Crimson Gaming and Mindfreak reach Heroes of the Storm ANZ Phase 2 Finals

The Heroes of the Storm Global Championship ANZ Phase 2 Finals ends on September 15 with an epic match between Crimson Gaming and Mindfreak. These two teams have cruised through the group stage and playoffs, to set the stage for an epic rematch. Last year Mindfreak came back from the brink of defeat to erase a 2-3 deficit and win the series in seven games.

© Blizzard Entertainment

ANZ Phase 2 Finals Format

Each team played 13 matches. The first match tooked place in the group stage with a double Round Robin system and a best-of-three series. The top two teams qualified for the live finals, while the bottom two went to the ANZ Crucible. During the playoffs, the series were played in a best-of-five format, with two teams securing a place in the final ANZ match at the 2018 HGC Phase 2 Intercontinental Clash.

The broadcast talent consisted exclusively of ANZ casters, and Heroes of the Storm fans from Australia and New Zealand will recognize their familiar voices. Andre Allchin, Micheal Roberts, Kori Bassi, Jacob Punton and Matthew Hunter have commented the group stage and playoffs matches.

HotS ANZ Phase 2 Finals prize pool

The Heroes of the Storm ANZ Phase 2 Finals is an elite competition and it features only the best eight teams from Australia and New Zealand. The guaranteed prize pool to spread among all the participants is of $40,000. With Crimson Gaming and Mindfreak being the only two teams still standing, the other participants have already received their prizes.

Aztech Entertainment got the biggest share of $5000 for finishing in third place, while Twisted Vision had to settle for $3500. The next four teams claimed prizes ranging from $1000-$2500, in spite of finishing the tournament with negative records. The teams qualifying from the open division slightly exceeded expectations, while Reality finished last with a single victory.

Crimson Gaming and Mindfreak have dominated the HotS ANZ Phase 2 Finals, finishing the race with 13 victories and a single defeat. They were head and shoulders above the competition and confirmed their favourite status with all leading bookmakers. They are evenly matched and the winner of the finals scheduled for September 15 is difficult to predict.

Mindfreak have the advantage of having won the Phase 1 Finals, but the series could’ve easily gone the other way. They were the only team to defeat Crimson Gaming in July, once again recovering after losing the opening match. In the most recent match played by these two teams in mid August, Crimson Gaming prevailed in straight matches. The stage is set for another amazing final, which will decide the name of the team to represent the ANZ region in the match against the Latin America champions.