Competitive gaming has an incredible ability to ignite an adrenaline rush within both players and viewers alike. As much as fans adore and support gaming legends who have built careers and crushed records to become the well-known names they are today, everyone still loves an good underdog story. We got all of this and more in the pulse-pounding finals to2018’s Classic Tetris World Championshipsrecently which saw newcomer Joseph Saelee defeat seven-timeTetrisworld champion Jonas Neubauer.
16-year-old Saelee had his work cut out for him throughout the tournament as he took on the best players on the planet. The tournament’s Top 8 included such competitors as Josh Tolles, Harry Hong, Svavar, and Koryan. Following a tough match against Koryan, Saelee moved into the grand finals to go head-to-head with the legendary Jonas Neubauer.
The finals were a tense and fast-paced exhibition of calculation and accuracy. Neubauer quickly fell behind while Saelee claimed the first two games back to back. The third match saw Neubauer build up a whopping 915,800 points, but it wasn’t enough to fend off his opponent. The pressure of taking on the seven-time champion on the biggest stage in the competitiveTetriscircuit was showing on Saelee’s face as he blew past Neubauer’s score to claim the title of2018’s Classic Tetris World Championwith an amazing 3-0 victory.
You can check out the full tournament in the video below. However, if you’re looking to simply indulge in the historic finals, you can skip to the six-hour mark.
While traditionalTetriswill always have a place in gamers' hearts, the latest rendition of the long-running series is due for release exclusively on PlayStation 4 on July 06, 2025,in the form ofTetris Effect. The new eyewatering puzzler will alsoenjoy a physical release and PS VR support.Tetris Effectcan be pre-ordered now from Amazon.
