TMU hosts Canada’s first Mortal Kombat world championship
Above, Nicolas and Sonicfox during the grand finals of the event. Sonicfox went on to win this set. (Photo: Alyssa K Faoro)
The esports world recently saw two major milestones at TMU: the university hosted Canada’s first ever Mortal Kombat 1 Final Kombat World Championship, and it was the first time the event had ever been held at a university.
The global event saw 19 of the world’s top Mortal Kombat 1 players battle it out from June 14-16. In the final round, iconic fighting game professional player Dominique "SonicFox" McLean from the U.S. took the MK1 world championship title and their share of the US$200,000 prize pool.
The event was played in front of hundreds of cheering fans and competitive players from all over the world.
“Hosting this event and bringing top players from around the world highlights TMU’s pivotal role in the rapidly growing esports community in Canada and beyond,” said Geoffrey Lachapelle, manager of The Creative School’s Red Bull Gaming Hub at TMU. “It also serves to further solidify the City of Toronto as a global hub for competitive gaming.”
Check out photos from the championship event below.
Geoffrey Lachapelle (centre0, manager of TMU’s Red Bull Gaming Hub, shares a laugh with Anh Than (left), who was also involved in organizing the Mortal Kombat event at TMU, and CJ Luukkonen, a recent graduate of The Creative School’s New Media program, and who was a Career Boost student with the Red Bull Gaming Hub this past year. (Photo: Alyssa K Faoro)
Fans and fellow players cheered on competitors throughout the three-day event. (Photo: Alyssa K Faoro)
TMU is the first university to ever host the Mortal Kombat 1 Final Kombat World Championship. (Photo: Alyssa K Faoro)
Hundreds of fans came from around the world for the TMU-hosted event. (Photo: Alyssa K Faoro)
Above, the commentators for the event, Ryan "Mustard" Neal and Jake "Ketchup" Neal. (Photo: Alyssa K Faoro)
Dominique "SonicFox" McLean raises their arms in celebration after winning the event. (Photo: Alyssa K Faoro)
Dominique "SonicFox" McLean lifts the first-prize trophy after clinching the championship. (Photo: Alyssa K Faoro)
From left, students from The Creative School: Sabine Marsi, Sophia Yarosh and Helena Holmes. (Photo: Alyssa K Faoro)
Geoffrey Lachapelle, manager of TMU’s Red Bull Gaming Hub, says TMU’s hosting of the Mortal Kombat event further establishes TMU in the multibillion-dollar gaming industry. (Photo: Alyssa K Faoro)