A Tournament to Remember:
CFS Invitational Manila 2016


The weather was somewhat quite uncooperative outside, with occasional rain showers keeping people somewhat wet and wanting for warm – and when it was hot, the heat seared through people’s clothes. However, many people still went to watch their favourite CrossFire teams, me included, in an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Inside, the atmosphere was welcoming: With seats, booths and sights to choose from, everyone would have their own pick of fun and color throughout the event.
The CrossFire Stars (CFS) Manila Invitational 2016 featured four of the best CrossFire teams in the world, which included All Gamers (AG), considered by many to be the best team in the planet; BOSS.CFVN, a strong team from Vietnam known for their “triple core attack” setup; Remo Brave, the newly crowned Brazilian champions who broke through obstacles in order to achieve their victory and finally, Pacific.Macta, the perennial hometown favorites who were once considered to be the best non-Chinese CrossFire team.
Day 1 started immediately with tons of action: From a morale-boosting victory by Pacific.Macta over Remo Brave eSports to the big upset by BOSS.CFVN over their Chinese counterparts, stories have been forged and history has been made.
The event on Day 1 itself was accommodating for the media covering the event as the organizers made sure that they had the fastest Internet connection, an unlimited supply of hot beverages and a good supply of healthy snacks in order to keep them strong and focused throughout the event. Most of the media involved were photographers and videographers who wanted to be able to take close pictures of the players and the crowd in the event.

Of course, the crowd had a lot of things to do: Ranging from the Monster Energy tent to the Razer peripheral booth as well as the numerous downtime gigs and activities, the audience surely enjoyed watching the games and attending the event itself.
Day 1 ended at around seven in the evening, thus allowing people to go home without having to worry about their transportation on a brisk Saturday night.
Meanwhile, Day 2 was the day when the storylines have finally been set in stone. First, Remo Brave shocked the world by beating Pacific.Macta in two maps on their home ground; granted that Macta did not feel comfortable with the picks, however, it was still a thing for the Brazilians to beat the Filipino side.
During the break, this author decided to download seven hours of CFS Manila Invitational on a whim and lo and behold, he was able to do it in less than thirty minutes! It was a great experience being able to watch the replays on a 720p setting and I thought that it was simply amazing for the media covering the event.
Overall, the media had nearly unlimited access to the event and the players, coaches and staff were approachable, whether it is for pictures, quick words or simply simple his and hellos. For the part of the media, they allowed the guests to go around without annoying them, which was a good thing in itself.
 
 

The second match for the day involved the valiant stand of Remo Brave against the rising Chinese juggernauts, who seemed to be asleep during the previous day. In the end, AG simply swept the Brazilians 2-0 without breaking a sweat, even winning convincingly on Port with a scoreline of 10-7 despite it being Remo Brave’s pick.
Finally, it all came down to the Vietnamese in the form of BOSS.CFVN to stop the Chinese from taking their second international CrossFire title outside Chinese soil. Unfortunately, they were unable to do so as Pengfei “Even” Zheng, who will become the MVP of the Grand Finals, brought the hammer down on BOSS.CFVN as he registered 40+ kills in two maps, something that even Shuai “70kg” Lang couldn’t do.
The tournament was finished at around six in the evening with the conclusion of the press conference by All Gamers to the Philippine media.
In the end, it was a well-organized event and yes, it featured the largest FPS tournament here in the Philippines for this year.
The success of this tournament is proof that the Philippine CrossFire scene is going strong.
Hoping for new heights this coming season!