This weekend the home of Arsenal FC will play host to the PES World League Finals.
After a gruelling season of qualifiers, pro PES players from across the globe will return to the Emirates Stadium to compete in two tournaments on Friday 28th and Saturday 29th June. Jamie Wootton takes a closer look in this preview.
Under the PES World League Finals banner, the 1v1 and co-op tournaments will see competitors battle for a first place prize of over $10,000.
Some PES players will be competing in the 1v1 tournament, while teams, made up of two to three players each, will be fighting for their share of the prize in the co-op tournament.
Each individual player and team playing in the World League Finals have had to go through strenuous rounds of qualification, including both national and regional qualifiers, to make it to the finals in London. A list of players and teams in the World League Finals can be seen below.
Players in the 1v1 tournament include:
| Country | Name | |
| 1 | Brazil | FMestre12 |
| 2 | Brazil | HenrykinhO |
| 3 | Germany | S-Venom |
| 4 | Italy | Ettorito97 |
| 5 | Indonesia | ZEUS_FAIDAN |
| 6 | Japan | Mayageka |
| 7 | Hong Kong | Verysutton |
| 8 | Hong Kong | Kalok.c |
| 9 | France | USmakabyle |
| 10 | Portugal | Christopher_PW |
| 11 | Brazil | GuiFera99_SFC |
| 12 | Colombia | LukerZeven |
Teams competing in the co-op tournament include:
| Country | Team Name | |
| 1 | Brazil | Eligasul Stars |
| 2 | Spain + Italy | Broken Silence |
| 3 | Indonesia | Wani |
| 4 | Japan | Beginners |
| 5 | France | Quedesshlags |
| 6 | Brazil | Tiger Esports #respect |
The event will see newcomers and seasoned veterans take to the stage.
‘ZEUS_FAIDAN’ is a 16-year-old player from Indonesia who will face opponents such as Ettore ‘Ettorito97’ Giannuzzi, who won the World League Finals in 2011 as well as last year.
He also went on to win the co-op tournament last year with a team he captained. Winning this year’s World League Finals would see him become the second PES player to win back-to-back titles and the first ever player to win three of the championships.
Whilst there aren’t any UK players competing in the event, the UK does have a PES World League Final title under its belt, as Robert “RobMclean” Mclean won the Finals in Sevilla in 2007, following a 2nd place finish in 2006. This isn’t the UK’s only link to the tournament either; in 2017 the Emirates again played host to the Finals.
Two years ago, British player and 2015 PES League winner Ali “Bad_Boy_G” Sufi spoke about why the UK lags behind other countries.
Check out PES World League’s Twitch channel to watch the Finals unfold and stay tuned to Esports News UK for written coverage and a roundup of the PES World League Finals.
