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The primary-ever Free Hearth SEA Invitational (FFSI) is right here. Changing the mid-year World Collection (FFWS), this competitors will see the highest 18 groups from throughout Asia competing for the title of champions and a share of the $300,000 prize pool.
The FFSI takes place between Could 12 – 28 in Thailand. The 18 groups will compete throughout a league stage with the highest 12 advancing to the grand finals. On this article, we check out why Garena launched this new event and its numerous modifications.
Supply: Garena / Youtube
Why did Garena change its Free Hearth Esports Technique in 2023?
Free Hearth was as soon as the main cell esports of the world, having gained the Esports Cellular Sport of the 12 months award twice in 2020 and 2021 on the Esports Awards.
The awards got here for an excellent motive too. Garena was doing a exceptional job in rising the sport globally. This included a correct relegation-based league in Brazil and quite a few regional competitions all over the world. The sport was so fashionable that the Free Hearth World Collection (FFWS) broke viewership data.
An instance is the FFWS Singapore 2021. The event achieved a peak viewership of 5.4 million viewers, making it one of many most-watched esports tournaments in historical past. Nonetheless, since this excessive, Free Hearth esports hasn’t been in a position to carry out effectively.
Supply: Free Hearth World Collection
There are a number of causes for this. Firstly are the problems at Garena itself as the corporate has laid off a big portion of its workers on the again of big losses by its dad or mum firm, Sea Ltd. It even shut down its streaming platform, Booyah.
Secondly is the game’s ban in one among its hottest areas — India. The sport was pulled down from the applying shops within the nation for alleged information privateness causes in February 2022.
These issues coupled with the top of the pandemic have led to a pointy decline within the viewership of Free Hearth esports. The FFWS 2022 Bangkok, for instance, recorded 90 per cent lesser viewership as in comparison with the FFWS Singapore 2021.
Thus, Garena felt the necessity to implement modifications to its general esports program. This included a controversial change of the Brazilian Free Fire League into an invite-only event and the canceling of the mid-season FFWS, which has been changed by the FFSI.
What’s completely different within the FFSI 2023?
Firstly, being a SEA-only event will enable Garena to correctly give attention to the area. One of many fundamental issues about that is that the schedule will likely be stored in thoughts for the SEA viewers. The FFWS Bangkok for instance, regardless of taking place in Thailand, noticed matches occur late within the night time to accommodate Brazilian viewers.
If in case you have been watching Free Hearth esports tournaments up to now, you will need to have seen the brief format of worldwide tournaments. They normally adopted a two-day format consisting of a Play-Ins stage and the Finals.
Supply: Garena
This time, nevertheless, the FFSI could have a two-week group stage adopted by a three-day last. Garena gave two reasons behind this extended format for the league . Primary was to offer groups with a larger platform to exhibit their abilities and consistency as a substitute of a one-day give-it-all format.
Secondly, the corporate mentioned that the brand new format will enable followers to fully immerse and observe their favourite groups within the competitors.
The success of this new format might outline Free Hearth esports within the years to return.
FFSI 2023: All the things you should know
The 18 groups have been break up into three teams of six groups every for the group stage. The group stage will occur on Could 12 to 14 and Could 19 to 21. The teams will compete in a round-robin format (two teams at a time) with every staff taking part in 24 matches.
Supply: Garena
Ultimately, the highest 12 groups will advance to the FFSI 2023 Finals on Could 26 to twenty-eight. Right here, they may compete throughout 18 matches (six per day) to find out the champions.
The event will likely be stay streamed on the Free Fire Esports YouTube channel.
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