The finals we needed
Some are calling it the greatest Heroes of the Storm series ever and it's hard to disagree. Going all the way to the final round, MVP Black vs. Tempest during the Summer Championships was the epic conclusion that Heroes fans have been waiting for.
Admist a recent atmosphere of cautionary tales and gloomy predictions of the state of competitive Heroes of the Storm, it's nearly impossible to deny the electrifying potential of Heroes played at the highest level. When a series isn't a 3-0 stomp and both teams are world class every moment feels like a highlight reel.
An eternal struggle
Tempest already made the news in their first upset victory over MVP Black during Super League 2016, but their ultimate victory at the Summer Championship is a narrative that we are destined to see again whenever a top team loses the flame of competition that compells them to be the best. Tempest was a hungry team that, unlike MVP Black, had everything to win and nothing to lose.
And they came to win. Tempest wasn't publically griping about the state of the game nor were they playing with the expectation of assured victory. They had a mountain to scale (MVP Black and their strangehold over the competitive scene) and it inspired them to rise above and become the best. This motivation goes beyond the game and allowed Tempest to do what everyone thought was impossible.
Was this an upset?
But could it of happened if MVP Black stayed vigilant throughout the last couple months? A lot of people are tempted to discount Tempest's victory using this argument. That somehow MVP Black was "distracted" or "not playing at their best." Sorry MVP Black fans, this just simply doesn't hold up in an eSports court of law.
Remaining focused and at the top of your game is the single most defining attribute of an eSports champion. Regardless of genre or title, the capacity to stay on top is what this entire industry lives on. The moment MVP Black decided they didn't need to try as hard they had already lost the Summer Championship.
If you missed this series, you just have to watch the games your self at Twitch.tv/Blizzheroes past broadcast page. Experience the Tracer pick, followed by the respect Tracer ban. Experience the Tour Bus insanity and the moment Tempest kicked it into high gear and started their come back.
And as your watching, remember that Heroes of the Storm is an amazing game but, at the end of the day, it's merely a canvas. It's the players and the community that ultimately decide how epic the eSports events turn out to be.
Sure, we don't host the games and we can't control that infernal timer (or the ultimate tragedy when it counts down to 0 and resets), but we can support the teams, purchase the upcoming Tempest mount, and help spread the Heroes eSports gospel. Grand finals like this are proof of the incredible entertainment two top tier teams can provide when it matters, and us fans and content creators can make being the Heroes of the Storm champion a really big deal if we want it to be.
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