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esports
Pssst, Gaming Sphere Stockholm's Tekken tournament
Pros and amateurs alike gathered at the Red Bull Gaming Sphere in Stockholm to play their favorite game: Tekken 7. Here's what they thought.
1 min
Tekken 7 Tournament @ Red Bull Gaming Sphere
Pros and amateurs alike gathered at the Red Bull Gaming Sphere in Stockholm
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The atmosphere in the Red Bull Gaming Sphere is electric. There's expectations and excitement in the air. Beginners and professionals alike gathered at the Red Bull Gaming Sphere Stockholm to play their favorite game: Tekken 7. Some of the players are well known in the fighting game community, Finnish star Jopelix, Brit Asim, Dane Blackbeard and German Sephiblack, and the usual Swedish suspects, SwedishTuna and Dev, too name a few. And for some, this was the first tournament they've been on. Strategies and expectations were the topics of the day.
The atmosphere was electric
© Oskar Sahlin
The Gaming Sphere was filled with enthusiastic fans and players who watched every single move in the main stage games. Some for tactical reasons, some for enjoyment. The solid sound system made sure that you could feel every punch, every kick, in your gut. The joysticks were on fire and the people who did not play were cheering every completed combo, and jeering every mistake. Every win and every loss.
The Tekken community is a passionate bunch. It's a treat to be a part of one of their gatherings, so if you ever get the opportunity to go to any of the tournaments, just do it. We promise that you'll have a great time and meet a lot of fun and friendly people who, if you're not an expert of the game (or even a complete rookie), are more than happy to explain what the deal's about. Which characters are the best, which combos to use, matchups, well, every aspect of the game!
Some hardcore pros were present
© Oskar Sahlin
Between the games, we were able to sit down with the professional players Joni 'Jopelix' Huovinen and Arja 'Sephiblack' Gamoori to talk about the tournament, Gaming Sphere Stockholm and the future of the fighting game community. Here's what they said:
What do you think about the tournament?
"Really good! The fighting community here in Sweden is very strong, so the competition is fierce. There are a lot of good players here today", the German player Sephiblack said. The Finnish star Jopelix agreed. "The goal is to win the competition. You have to be confident in order to win, but there are going to be tough matches. There are many good competitors here". There were a few high level professionals present, as Jopelix also stated: "The beforehand favorites are Sephiblack, Asim and Blackbeard, so they are probably going to be the toughest ones to beat".
What do you think about the venue - the Red Bull Gaming Sphere Stockholm?
"Red Bull is one of the biggest brands for fighting games, and are really doing a good job to benefit the community. So, it's really cool that Scandinavia gets a Gaming Sphere. Right now there's only three in the world, London, Tokyo and now, Stockholm", Jopilax said. "The atmosphere is amazing, the lighting, sounds, the look of the place, gaming setup, everything is great", Sephiblack added. "The venue has everything we could wish for".
Gaming Sphere Stockholm
© Oskar Sahlin
Do you think that the Gaming Spheres profit the fighting game community?
"Definitely", Jopilax says and continues, "as stated Red Bull have done much for the gaming community, and now the Swedish community have a place to be". Esports and gaming has exploded in the last couple of years and the pros have taken notice. Sephiblack continues: "The fighting communities are growing. There are more and more players and more and more spectators in every competition I go to. It's important to have a location to meet at, a place where experienced players, pros and beginners alike can watch international tournaments, play local competitions and just have a good time and talk about the game. It's great to have these places in big cities, so Stockholm is perfect. These types of places make it possible for us to grow even further".
And there we go. Let the gaming commence! You can watch the entire tournament here. For more news regarding the Gaming Sphere Stockholm, follow Red Bull Gaming!
