What did your road to victory look like?
Tempelaar: ‘First we had to become national champions, which we did after winning two tournaments in the Netherlands. After securing the top spot in the group stage and winning the quarter final of the European Esports Masters, we heard that both the semi-finals and finals would take place in Alicante. That was a nice surprise.’
So was winning the tournament? Or were you considered the favourites?
Van den Berg: ‘After winning the group stage, I think other teams started to see us as the main title contenders. Of course, you can’t just sit back and expect to win. We had to stay focused until the very end. Although that’s easier said than done – as we’ve seen in the finals.’
What happened there?
Tempelaar: ‘We got off to a great start, winning the first two games of the finals – a best of five series. Especially in the second game, we were able to completely stomp our opponent. We only needed one more victory, but in the third game, we were playing around too much – loosing that game by a tiny margin. In the fourth game, our opponents completely stomped us, making it 2-2. So you can imagine we weren’t in the best state mentally.’
What made you secure the victory in the end?
Van den Berg: ‘By the end of the fourth game, we were already mentally and strategically preparing for the decisive fifth game.’
Tempelaar: ‘What also really helps is that we’re a close-knit team. The overall vibe within a team is really nice, which definitely helps when push comes to shove.’
Van den Berg: ‘What also helps is body language. The tournament was hosted physically, so you’re near your opponents. When you’re shouting and cheering after important moments, it can help you to get an edge over your opponent. You could even call it intimidation, haha.’
about Esports Team Twente and League of Legends
Esports Team Twente is one of the official student teams of the UT and focuses on playing a variety of video games/esports on a competitive level, like Rocket League, Counter-Strike, FIFA and League of Legends.
League of Legends is an immensely popular so-called MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) game, where two teams of five ‘champions’ face off to destroy the other’s base.
What kind of prize did you win?
Van den Berg: ‘A big trophy and prize money of 5000 euros. We’re very happy to have won this tournament. For university gaming teams, this is a major tournament in Europe. Since there is no world championship being hosted this year, this may even be the biggest tournament of the year that we’ve won.’
What’s next for the team?
Tempelaar: ‘We’re now waiting for a taxi to take us to the beach. So we’re definitely going to spend part of the prize money celebrating our victory. Next year, we want to defend our European title, so we can hopefully travel to China for the world championships. That is our ambition, to become the world’s best.’
