EUnited was looking to bring the World Championship title back to NA, while Rival, having already defeated the previous world champion, was looking to prove that they deserve the top spot in the SMITE pro scene.
Rival and EUnited provided an unforgettable game. Having never played against one another, they had to adapt quickly to deal with the curveballs from their opponents. Team Rival gave it their all, but EUnited won out in the end, becoming the new SMITE World Champions.
Game 1
Winner: EUnited
Rival: Raijin, Odin, Sylvanus, Anhur, Amaterasu EUnited: Ullr, Cu Chulainn, Bastet, Discordia, Ganesha
EUnited started off strong, pulling ahead with a minor gold lead and picking up first blood around the 2-minute mark. They kept up the pressure, forcing Rival to abort a few attempts at Gold Fury, and giving them the space to whittle down the first tier towers a little bit more.
A few minor scuffles saw EUnited up two kills, but Rival remained undaunted by the minor setbacks. A fight on the right lane, left the middle open for a quick push. EUnited earned a tower, but Rival saw the tower and raised them a kill. With EUnited down a player, Rival comfortably took Portal Demon getting ready to demolish any lead that EUnited might have had. Unfortunately, Rival wasn’t able to capitalize on the jungle buff, and EUnited fought hard to keep ahead.
A close fight at Fire Giant led to EUnited picking up a few kills alongside the jungle buff, which they used to push down two phoenixes. With the added pressure from two lanes, EUnited was able to pick up the remaining towards, leaving Rival in a precarious position.
A final, brutal fight at Rival’s remaining phoenix left them with only two players to desperately defend against EUnited’s full team. Even with Rival’s knack for turning games around, they couldn’t stand against the full might of EUnited and their titan fell, giving the first game to EUnited.
Game 2
Winner: Rival
Rival: Raijin, Osiris, Ullr, Susano, Geb EUnited: Cu Chulainn, The Morrigan, Fenrir, Hou Yi, Terra
The game started off intensely. Where players often engage in small fights that result in minimal damage, both teams were aggressively grasping any small advantage. A few small fights heralded a ton of action in the near future, and they didn’t disappoint. When EUnited dove onto an opportunity, they almost walked away with two easy kills, but instead, Rival managed to turn it around ending the fight at 2-0 in Rival’s favor.
Repeatedly, fights ended in Rival’s favor as they picked up kills across the map. They aggressively grouped, always bringing more to the fight than their opponents. The constant attacks paid off with them gaining a healthy gold lead, along with the kills which Rival was able to use to pick up Gold Fury and Fire Giant, uncontested.
An intense tower dive on the right lane, left EUnited lacking in defenders. Rival took the opportunity to take both the right and middle phoenix, increasing the pressure on EUnited. A short time later, Rival managed to take both Gold Fury and Fire Giant, before sweeping back into EUnited’s base to finish off their phoenix and the titan.
While most saw the first game as an easy victory for EUNited, the second game showed that Rival wasn’t out of the game yet. Their aggressive second game, showcased Rival’s ability to analyze and respond to their opponent’s playstyle.
Game 3
Winner: EUnited
Rival: Osiris, Ullr, Geb, Ra, Serqet EUnited: Raijin, Cu Chulainn, Ah Muzen Cab, Amaterasu, Nemesis
Off to an unusual start, EUnited picked up first blood after a wild chase through their jungle. Other scuffles indicated that EUnited had more damage during the early game, but a couple of poor choices saw Rival keeping the score fairly even. An incredible play in the middle lane, gave EUnited two kills and an opportunity to grab Gold Fury.
EUnited was on top of their objectives finding time and opportunity to dive under tower, earning a kill then following, the tower’s destruction, and portal demon, shortly after. They suffered their own setbacks with occasional deaths, but it wasn’t enough to deter EUnited and they managed to stop Rival from taking the next Gold Fury, while securing a kill and the buff for themselves.
EUnited’s objective control stayed strong. After two quick kills, they swept in and took Fire Giant and a tower, though not without their own losses. Rival made a desperate push to take a tower, and though they were successful, EUnited managed to chase them all the way back to their base, diving past phoenix in an attempt to avenge the tower.
Despite EUnited’s firm hold on objectives so far, Rival managed to steal Fire Giant out from under them. Unfortunately, the Fire Giant alone could not stop EUnited’s push and they destroyed another phoenix before backing out and preparing their push for Rival’s final phoenix.
The final fight was difficult, with EUnited splitting Rival’s attention across all three lanes as they pushed their way to the titan, giving EUnited their second win.
Game 4
Winner: EUnited
Rival: Athena, Poseidon, Erlang Shen, Hachiman, Bellona EUnited: Osiris, Ullr, Bastet, Sylvanus, Zeus
With everything on the line, Rival had a good start picking up first blood in an early turret dive. They kept up their strong start with a seven-minute Gold Fury, but EUnited managed to stand up to Rival going kill for kill for the next few minutes. Keeping the score even was a short-lived dream though and Rival pulled ahead again with a few more kills.
Rival came at this game with the same aggression that they won with earlier, and it worked out for them. The constant, overwhelming attacks on every lane wore down EUnited, until Rival held a comfortable lead in gold and experience. This lead culminated in a fight at Fire Giant, where EUnited managed to steal the buff from Rival, then follow it up with a few kills.
A vicious fight in the jungle led to EUnited picking up two kills and a phoenix. Having effectively reversed Rival’s lead, EUnited backed and prepared for the next round of fighting. The next fight became the last as EUnited managed to kill three members on Rival’s team. Without a full team to defend, EUnited was able to sweep into Rival’s open titan and take it out, earning them their final win.
For the first time in three years, the World Champion title has returned to North America. Season 5 changes are coming soon, and with them, plenty of surprises. We’ll have to wait and see how our World Champions fare.
