Gaming
Esports
7 amazing Red Bull Tetris® National Finals that changed the game
Across the globe, the first-ever National Finals for the tournament that puts a new twist on Tetris were stacked with next-level experiences.
After more than 7m Red Bull Tetris® qualifier games were played around the world, the very best of the best players in 60 countries faced off at their respective National Finals. At stake: the chance to represent their country at the World Final in Dubai.
Whether the action was in India or Italy, Canada or the Czech Republic, each country put its own stamp on the tournament with unforgettable audience experiences. Here are just a few:
Austria
The National Final took place not only in the heart of Austria’s capital city, but also in the heart of the country’s largest gaming festival, Game City Vienna. Held at the spectacular Rathaus (City Hall), the Red Bull Tetris showdown was nothing short of electric, while the atmosphere also included music, BMX demos by Senad Grosic and more.
The scene outside the Rathaus
© Matthias Heschl/Red Bull Content Pool
USA
An eye-popping National Final in Hollywood, Florida, USA took place at an engineering marvel – the guitar-shaped Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino – where the competitors’ stage appeared to be suspended over the water of a jaw-dropping pool area as they battled to determine a winner. Parkour demos and a drone delivery of the winner’s trophy only added to the spectacle.
Players react on the US stage
© Todd Gutierrez/Red Bull Content Pool
Egypt
Egypt’s National Final served up a creative playground for competitors and spectators alike at Cairo’s Boom Room, a 2,000-square-metre social entertainment venue. In an immersive experience, the enthusiastic crowd watched the blistering-fast gameplay while surrounded by Tetris-inspired figures and mini games to try, and they could even test their skills at the wheel of an official Red Bull F1 simulator.
At the controls of the F1 simulator
© Mohamed Saber Kamal/Red Bull Content Pool
More national final scenes from around the world:
At the US event, the winner’s trophy was delivered by drone
© Marv Watson/Red Bull Content Pool
Fans packed Lima’s Barranco Convention Center for Peru’s National Final
© Enrique Castro Mendivil/Red Bull Content Pool
Spectators enjoy the vibe at the Czech National Final in Prague
© Lukáš Wagneter/Red Bull Content Pool
The best in Hong Kong took centre stage at the new Mong Kok T.O.P. mall
© Brian Ching See Wing/Red Bull Content Pool
Brazil
The 1960s modernist façade of São Paulo’s Gazeta Building was transformed into the perfect stage for Brazil’s National Final. Spectators lined Avenida Paulista, the city’s grandest thoroughfare, to watch the drama unfold, enjoying the spring weather, live music and intense gameplay as the head-to-head matchups narrowed the field to crown a winner.
The view from Avenida Paulista
© Marcelo Maragni/Red Bull Content Pool
Canada
Top Canadian players stacked their way toward the national title as Toronto’s state-of-the-art Illuminarium venue was transformed into a one-of-a-kind Tetris arena. Spectators gaped as cutting-edge projection displayed the live gameplay on every towering wall, while the DJ debuted a track made especially for the event with sampled vocals by record-setting creator Ludwig.
DJ Bishu plays a set in Toronto
© Mack Kalish/Red Bull Content Pool
Italy
Italy’s national showdown was a highlight of the annual Lucca Comics and Games convention – the largest comics festival in Europe – where visitors had a chance to compete in a special Red Bull Tetris qualifier to earn the last remaining slot in the National Final. Then, the country’s top players faced off while the public watched every move on a massive screen that was specially built for the event.
Gaming fans watch the action unfold at the National Final in Italy
© Andrea Zaffaroni/Red Bull Content Pool
France
The last National Final of the tournament was held on the banks of the Seine on November 29, at the François Mitterrand site of the French National Library in Paris. As the 1v1 gameplay was projected onto the iconic 24-storey towers, the rotating and falling Tetriminos made the City of Light even brighter.
The French National Final could be seen from across the Seine
© Florian Colas/Red Bull Content Pool
The most incredible showdown is still to come, as the Red Bull Tetris World Final takes off in Dubai with over 2,000 drones creating the first official live playable Tetris game in the sky. Get all the World Final news and updates here.
