G2 Esports have been crowned champions of the <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/pop-culture/2022/12/16/blast-premier-world-final-2022-what-does-it-take-to-become-a-counter-strike-champion/" target="_blank">Blast Premier World Final at Etihad Arena</a> in Abu Dhabi at the weekend. The team defeated Team Liquid to become <i>Counter-Strike</i> champions, winning $500,000 from the $1 million prize pool. The five-day tournament took place as part of a three-year partnership between Blast and Abu Dhabi Gaming, with eight of the world’s top esports teams competing. "It's a great feeling to win the World Final," said Justin Savage, also known as jks, of the G2 Esports team. "We were all in a positive mindset this week and everyone played out of their minds and are happy to have won. "The crowd was really good today and the Etihad Arena was really cool. All the fans really made a lot of noise which created a vibrant atmosphere for this match." Besides the matches on the main stage, gaming influencers also made an appearance including Saudi Arabia’s BanderitaX and Galaxy Racer’s <i>Fortnite</i> players Souriano and g1ntl. Other things to do included a special Gaming Fan Zone that was set up to encourage and help spectators learn more about the growing gaming industry. Charlotte Kenny, managing director of Blast Premier, said: “The Blast Premier World Final has established itself as one of the most prestigious tournaments on the esports calendar and by staging it for the first time in Abu Dhabi, we delivered a spectacle that showcased the very best of esports.” “It was amazing to see so many people of different ages witness the pinnacle of gaming with the world’s best players in action, while also gaining an insight on how exciting the industry is thanks to the expertise of our collaborations with education and gaming partners at the Gaming Fan Zone. “There’s no doubt that there’s a bright future for esports, especially in this region. We hope people have been inspired by what they’ve seen at the Etihad Arena and take an interest in gaming or pursue a career in this exciting and thriving industry.”
