Gamer Sensei – the esports coaching startup based in the US, but founded in NZ – has launched a Hearthstone pro team. And in the squad’s first ever competitive event, Dreamhack Denver, Team Gamer Sensei took home both 1st and 3rd place.
The victory included an undefeated 13-0 run by eventual champion Ike.
Gamer Sensei’s achievement is significant because it marks the best competitive finish ever for a new Hearthstone team. The win leapfrogged Gamer Sensei’s ranking to become one of Hearthstone’s Top 16 global teams.
Proud Kiwi
The win was also the first time a major Hearthstone tournament has been won by an organisation with New Zealand management; as Gamer Sensei’s co-founder, William Collis, is a proud Kiwi.
Collis credits the win to two factors – The first is team comradery, driven by Gamer Sensei’s proprietary talent assessment system. While the company is sharing few details at this point, Gamer Sensei claims to have developed an exclusive process for identifying esports talent and assembling balanced teams.
Gamer Sensei also attributes their win to coaching by Hearthstone pro FKIShadow. Dreamhack Denver marks the first time in the history of Hearthstone that a professional team received dedicated coaching.
“It was crazy to me,” says William Collis. “Your look and coaching is so critical to any competitive activity. And Gamer Sensei is an esports coaching company. We saw an obvious opportunity to provide a dedicated coach to our new team, and the results speak for themselves.”
“Coaching helped me prepare by bringing an outside perspective into my practices. I was much better able to predict my opponents’ strategies,” explains Team Gamer Sensei member Rosty Elkun, who claimed 3rd place in the event.
Going forward, Gamer Sensei has big plans for their competitive roster. “We’re obviously excited and energised by our win, and we look forward to building off this incredibly strong first competition,” Collis says.
World’s largest coaching platform
Beyond its new pro team, Gamer Sensei also operates the world’s largest esports coaching platform. Mad-Daily previously reported the company’s two rounds of venture financing, bringing the total capital raised by Gamer Sensei to over US$6 million. The company currently offers coaching for players of all skill levels from today’s top esports pros – including all members of Team Gamer Sensei.
“We’re particularly proud of how Team Gamer Sensei’s success reflects on the quality of our coaches,” Collis says. “The team and the core coaching business fit together naturally, because competition is really about showcasing the incredible talent on our coaching platform.”
- Watch the video
- twitter.com/922238250864975872
- NZ readers can learn more about Gamer Sensei, including booking your own coaching lesson from a top pro, at www.gamersensei.com
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