The top 32 performers from FUT Champions Seasons 1 and 2 were in action on Friday at the FIFA 17 Ultimate Team Championship in Berlin
Eight players have booked their spots at the FIWC 2017 Grand Final, of whom seven are Europeans
The tournament will continue on Saturday
At the end of a manic day of gaming in Berlin, broad smiles were spread across the faces of eight happy participants, who now know that they will be competing at the FIWC 2017 Grand Final in London. Remarkably, the Brazilian 'Rafifa13' is the sole non-European to have qualified.
However, the proceedings are not over in the German capital yet, with the business end of the competition to be contested on Saturday. The day will conclude with a two-legged Grand Final, in which the winner of the Xbox One division will battle the PlayStation 4 champion for the title.
The qualifiers for London*PlayStation 4 *- 'Maniika' (France)
'xShellzz' (United Kingdom)
'TimoX' (Germany)
'TheStrxngeR' (Germany)
Xbox One - 'Unilad Gorilla' (United Kingdom)
'Vitality RocKy' (France)
'Marlut' (Germany)
'Rafifa13' (Brazil)
Memorable moments*Regional champions derailed*: Four of the six regional finals winners bowed out of the competition at the group stage. Saudi Arabian 'xX ThE RoYaL Xx', who tasted glory in Sydney, joined Vancouver victors 'xGUASTELLAx' and 'MSdossary7' in falling at the first hurdle alongside 'Prinsipe', who failed to replicate the stunning form he displayed in Madrid and finished bottom of Group 7.
Disappointment for former world champ: There was similar frustration for the only previous FIWC winner in the field. The Saudi star 'MrD0NE', who captured the global crown in Munich in 2015, was left languishing in third place in Group 5. After getting off to a good start by edging 'Olimaclan' 1-0, he subsequently succumbed to 'TheStrxngeR', before 'S04_Cihan' held him to a draw that sealed his fate.
Payback for Parisian pain: At the first FUT Champions regional final in February, 'Vitality RocKy' was twice put to the sword by eventual champion 'Hashtag Tass', first in the group stage and then in the final of the Xbox One division. The Frenchman got his own back in Berlin by overcoming the Londoner 2-1 in the quarter-finals.
Did you know?The double-elimination format, which is in place in Berlin, is extremely common in the eSports world and was also used in the six FUT Champions regional finals. It works as follows: players are given a second chance after their first defeat in the knockout stage, dropping down into the losers' bracket. If they are then beaten for a second time, they are duly eliminated.
Be sure not to miss the second day of the FIFA 17 Ultimate Team Championship tomorrow! You can follow the action live on FIFA.com from 10:45 local time (9:45 CET).