By Sagar V. Mankar The Esports World Cup 2024 for StarCraft II delivered thrilling moments, but none as dominant as Clem’s performance. The event saw two of the world’s finest players, Serral and Clem, clash in a Grand Final that left no doubt about who reigns supreme in the StarCraft II scene.
Group Stage Dominance
The competition started with 16 top players divided into two groups, battling it out in double-elimination brackets.
Group B was the center of attention, with Clem and Serral leading the charge.
Clem’s journey was marked by a series of convincing wins, defeating Classic, Reynor, and finally, Serral, in a 3-0 sweep to secure his place in the Final Four. But Serral managed to secure his spot in the Final Four through the lower bracket, beating herO 3-2.
Similarly in Group A, Dark and Maru emerged as the frontrunners. Dark’s relentless playstyle saw him take down Maru 3-2 in the upper bracket final, but Maru managed to secure his spot in the Final Four through the lower bracket, beating Oliveira 3-2.
The Road to the Final Four
The semifinal matches were heavily one-sided, with Clem and Serral both delivering 4-0 victories.
Clem dismantled herO with precision, while Serral overwhelmed Dark, setting the stage for a much-anticipated showdown in the Grand Final.
A Grand Final for the Ages
The SC2 Grand Final between Clem and Serral was expected to be a closely contested battle between two of the greatest StarCraft II players. However, Clem’s mastery of the game was on full display as he won the first two maps (Crimson Court & Goldenaura) with ease, shutting down everything Serral attempted.
This trend continued through Maps Ghost River, Post-Youth, and Oceanborn, as Clem sealed a perfect 5-0 victory in Bo9 format, not dropping a single map on the final day of the tournament.
Clem’s victory earned him a well-deserved $400,000 and 1,000 Club Championship Points, further solidifying Team Liquid’s position as a top contender in the Esports World Cup standings..
Prize Pool Distribution
The tournament featured a total prize pool of $1,050,000, distributed among the top players as follows:
- 1st Place: Clem – $400,000, 1,000 points
- 2nd Place: Serral – $150,000, 600 points
- 3rd-4th Place: Dark, herO – $80,000, 275 points each
- 5th Place: Cure – $45,000, 110 points
- 6th-7th Place: Maru, Reynor, Solar – $30,000, 55 points each
- 8th-11th Place: ByuN, Classic, GuMiho, Astrea, Coffee, SHIN – $20,000, 5 points each
- 12th-18th Place: Oliveira, HeRoMaRinE, Spirit, ShoWTimE – $15,000 each
Tournament Viewership
The Esports World Cup 2024 for StarCraft II was a massive success, drawing over 1.2 million viewers, with a peak of 60,884 during the Clem vs. Serral Grand Final. This made it the second most-watched StarCraft II event in 2024, just behind IEM Katowice.
The tournament averaged 24,500 viewers across its 49 hours of airtime, as per the Esports Charts.
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