WASHINGTON — Even during a pandemic, the Washington sports world is finding ways to make the District proud. Washington District Gaming esports team took home its first-ever championship win last week.
The Washington Wizards’ NBA 2K League affiliate beat a team backed by the Golden State Warriors to claim the esports league’s championship with a 3-1 series victory Friday night.
Wizards District Gaming dropped the series opener before winning the final three matches, topping Warriors Gaming Squad 70-55 in the clincher. Like the rest of the league’s games this season, the Finals were held remotely, rather than at the league’s studio in New York, due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Led by MVP finalist and Defensive Player of the Year Ryan “Dayfri” Conger and Rookie of the Year finalist Jack “JBM” Mascone, Wizards District Gaming claimed its first title in the league’s third season and earned $420,000 in prize money.
“What we had all season was a great synergy between the incredible talent of our rookies mixed with the patience and wisdom of our veterans and it led us to this moment,” said team manager Patrick Crossan in a release, “This is life-changing for many of these players. They played with hearts and smarts all season and this is so well-earned by each of them.”
The 23-team NBA 2K League, operated in part by the NBA, has reported a notable boost in viewership this year — one in which esports and video games have boomed across the board with so many stuck at home.
Games drew a 76% increase in unique viewers per stream on Twitch compared to last season. The league also aired games on linear television for the first time, including on ESPN2, Sportsnet in Canada and eGG Network in Asia.
The league said the 29 matches aired on ESPN2 nearly all brought in at least 1 million unique viewers when combined with Twitch viewership.
