On August 2nd, Twitch Rivals hosted the Twitch Rivals: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe EU Showdown. Although this Twitch Rivals event was a charity event, eight teams of six energetically showcased their talent and potential.
Image Credit: Nintendo
The format of Twitch Rivals: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe EU Showdown included a Round Robin Group Stage followed by a Single-Elimination Bracket Stage. In the Round Robin Group Stage, teams, randomly divided into two separate groups, played one head-to-head against every other team in their group.
Each match during the Round Robin Group Stage consisted of 4 distinct races at 150cc and with normal items. While the two most consistent teams from the Round Robin Group Stage advanced to the Championship Bracket Stage, the bottom two teams from each group clashed in the Consolation Bracket. Each Bracket Stage game featured six unique races at 150cc and with normal items.
The total prize pool for charity was $25,000. While the prize pool for the Group Stage was $6,000, with $300 for each win and $200 for a loss, the Bracket Stage total prizing consisted of $18,900. The first-placed team donated $6000, and the second-placed team donated $3,600. Each next placed team donated $600 less. In addition, the Standout Player, who earned the most points during the tournament, was awarded a bonus prize of $100.
Group Stage
Well-practiced and inspired to contribute to a greater cause, teams stepped onto the track of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. In the first round, these highly competitive teams raced the Golden Dash Cup on the Paris Promenade, Toad Circuit, Choco Mountain, and Coconut Mall courses.
The tracks in the second round, the Lucky Cat Cup, were Tokyo Blur, Shroom Ridge, Sky Garden, and Ninja Hideway. For the final round, the Twitch viewers had the honors of handpicking four tracks where our competitors faced off in their last efforts to reach the Championship Bracket.
The tracks in the final round of the Group Stage for Group A were: Wii Grumble Volcano, fan-favorite Coconut Mall, Ice Ice Post, and Thwomp Ruins. Group B matched their skills on Sunshine Airport, Yoshi Circuit, Dragon Driftaway, and Coconut Mall.
Although almost every team shined at least once throughout the Group Stage, teams led by Aurélien “Ponce” Gilles, Daniel “RTGame” Condren, Rubén “Rubius” Gundersen, and Sarah “Saar” Verhoeven moved to the Championship Bracket. Teams that fell short and advanced to the Consolidation Bracket were led by Daniel “Dhalucard” Hagen, Diogo “move_mind” da Silva, Francesco “cydonia_chiara” Cilurzo, and mahluna.
Bracket Stage
Ready and willing to donate the most money to charity, teams once again bravely ventured onto the tracks of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
The first match of the elimination bracket included 3DS DK Jungle, Music Park, Toad Harbor, Mario Circuit, Skygarden, and Ninja Hideaway. The second match, played between teams for 3rd and 4th place, took place on Coconut Mall, Rainbow Road, Excitebike Arena, Tick-Tock Clock, Big Blue, and Mount Wario. The tracks used for the finals were Toad’s Turnpike, Moo Moo Meadows, Cloudtop Crew, Music Park, Paris Promenade, and Coconut Mall.
After three exhaustive rounds of six matches, the winner of Twitch Rivals: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe EU Showdown was Team Ponce, a group of friends with an unrivaled synergy and consistent performance throughout the whole tournament.
Final Standings
| Placement | Team |
| 1. | Team Ponce |
| 2. | Team Rubius |
| 3. | Team Saar |
| 4. | Team RTGame |
| 5. | Team Dhalucard |
| 6. | Team mahluna |
| 7. | Team cydonia_chiara |
| 8. | Team move_mind |
