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London, July 19th: Red Bull Campus Clutch, the largest global VALORANT university tournament came to an unforgettable head last night as Egyptian squad Team Anubis emerged victorious at La Estación Gran Teatro CaixaBank Príncipe Pío in Madrid. The show-stopping final saw an incredible performance from the team of computer science, commerce, engineering and mechatronics students from universities across Egypt as they bested Portugal’s Project S 3-2 in a thrilling grand final. Red Bull Campus Clutch has seen over 25,000 participants and 400 events around the world all leading to the weekend’s two-day event, where the top 12 teams fought for the crown. Team Anubis not only proved themselves the best student VALORANT team in the world, but took home €20,000 and VIP tickets to the VALORANT Champions Tour. Concluding the World Final, commentator Loviel “Velly” Cardwell confirmed Red Bull Campus Clutch would return in 2022.
VALORANT is a free-to-play first-person hero shooter developed by Riot Games. Just one year after its debut on the global esports scene, VALORANT has fast become one of the most exciting games to watch. In 2021 it had its first global competitive pro event, already rivalling the viewership of the most established esports. Red Bull Campus Clutch offered a level playing field and a starting point for any up and coming VALORANT teams looking to make a name for themselves on the world stage. Teams from more than 50 countries have had the opportunity to develop and prove their skills against players from all over the world, and experience firsthand what it takes to compete like a pro player.
One of the first onsite competitions with a live audience since April 2020, the Red Bull Campus Clutch World Final did not disappoint, with an exciting weekend of upsets that left fans on the edge of their seats. The group stage began on Saturday July 17th where the world’s best student teams representing South Korea, Turkey, Egypt, Canada, USA, New Zealand, Spain, Belarus, Portugal, Pakistan, Belgium, and Peru, went head-to-head, and for some this was their first time travelling to Europe. Fan favourite teams such as Turkey’s Bedel Ödeyenler and Belarus’ Platoon were eliminated early on in the group stage, with Team Anubis, Project S, and South Korea’s Vac Kimchi quickly becoming the frontrunners as they headed into the semi-final alongside Canada’s BTR.
Representing MENA, Team Anubis took fans and broadcast talent by surprise with their almost flawless performance, spearheaded by team captain Mohamed ‘Shalaby’ Abdelaziz who awed fans throughout the competition. The Egyptians began the semi-final with an incredibly strong Best of three, taking down BTR 2-0 and securing their spot in the main event. The Grand Final was a battle for the ages which saw Project S take the first two maps before Team Anubis came back fighting with a dominant reverse sweep. Each match takes 13 points to win and Team Anubis stole the show finishing 13-3 on the fifth and final map.
When reflecting on what Team Anubis has learnt during Red Bull Campus Clutch, Ziyad “zizox” ElSawaaf said “We should never give up. We are competing as a team. Even if someone is down, the other will bring him up. It’s not just us five, but we’ve got the support of our managers, our coaches, our sub players, we are here like a family. We should continue focusing on this.”
Mohamed ‘Shalaby’ Abdelaziz continued on whether he wants to keep playing competitively after university “Of course I want to continue my career, it’s been my dream for a while, and I think I’m living it now.”
As well as €20,000 and being crowned the inaugural Red Bull Campus Clutch Champions, Team Anubis have also won VIP tickets to the VALORANT Champions Tour where they'll experience the event from the perspective of a player. Additionally, the Egyptian champions will receive recognition on broadcast during the prestigious event, with highlights from their momentous win played for viewers across the globe.
The Red Bull Campus Clutch World Final brought to close an event that ran for seven months and saw qualifiers take place in over 50 countries. Last month, the 50 National Final Winning teams entered the Red Bull Campus Clutch World Final Knockout Round, which culminated in an epic, 24 hour, non-stop livestream. The first-of-its-kind competition has given university students around the world the opportunity to showcase their skills and perform in front of a live audience at a pro-level event. A fantastic display of individual skill, the competition has given players the chance to shine on the world stage, and in some cases the chance to get noticed by a professional team.
Visit the Red Bull Campus Clutch page to find out more.
19 July 2021
