WHAT: Mitoe v. Hazza54321 | ESOC Pro Finals
WHEN: Thursday, March 5 @ 18:00 GMT[/b] (10:00a PT / 1:00p ET)
WHERE: twitch.tv/ESOCTV
THE EVENT:
Zitat:
The time has come! This is the definitive battle between two Age of Empires III legends. This coming Thursday, Mitoe and Hazza54321 will face off in a best-of-nine bout to claim the coveted title of Winter Champion—as well as a cool slice of the $2250 prize pool pie.
Here's a recap of their journey to the pro finals:
These two powerhouses belong to a newer time; gone (for now) are the days of iamgrunt, H2O, and BlackStar_OP of the World Cyber Games of 2007 and 2008. New competitors now stand on the shoulders of giants.
Mitoe made his ESO debut in early 2014 to the tune of Lt. Colonel: a humbling experience for a player who dominated the smaller Macintosh scene for years. He showed he was fit to dominate ESO, too, winning the 2017 Autumn Championship in a 5-2 series over Goongoon, and later, two weekend tournaments.
Hazza was a captain in 2016, and in one of the fastest “rags-to-riches” transformations, blew up to become Brigadier in less than two years. Now he's a Major General. Although ranked above Mitoe, Hazza has yet to win a Seasonal Major. He is well poised for his first.
Further, these players have a history of tournament meetings, introducing a psychological factor to this encounter. In the 2018 Autumn Championship, Hazza swept Mitoe 4-0, and again over-performed with a 4-1 victory in the ESOC Premier League. Mitoe was able to get his sweet revenge in the 2019 New World Championship qualifiers, vanquishing Hazza 3-2 in the Round of 16.
But with a Championship Title on the line—including more money and more prestige—which of these two players will rise to the occasion?
—Written by Guest Contributor: SirCallen
Here's a recap of their journey to the pro finals:
- Both Hazza and Mitoe were expected to go far: clocking in as the third- and fourth-strongest players in the pre-tournament Power Rankings, respectively.
- Hazza knocked out No. 1 ranked Kaiserklein with a convincing 4-2 upset in the semifinals.
- Mitoe is hot off a 4-0 sweep of Lukas, who beat snowww and the indominable LordRaphael—who is sometimes regarded as the Greatest of All Time.
These two powerhouses belong to a newer time; gone (for now) are the days of iamgrunt, H2O, and BlackStar_OP of the World Cyber Games of 2007 and 2008. New competitors now stand on the shoulders of giants.
Mitoe made his ESO debut in early 2014 to the tune of Lt. Colonel: a humbling experience for a player who dominated the smaller Macintosh scene for years. He showed he was fit to dominate ESO, too, winning the 2017 Autumn Championship in a 5-2 series over Goongoon, and later, two weekend tournaments.
Hazza was a captain in 2016, and in one of the fastest “rags-to-riches” transformations, blew up to become Brigadier in less than two years. Now he's a Major General. Although ranked above Mitoe, Hazza has yet to win a Seasonal Major. He is well poised for his first.
Further, these players have a history of tournament meetings, introducing a psychological factor to this encounter. In the 2018 Autumn Championship, Hazza swept Mitoe 4-0, and again over-performed with a 4-1 victory in the ESOC Premier League. Mitoe was able to get his sweet revenge in the 2019 New World Championship qualifiers, vanquishing Hazza 3-2 in the Round of 16.
But with a Championship Title on the line—including more money and more prestige—which of these two players will rise to the occasion?
—Written by Guest Contributor: SirCallen
