Power, Glory, and Blitz: The Ultimate Mobile Masters 2017 Recap
Mobile Masters Las Vegas 2017, a two-day eSports tournament focused on popular mobile games, didn’t waste any time getting started. I had the privilege of seeing the action unfold with my very own eyes in downtown Las Vegas, Nevada at the Millennial eSports Arena where World of Tanks Blitz, Power Rangers: Legacy Wars, and Vainglory were being played at a very high, professional level*. Yes, you’re absolutely right, these aren’t your typical eSports games, but it’s that very reason why I was so intrigued to attend and learn more. It was a whirlwind of a weekend full of highs and lows, excitable winners, upsets, and surprisingly, not too many technical hiccups. While the prize pot wasn’t anything to sneer at, Mobile Masters ultimately felt like a group of friends coming together for the weekend to have some quality gaming fun. The only difference was the $70,000 prize pot over their heads, so no pressure.
I have another article in the works that will offer a deeper dive into some of the key players of Mobile Masters so stay tuned for that!
*A fourth game, Critical Ops, was initially on the Mobile Masters schedule but was removed due to the tragic shooting in Las Vegas on October 1st. Since the event was being broadcast on the Amazon Appstore’s Twitch channel, I’d say it was a wise choice to omit it from play.
Day 1: World of Tanks Blitz
It all began in an explosive manner with World of Tanks Blitz, where teams battled it out in a double elimination, best-of-three format that grew steadily more intense. Teams Eclipse, Cobras, LoveUsMore, and HateUsMore vowed for tank supremacy in the mode called, er, Supremacy, by blowing each other up, capturing bases or — as most World of Tanks players should know — by smartly blending the two methods together. The beginning matches between the Cobras and HateUsMore displayed a balanced game that focused on caps with the occasional firefight. Game 2, however, saw the Cobras get demolished as each member of the seven-person team was taken out one by one. Matches were fast and furious in Round 1, and it was HateUsMore that downed the Cobras in a suspenseful finish, sending them to the lower bracket against Eclipse. Eclipse struggled in the losing bracket and failed to capitalize on big moments, which sadly spelled elimination for them.
While teams LoveUsMore and HateUsMore may seem like natural rivals, they’re actually part of the same clan and therefore, are familiar with each players’ tactics. Their skirmishes in Round 2 of the higher bracket made for an entertaining head-to-head, as both teams took full advantage of securing caps early and winding down the clock before rushing to take down any unfortunately exposed tankers. That isn’t to say there weren’t a few times when they both dropped all semblance of strategy and instead relied on blasting one another to smithereens, which is exactly what happened in Game 3 in the map Desert Sands. Maybe not the most elegant of finishes, but hey, whatever works right?
The lower bracket semi-finals (now a best-of-five) between Cobras and LoveUsMore kept the excitement rolling in thrilling battles in levels Castilla and Dead Rail. The series was tied 1-1 with it being anyone’s game but LoveUsMore made fatal errors in the following two games, falling right into the Cobras trap. Before long, they found themselves flanked and finished by the purple Cobras, taking home only $1,000.
In the finals, it was a repeat of the very first high bracket game with the Cobras and HateUsMore vying for the Blitz crown. In the end, the Cobras’ strategies either felt tired or HateUsMore simply read them like an open book. HateUsMore played and adapted to every move the Cobras made and swept them in three consecutive wins in the finale. It was textbook and proved why they’re the best team in North America.
The payouts were as follows:
- HateUsMore $5,000
- Cobras $3,000
- LoveUsMore $1,000
- Eclipse $1,000