We now have the four participants from North America that qualified to the Global Champions. An unlikely KurumX topped the table and took home the majority of the $25,000 prize money.
Teamfight Tactics Fates Global Championship just finished its North American finals with Team Liquid’s KurumX as the winner. Along with KurumX, Mismatched Socks, DQA and Ramkev rounded up the top four players. All of them receive an invitation to the TFT: Fates Championship.
KurumX was not the favorite to win the North American finals. The popular streamer struggled to find a spot in the North American qualifier tournaments. But adversity breeds excellence and KurumX’s skill was on display for fans to see. KurumX’s position in the ladder snapshots was always in trouble. But the player pulled through, just barely.
The journey through TFT Championship: North America
The North American region required consistent performance by a player to break through the competition. KurumX finished in the top four in the first three games with a very decisive win in game 3. Games 4 and 5 went below expectations as the player finished sixth in each game. Despite the setback, the player was still in contention to not only finish in the top four but also clinch the top spot.
His lead had disappeared, KurumX needed a first-place finish in the final game to clinch the top spot. A strong early game allowed KurumX to go into the mid-game with an HP advantage. The final battle came down to KurumX and MismatchedSocks. As KurumX emerged as the victor, he achieved his goal of becoming the North American champion. As he was in the top four, MismatchedSocks also qualified for the TFT World Championships.
KurumX - The People’s Champ has had a tough journey to reach the top
KurumX is not your typical aggressive player in Teamfight Tactics. While the intention is to win, it is also important to balance risks with rewards. The Team Liquid player often tries for a guaranteed top-four slot instead of always shooting for the number 1 position.
I try to play for the best possible place I think I can get, it's not a super risky playstyle you know? I think in tournaments, especially in this format where half the field or less moves on each day, playing for top fours is almost always correct.
During the Teamfight Tactics Fates Global Championship North America, KurumX was vocal about his desire to win the entire thing. He did not want to settle for the top four, moving slightly out of his comfort playstyle.
Throughout his career, KurumX has had many doubters and naysayers. But he says people writing you off as an underdog is actually a good thing because as a player he wanted to prove them wrong.
No, I think that sometimes people doubting you and writing you off as an underdog is almost like a good thing because you want to prove them wrong and you want to play good and you want to prove yourself and show that you are capable of being the best. It can help your motivation.
Qualifying to the Teamfight Tactics Worlds Championship was the biggest win for KurumX. It will be interesting to see how the Team Liquid ‘people’s champ’ performs against players from other regions.