By Sagar Mankar 
American team Atlanta FaZe emerged victorious at the Esports World Cup 2024 for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
They secured the championship after defeating fellow American team 100 Thieves in a thrilling grand final, taking home $600,000 of the $1.8 million prize pool.
Tournament Format and Highlights
The competition began with a group stage featuring 16 teams divided into four groups. The top two teams from each group advanced to the playoffs, where the intensity ramped up in a single-elimination format. Every match in the group stage was a best-of-seven, while the playoffs were best-of-five, culminating in the grand final’s best-of-seven battle.
Group D: A Clash of Titans:
Both FaZe’s and 100 Thieves’s journey to the grand final began in Group D, widely regarded as the “Group of Death” due to its high-caliber teams.
Atlanta FaZe and 100 Thieves dominated this group, both advancing to the playoffs with strong performances.
Atlanta FaZe secured their spot with an impeccable 3-0 victory over 100 Thieves in their head-to-head matchup. They also went undefeated in the group, demonstrating their readiness for the knockout stages.
100 Thieves, after a solid start in Group D, bounced back from their loss to FaZe, defeating Lore Gaming 3-0 to secure the second playoff spot. The stage was set for an intense playoff run, with both teams carrying momentum into the knockout rounds.
Quarterfinals:
In the quarterfinals, Atlanta FaZe faced Boston Breach. FaZe showed their dominance early on, sweeping Breach 3-0 with strong performances on maps like Rio and Invasion.
Meanwhile, 100 Thieves took on Toronto Ultra in a nail-biting series. After trailing early, 100 Thieves made a remarkable comeback, winning the series 3-2 and advancing to the semifinals.
Semifinals:
The semifinals saw Atlanta FaZe pitted against OpTic Gaming, one of the most anticipated (& most watched) matches of the tournament. OpTic took the first map on Hardpoint, but FaZe responded with three consecutive map wins, including a decisive 6-1 victory in Search & Destroy on Highrise, securing their place in the final.
100 Thieves met Vancouver Surge in the other semifinal. Thieves came out swinging, sweeping Surge 3-0 with standout performances in Hardpoint on 6 Star and Control on Karachi. Their victory set up a much-anticipated rematch with FaZe in the grand final.
The Grand Final:
In the grand final, Atlanta FaZe and 100 Thieves faced off once again in the Bo7 series. This time (again), FaZe emerged victorious in a 4-2 series, reclaiming their dominance after an initial scare when 100 Thieves won two consecutive (2nd & 3rd) maps. However, Faze dominated the remaining maps and finally clinched the title.
- Hardpoint on Sub Base: Atlanta FaZe wins 250-202
- Search & Destroy on Invasion: 100 Thieves win 6-5
- Control on Highrise: 100 Thieves win 3-2
- Hardpoint on Karachi: Atlanta FaZe wins 250-109
- Search & Destroy on Rio: Atlanta FaZe wins 6-1
- Control on Invasion: Atlanta FaZe wins 3-2
MVP
McArthur “Cellium” Jovel of Atlanta FaZe was a standout player throughout the tournament, earning the MVP award and an additional $50,000 for his stellar performance.
Cellium is the Tournament K/D leader at EWC with a 1.38, marking the 9th tournament he has led in K/D in his career. That officially passes FormaL (8) for the most tournaments as the K/D leader in competitive COD history.
Cellium has had a 1.30+ K/D tournament in ALL 6 years of… pic.twitter.com/ImehGgEY5Q
— Brian (@BrianStats1) August 18, 2024
Final Standings and Prize Money
The final standings for the Call of Duty MW3 Esports World Cup 2024 are as follows:
- Atlanta FaZe – $600,000
- 100 Thieves – $320,000
- Vancouver Surge and OpTic Gaming – $160,000
- Cloud9, Toronto Ultra, Boston Breach, Carolina Royal Ravens – $80,000
- Lore Gaming, Stallions, Vegas Legion, Gentle Mates – $40,000
- Team Falcons, Team Heretics, G2 Esports, OMiT Brooklyn – $20,000
Viewership
The Call of Duty MW3 Esports World Cup event drew in over 2.6 million total viewerships, with a peak of 140,193 viewers during the Cloud9 vs. OpTic Gaming quarterfinal match. (Thanks Esports Charts)
The tournament averaged 86,467 viewers across its 31 hours of airtime, showcasing the immense popularity of Call of Duty esports.
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