The inaugural World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Virtual Cup, held in partnership with Newdin Contents using the Seoul-based company’s Strikezon technology, was recently aired on SBS Sports Channel with fans able to relive the thrilling action from last year’s World Final.
The WBSC Virtual Cup Finals on 27 November 2022 marked an important step in the WBSC’s commitment to innovation in esports to attract new audiences to the sport. The competition saw talented athletes across the globe competing to become the world’s first virtual baseball champions. This exclusive broadcast unveils the behind-the-scenes journey from the beginning of the competition to the crowning of the champions.
Last year's event boasted a total prize pool of US$10,000, attracting top talent from around the globe. A total of 8,146 players took part in the opening round at Strikezon simulators in four countries, Korea, the USA, Japan and Mexico before the 12 top teams took part in the World Finals at the Bundang Yatap Stadium in the Strikezon.
World Finalists, comprising winners from the Super Round and wild card selections from each chapter of the world, were supported with travel, accommodation, meals, official jersey uniforms and bats provided by the sponsor, Gold Ball Park.
As the birthplace of virtual baseball,
Korea witnessed extraordinary performances from homegrown talents. The
kimhwanhee님의팀 team of Hwanhee Kim
and Chungyong Kim dominated the competition to take the first ever Virtual Cup
trophy, defeating the young team Tacos al Pastor of Mexico 18-12 in the Final
Round.
The Virtual Cup also saw incredible
performances from the US team Bash Brothers who recorded the highest number of
total runs in the Finals group stage with 54 runs. Meanwhile, Japan’s 西内 (Nishiuchi), with an average age of 14.5
showcased their talent and skills at the World Finals.
