Esports - Minecraft Live Final In London!
Well, Saturday was the day — an early start and a late finish. Every student was at QE by 7:30 in the morning and arrived back just before 22:30. A 15-hour day, but they never, ever let up with their energy and excitement.
As for the competition itself: we finished 5th. We played six games and lost only one the entire day. We drew the first game and lost the second, then won every single match after that. We only got better as the day went on. I do not doubt that if we'd had a warm-up match first, we’d have finished even higher. A fantastic achievement — and it’s worth remembering this was our debut season. The new kids on the block, and now the team that everyone is watching.
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After the second game, the bitter pill was that we could no longer win the competition. It was tough on them. Part of being an esports athlete (and growing up) is learning to lose. It’s not something this team has had to face often. But Captain Emily was the bright voice of optimism, rallying the team and lifting their spirits for the next match. Just before the game, she pulled everyone in for a group hug. The picture Miss Shen took of that moment is my favourite Q-Esports photo ever. Arthur was the player of the tournament. In every single game, he out-thought and out-fought the competition. The one team that did beat us gave him a standing ovation at the end of the match; their coach told me it was the only game they felt genuine relief after because we pushed them to their limit. Every time a team adapted to Arthur’s playstyle, he changed it up. He knew when to shore up defences, when to make bold moves forward, and how to elevate the performance of everyone around him. Emily played more comfortably in defence because she knew Arthur was running the show outside of our base. |
Parker found his stride in the third game and just kept scoring points. Every time an attack was called, he was at the heart of it. I didn’t count, but I suspect he might have scored more individual points than anyone else in the competition. He wouldn’t have been able to do that, though, without Hudson. Before the competition, Hudson had styled himself as the "juggernaut" of the team — and he more than lived up to it, taking on two or even three opposing players at a time. Owen did superbly at finding extra items and equipment to support the team, as he always does. He was also incredibly versatile, stepping in to assist both in attack and defence when needed.
Then there was Lincoln, who developed an unexpected new skill: coaching. During moments when he was out of the game, he took charge of tactics, calling plays and directing focus. Mr. Sharma-Pay and I eventually let Lincoln run the show himself—he was making better calls than either of us! It’s a testament to how good a team player he is that, while in defence, he’s normally happy to follow Emily’s lead and let her take command.
Emily’s defence was superb. She trapped players like flies in a web—they snuck into the base confidently but couldn’t get out. She and Lincoln dispatched them quickly. But that’s not Emily’s highlight.
Towards the end of the last game, we were ahead by two points. When the screen flashed “10 seconds remaining,” a player on the opposing team’s face crumpled as she realised the game was lost. As the match ended, she burst into tears. While the rest of Q-Esports celebrated the win, Emily stood up, walked over, and threw her arms around her opponent. They chatted for a couple of minutes, and soon, the girl started laughing. Emily smiled, then rejoined her team to celebrate. The youngest Q-Esports captain—but perhaps the one with the biggest heart.
At just 10 years old, being able to manage her own emotions, lift her team’s spirits, and still find time to ensure an opposing player had a positive experience is nothing short of incredible.
And to top it all off, that final victory secured 5th place in the entire national competition. They walked out of the school and into history—Top 5 in the country.
Arthur, Hudson, Lincoln, Owen, Parker, and Captain Emily—you have done us all proud. Thank you.
Is your child an avid Minecraft player? Turn their hobby into an educational experience by joining us at our next Open Day to discover what King's Magna and the Esports team have to offer.
