas opponents, they just went at it and beat Nothing to Prove, Check-Six and Team-Dignitas in a row to make it to the Lower Bracket Final. And what a thriller that would become. Facing the penultimate predators of Team-pandemic, they were fighting an uphill battle. But the Panzerfaust was looking sharp, focused and eager. The battlegrounds were mp_matmata and the TEK9 Networks trashing they received there was still ringing clearly in their heads. But such a defeat can either paralyze a team or make them play better than before, SPEED-LINK clearly opted for the latter. The start was abysmal, though. Down 1 to 3 and things were looking to end soon. But then Igor "z1NSTAR" Manschin and Michael "Trigger" Sowa rifled them from the East-Coast to the West-Coast and took eight rounds in a row to close the half out with a 9 to 3 advantage and Europe said this match was done and dusted.

But counting the Americans out was a fatal mistake. That the Call of Duty 1 veterans, Jason "crzg" Pielemeier and Joe "Nabore" Amorosa played their hearts out will surely have aided their cause, but in hindsight, you feel that the Germans should have closed this match out and not let Team-pandemic come anywhere near that final round to give them the match and a TOP 3 finish. Not even their patented "Juuuuuuungs" cry could help them and SPEED-LINK was out. The subsequent USA, USA, USA match-up seemed closer than it really was, as Team-pandemic seemed firmly in control the entire time and were looking to do right by their seedings and their country. The Italian stallion and Canadian Mountie, Rob "rob-wiz" Kennedy, were most instrumental in getting them in line for a clean rematch, the first with his strong calls and keeping the team's eyes on the prize and the latter with his lethal shotgun action that gave them the numerical advantage round after round.

Grand Final time. The stage was set. As hoped, the EU vs USA LAN turned out to be an EU vs USA Final and the best of both worlds would wager their lives on a win. Team-pandemic picked their home map, mp_toujane, and started to school them on it. TEK9's Antonin "OZWALD" Grenier's nice shot were pleasant to look at, but that was all they were. Nice shots. The middle of the map was not locked down enough and Team-pandemic kept on rushing into either bombsites from all possible angles and the masterful execution of tactics combined with a simply unleashed Justin "prank" DeMara mopping up every headshot popping up gave them a strong lead and the mental edge.

Team-pandemic, TEK9 Networks, 20ID on stage

Both teams were experienced, both teams carried the best players in their respective communities and mp_matmata would decide it all. A second place finish was nothing to be embarrassed about, yet, at that very moment, it would seem like last place. Second was closer to losing than to winning. TEK9's defence was quite obvious and not exhilaratingly innovative, yet efficient. The first half was thus quite tug-of-war, back and forth between either side and the logical six to six score. It was the continuous attacks on A, inspired by Antonin "OZWALD" Grenier and German newcomer, Daniel "L-KiNG" Luther, that put them over the top. But most of all, it was the harmonious coming together, a coming together that none would have expected from a team built-up like this, a coming together that saw them take frags tit for tat and attack in waves, rather than lines. It was this change of pace that left Team-pandemic unable to avoid defeat and saw our European number one transmorph into our World number one.

Looking back at the event, there was so much excitement, so many thrilling frags and team efforts and so much more. Yet, probably the most interesting fact of all was the camaraderie. The night of the Grand Final, both TEK9 Networks and Team-pandemic celebrated and toasted to an amazing event, a highlight in Call of Duty 2 and closed out the night together, no longer as rivals, but as a group of people who shared common ground, who were part of something bigger than the mere virtual strings of ones and zeros. It had become real and it was ours. 

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Demopack:

KNALLER
Davy
L-KiNG
OZWALD
Pandemic