Gaming has always been a big part of The Basement Community. From discussions around upcoming games, to wins (and defeats) throughout a season, our community of online-driven young people has always had a strong affinity for the gaming world. We thought there would be no better time to start the Official Basement eSport Tournaments, which kicked off with FIFA 20 over the weekend (28th/29th March).
128 players united over both consoles as we hosted four tournaments – two classic online head-to-head, and two Ultimate Team. Saturday saw the first three rounds being completed, with all the semis and final being played on Sunday, which we all streamed on The Basement Twitch.
We caught up with the winners from each tournament to see what they had to say about the first Basement E-Sports competition.
Tournament 1
Type : Xbox Ultimate Team (32 Players)
Winner : Jimmy Gowland
The last couple weeks have been hard for most of us, we’ve had to learn the hard way and remain strict amongst ourselves with regards isolation and distancing. As someone who regularly goes on Xbox I must say I have found it slightly easier, but somewhat mundane and repetitive. However this weekend just gone I’ve had the most fun I’ve ever had whilst playing Fifa. The Basement tournament came as a surprise certainly but instantly grabbed my attention due to its more competitive nature. With the tracksuit on the line I knew it was going to maintain a higher standard than just a fun cup for instance, and I wasn’t wrong.
Each game had new challenges, different teams, different play-styles and some feelings of actual pressure.
I was fortunate enough to go through the Xbox ultimate team competition as overall winner so naturally my review was going to be positive, but the people themselves who were involved both inside and out of the tournament were excellent from start to finish.
The chosen app ‘Toornament’ was a highly useful tool, not once did I face a toxic or unsportsmanlike opponent, in fact I engaged in multiple conversations with each opponent, which just radiated positive vibes throughout. The external works around the tournament were exceptional as well. This may not have been an EA Licensed event, but the feeling of a championship Sunday was excellent, with all semi-finals and finals broadcast on The Basement’s official Twitch account, so even my friends could watch my eventual triumph which did make it a little sweeter.
In summary, it was the perfect distraction. The tournament was smoothly ran with a feeling of no pressure on fixtures, my opponents and others involved all remained positive or complimentary throughout. The work behind the scenes to makes sure things flowed nicely was first class, for which I must credit Adam Bartlett. Lastly, I’m sure I speak on behalf of the rest of The Basement when I eagerly say thank you and when’s the next one?
Tournament 2
Type : Xbox Classic Head to Head (32 Players)
Winner : Mikey Payne
“It was great to play in a very competitive environment but at an amateur level, something I haven’t had the chance to do“
Tournament 3
Type : PS4 Classic Head to Head (32 Players)
Winner : Svend Hahn Larsen
“It has been an overall amazing experience. I spend most of my weekend playing and practicing for the games.
I really haven’t enjoyed FIFA lately, but playing with all kinds of different people from the community was great.
Everyone was friendly and respectful despite the results. I’ve stayed in touch with a few of them, and we have been playing a fair bit and talked about the community, clothes and the current world situation.”
Tournament 4
Type : PS4 Ultimate Team (32 Players)
Winner : Mikkel Noer
“It has been an overall amazing experience. I spend most of my weekend playing and practicing for the games.
And this is just a great example of how this community is, appreciate it a lot
Everyone was friendly and respectful despite the results. I’ve stayed in touch with a few of them, and we have been playing a fair bit and talked about the Community, clothes and the current world situation.“
With the initial tournaments proving to be a big success, we won’t stop hosting them any time soon. There will be more tournaments over the upcoming weeks, following up with a Call of Duty tournament this weekend.
To keep up to date with future tournaments, or submit a game you’d like to see featured, please fill out the form here, and keep an eye on our socials for further information.
