Esports Weekend Recap: Hanwha Life, Team Vitality, and Team Liquid Claim Major Titles

Three major esports tournaments concluded this weekend, showcasing incredible skill and competition. Hanwha Life Esports secured victory at the League of Legends First Stand Tournament, Team Vitality dominated ESL Pro League Season 21 in Counter-Strike 2, and Team Liquid triumphed at PGL Wallachia Season 3 in Dota 2.

Hanwha Life Esports Wins First-Ever League of Legends First Stand Tournament

Korean powerhouse Hanwha Life Esports (HLE) emerged victorious at the inaugural League of Legends First Stand Tournament, defeating Karmine Corp (KC) 3-1 in the grand finals at LoL Park in Seoul on March 16.

The tournament featured five top teams competing for a $1 million prize pool:

• Hanwha Life Esports (Korea)

• Top Esports (China)

• Karmine Corp (Europe)

• Team Liquid (North America)

• CTBC Flying Oyster (Asia-Pacific)

Despite KC securing the first game, HLE rebounded with three consecutive wins, reaffirming Korea’s dominance in competitive League of Legends.

A standout performance came from Zeus, who joined HLE after winning Worlds 2024 with T1. Reflecting on the win, he said:

"I think we're just getting a really good start to the season, and I'm so happy we secured another title. My goal now is to win as many championships as possible this year."

According to Esports Charts, the grand final peaked at 1.1 million viewers (excluding Chinese platforms), making it the second most-watched League of Legends event of 2025 so far.

With this victory, HLE solidifies itself as a team to watch for the upcoming Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) and World Championship later this year.

Team Vitality Sweeps ESL Pro League Season 21 in Counter-Strike 2

Team Vitality cemented its status as the world’s top Counter-Strike 2 team by sweeping MOUZ 3-0 in the ESL Pro League Season 21 grand finals.

The French organization went undefeated throughout the tournament, dropping only one map along the way. Their grand finals performance was particularly dominant, controlling all three maps against MOUZ:

• Dust2 (13-9): After losing the pistol round, Vitality recovered with a crucial force buy, dominating the first half with a 10-3 lead. Despite MOUZ winning the second pistol round, Shahar "flameZ" Shushan led with 21 frags to close out the game.

• Nuke (13-4): MOUZ’s map pick backfired, as Vitality’s defensive setup shut them down. Vitality’s offense then overwhelmed MOUZ, securing the map with ease.

• Inferno (13-5): Despite losing the pistol round, Vitality’s force-buy Deagle play turned the tide, leading to a 9-1 advantage before closing out the match.

ZywOo Named Tournament MVP

Mathieu "ZywOo" Herbaut was named tournament MVP, while Robin "ropz" Kool, who joined from FaZe Clan, showcased strong rifling and impact plays throughout the event.

Vitality co-founder Fabien "Neo" Devide praised the victory:

"This confirms Team Vitality as one of the undisputed leaders in CS2. It also gives us a strong chance to win the Grand Slam and join the elite club of teams that have claimed all major international titles."

This is Vitality’s second major CS2 tournament win in 2025, following their Intel Extreme Masters Katowice triumph earlier this year.

Team Liquid Secures PGL Wallachia Season 3 Title in Dota 2

Team Liquid continued its dominance in Dota 2, defeating Tundra Esports 3-1 in the PGL Wallachia Season 3 grand finals on Monday.

The defending Dota 2 world champions showcased impeccable form, going 3-0 in the group stage before cruising through the upper bracket playoffs. Their victory earned them $300,000 from the $1 million prize pool.

Liquid’s path to the championship included:

• Upper Bracket Quarterfinals: Defeated Aurora Gaming

• Semifinals: Swept Xtreme Gaming

• Upper Bracket Finals: Swept Team Falcons

• Grand Finals: 3-1 victory over Tundra Esports

Strong Viewership & TI 2025 Implications

According to Esports Charts, the grand finals peaked at 342,340 viewers, with over 15 million hours watched across the tournament.

With this title, Team Liquid is in a prime position for a direct invite to The International 2025, set for September in Hamburg, Germany. If successful, they could become only the third organization to win back-to-back world championships.

Upcoming Tournaments for Team Liquid

Liquid will continue its dominant run in 2025, with upcoming appearances at:

• FISSURE Universe: Episode 4 (March 22-30)

• ESL One Raleigh 2025 (April)

• PGL Wallachia Season 4 (April)

Looking Ahead

With HLE, Team Vitality, and Team Liquid securing major tournament victories, the 2025 esports season is heating up. As these teams set their sights on bigger titles, fans can expect even more thrilling competition in the months ahead.