Naraka: Bladepoint World Championships 2022: As It Happened

The Naraka: Bladepoint World Championships 2022 in Singapore finished on Sunday. The second official tournament since the game’s release back in 2021, players went up against each other in solo and trio matches.

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In the event’s solo bracket, WBG.Spider took the top spot on Saturday after some truly incredible displays across the 12 matches, including one round where he snatched the lead with a thrilling number of last-minute eliminations.

Following on Sunday, the trio category concluded with JTeam taking home the trophy, proving to be the best over the other 23 teams competing. It’s the second time the esports team has managed the feat, having previously won at the last championships.

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However, despite Singapore being the named location, it’s worth noting that the majority of competitors were actually taking part at a gorgeous staged setup in Shanghai, more than 2,300 miles from where we, the covering media, were based, along with a relative handful of other esports players.

This meant that we weren’t quite able to experience the no-doubt-pulsating atmosphere in Shanghai, instead making do with Twitch streams that we could have watched from back home in the UK, but we were able to meet several competitors, including Orion’s Jared ‘Tryhard’ Martinez who we spoke to in the video below:

While Naraka: Bladepoint is a young game, it’s clear to see there’s a future for the franchise’s esports competitions following the level of excitement in this year’s edition. There were moments where I was on the edge of my seat as players clashed in the dying seconds of matches, or turned the tables to shock the audience.

As for the game itself, with the recent announcements of a new, mech-riding character and a collaboration with Yoko Taro’s stunning Nier series - including what appears to be a 2B skin for Viper Ning - it’s safe to say there’s plenty to keep existing players interested, and it’s more appealing for newcomers than ever.