On 5 December, the top four PvP teams in Guild Wars 2 will go head-to-head at the World Tournament Series Championship event in Beijing, China, all vying for the lion’s share of the $50,000 prize pool. This event represents the first of three championship events occurring in 2014 and 2015, and it’s the culmination of months of competition that began with an open-enrollment tournament with thousands of players participating. The field was whittled down to four finalists after the WTS Invitational Qualifiers in October: two teams from the host region, China, and one team each from North America and Europe. The event in Beijing marks the second time that an international Guild Wars 2 tournament has taken place, but it’s the first occasion with a cash prize on the line. North America vs. Europe vs. China-who do you stand behind?
The English-language broadcast of the event will begin at 10 a.m. CET (1:00 a.m. PST) on Friday 5 December, on the official Guild Wars 2 Twitch channel. ArenaNet’s own Joshua “Grouch” Davis will be joined at the desk in Beijing by shoutcaster John “Blu” Mullen. More information on the event will be released over the next few weeks, so stay tuned!
Without further ado, we are proud to announce the following team members of the World Tournament Series finalist teams:
The Abjured (North American Team)
True to the meaning of the word, the Abjured was originally founded by players who counted themselves as forsaken or lost, all having been left behind from their previous teams in various circumstances. With a roster that boasts three former members of Team Good Fights, the Abjured already have a strong foundation on which they can stand. Their damage-focused team composition should prove to be quite the challenge for the Civilized Gentlemen.
Phantaram – Elementalist – Having previously played for European powerhouses such as Team Paradigm and The Civilized Gentlemen, Phantaram is the Abjured’s inside man with the knowledge and experience needed to dethrone the competition. Widely considered to be one of the best dueling elementalists in Guild Wars 2, expect Phantaram to hold his own in one-on-one situations, be a key player in skirmishes, and help dominate team fights by both supporting his allies and dishing out tons of damage.
Wakkey – Elementalist – A solid multi-classer, Wakkey is always willing to adjust his play style to meet the needs of his team. His versatility will allow him to roam the field with impunity, always becoming a strong presence in the heat of battle. A self-described “swag master,” Wakkey’s confidence and jovial personality will help his team stay upbeat through the trials of the World Tournament Series Finals.
Magic Toker – Thief – A former member of Good Fights, Magic Toker’s skirmishing ability is second to none, allowing him to pull off impressive feats such as winning two-on-ones, even in high-level tournaments such as the ESL Go4GuildWars2 Cups. His strong map awareness and keen sense of player rotations will help him keep track of players all across the map, knowing exactly where he needs to be to help his team out with maximum efficiency.
Ostrich Eggs – Engineer – A living definition of “loose cannon” if there ever was one. Ostrich’s volatility is matched only by his genius; he can pull off unfathomable plays possible only through the uncalculated, rogue, and spontaneous yet instinctual gameplay that has become his trademark. If the Abjured can manage to point this rocket in the right direction, they just might take home the win.
Five Gauge – Engineer – One of the main advantages that the Abjured gain by having Five Gauge on their roster is his acutely analytical mindset – a critical component in their ability to breakdown matches, identify weaknesses, and then rectify those issues quickly. Otherwise, in his own words, he goes “ham.”
The Civilized Gentlemen (European Team)
One of the longest standing teams in Guild Wars 2, the Civilized Gentlemen have flown many different banners during their time together. Whether they’re Team Curse, Team Mist, or the Civilized Gentlemen, one thing always remains the same – their dominance. The Civilized Gentlemen played flawlessly at the Guild Wars 2 International All-Stars tournament, giving Europe a 2-0 record against North American teams in international competitions – can they make it 3-0?
Helseth – Mesmer – As the captain of Team Mist, Helseth is charged with determining the overall strategy for his team as well as calling the shots in the heat of battle. Helseth has spent the past two years perfecting his mesmer play and you could certainly say that he is reaping the rewards of his efforts. His superior positioning and precise mechanical skill make him a deadly adversary, spiking down enemies in a split second with the help of his teammate Sizer. Looking for big plays? Keep your eye on this one.
Tage – Guardian – At one time believed by many to be unbeatable, the Civilized Gentlemen’s bunker guardian Tage has long served as the backbone of the team, often helping his team conquer insurmountable odds to secure a victory. The North American team consists of some of the strongest damage dealers in the competitive side of Guild Wars 2 – but what will happen when they match up against this immovable object? Don’t expect anything out of the ordinary from Tage – he’s already extraordinary.
Sizer – Thief – The quintessential thief, Sizer’s strong map awareness and sense of player rotation will allow him to create opportunities to capture the enemy team’s unprotected capture points, forcing them to split up to compensate. Additionally, Sizer’s high mobility will allow him to quickly rotate into team fights, always giving his team the upper hand.
R O M – Warrior – ROM is no stranger to extreme competition, having played for multiple top teams such as Cheese Mode, Made in Meta, Chieftan Ninjas, and most recently Team Mist. As a devout theory-crafter, ROM prides himself in having creating multiple builds and playstyles that are now used by players across Guild Wars 2.
Denshee – Elementalist – Denshee has tested his mettle in both North America and Europe, having played at the highest competitive levels in both regions. Perhaps Denshee’s greatest contribution to the Civilized Gentlemen is his ability to play multiple professions, allowing him to shore up weak points of his team’s composition. This flexibility will help his team adapt to the differences in playstyle between each region.
Team Prime (Chinese Team)
The word Prime can be literally translated as “the young and the best’, and that’s the perfect definition to Team Prime, whose teammates are all young, energetic, and extremely talented in Guild Wars 2 PvP.
Fuctin – Engineer – Fuctin is a professional engineer with wild playstyle, having been winning various top places in all kinds nation-wide tournaments since the launch of Guild Wars 2 in China.
Maw – Ranger and Necromancer – Maw’s calmness and stable playstyle make him one of the toughest foes on the battlefield.
Red- Thief – This skillful thief master has an aggressive playstyle and has achieved many awards from weekly and WTS online tournaments.
Elf – Engineer – Elf is extremely good at playing engineer and is known as one of the star players of Guild Wars 2 in China. Elf played professionally in previous weekly tournaments in China.
Dong Cheng – Warrior – Dong Cheng’s focus on warrior makes him the strongest front line on the team, and he is also one of the star players of Guild Wars 2 with many warrior fans in China.
Team SALA (Chinese Team)
Nocturne – Previously known for his mastery of the guardian, Nocturne has recently branched out into damage dealer professions. He has won a lot of Guild Wars 2 nation-wide tournaments in China.
November – Guardian – November is a skilled guardian player, and like his teammates, has won many tournaments in Guild Wars 2 China.
Honeyzz – Warrior – He may be new to the arena of Guild Wars 2 international competitive play, but Honeyzz’s skill at playing warrior will soon make his foes notice what a formidable foe he is in both one-on-one and group fighting.
Crazythree – Elementalist – Another new Guild Wars 2 PvP player, Crazythree focuses on playing a deadly Elementalist. He was also a former teammate of Team Prime, having fought with them to secure their place in the World Tournament Series Finals.
Jiazi – Necromancer – Jiazi is famous for his various playstyles and flexible tactics, has a lot of fans and has performed notably at qualifiers of Guild Wars 2 in China, despite his relative newness to the game.
