Record-Setting Festival Brought Three Days of Riveting Esports, Star-Studded Creator Showcases, Iconic Cosplay, Show-Stopping Music, and More to Stockholm Community
STOCKHOLM – November 24, 2024 – ESL FACEIT Group (EFG), the leading esports and video game entertainment company, and DreamHack, a leading global gaming lifestyle festival, today announced that DreamHack Stockholm became the brand’s most-attended European festival in its 30-year history. From November 22-24, 2024, at Stockholmsmässan, the festival, presented by Elgiganten, hosted over 52,000 visitors from 59 countries who experienced three days of DreamHack’s largest-ever programming lineup.
“There’s no better way to celebrate DreamHack’s Swedish roots and global impact than with our record-setting showing in Stockholm,” said Kalle Pilfalk, Director DreamHack Festivals EU at EFG. “Seeing our festival grow from a grassroots LAN party to a celebration of everything gaming – from esports to cosplay, music, art, and more – is a testament to the passion of this community, which came out in droves to support our first DreamHack Stockholm.”
DreamHack Stockholm brought one of the brand’s largest-ever festival footprints to the Swedish capital, with a packed lineup uniting global and regional esports championships, stunning cosplay competitions, star-studded creator activations, and live music performances. The robust programming gave guests what they craved, driving a 65 percent increase in one-day visitors.
Team Falcons Claims First-Ever Overwatch Champions Series World Title
Team Falcons triumphed over seven of the best Overwatch squads to become the first world champion of Overwatch Champions Series (OWCS). The packed crowd watched as the squad bested OWCS Dallas Major titleholders Crazy Raccoon in a commanding 3-0 victory – just as they had done during the duo’s previous matchup in the Upper Bracket Finals. Despite Crazy Raccoon climbing their way back to the Grand Final after a 4-1 win over Toronto Defiant, the team couldn’t do enough over Team Falcons, who only dropped one map all tournament prior to the Grand Final.
“It’s unbelievable – we made it,” said Park “Crusty” Dae-hee, Team Falcons’ coach. “I always say, ‘We’re going to make an anime,’ and we [achieved] victory like an anime. Amazing staff, amazing players. We made this. Thank you guys.”
Imperial Valkyries Extend ESL Impact Finals Record to 12-2 with Season 6 Victory
Extending their dynasty to include yet another global title, Imperial Valkyries beat FURIA in the final series, bringing the squad’s career-long ESL Impact Season Grand Finals performance to a staggering 12-2 record – the strongest in the circuit’s history.
The squad’s dominant run through the Season 6 Finals included a flawless 2-0 record to earn them the top spot in Group A and qualify directly to the semifinals. From there, they beat Group B runner-ups BIG EQUIPA to meet rivals FURIA in the Grand Finals – a team they’ve beaten twice in ESL Impact Season Grand Finals before. The best-of-three went their way, led by Katarína “Kat” Vašková who led the team with 37 kills and a 1.22 series rating, to earn the Valkyries their eight title.
“I still cannot believe this,” said Alexandra “twenty3” Timonina. “I’m so proud because we’ve worked so hard for this and just proving it eight times – I don’t know, I’m just feeling so proud of everyone. I’m so proud of my girls. We fought hard today.”
The win was especially sweet for the squad’s sole Swedish representative, Zainab “zAAz” Turkie, who got to hoist her first ESL Impact trophy on home ground. The victory builds on Imperial Valkyries’ ESL Impact dynasty and continues their undefeated streak across eight LAN events.
“I think it was 2017 last time I played in Sweden and it feels amazing,” zAAz said. “Thank you guys so much for cheering. We’ve heard you the whole time. Thank you.”
Mikson7 and Huty Dubbed Festival’s Best Duo After Winning ESL ft. Fortnite Tournament
With 442 points and two match wins to carry them to first place, duo Mikson7 and Huty came out on top of DreamHack Stockholm’s ESL ft. Fortnite Battle Royale Duos tournament. The duo placed eight in their heat during Day 1, earning them a spot during Day 3’s Finals, where they ramped up their momentum. After six rounds of play, they bested the competition, earning them the largest share of the $25,000 prize pool with their 29-point lead over second place.
Johnny Speeds Named Sweden’s Best Counter-Strike 2 Squad with Svenska Elitserien Win
After navigating three tiers of competition and two days of live competition, Johnny Speeds won Svenska Elitserien Fall 2024, Sweden’s premier Counter-Strike 2 circuit. The squad bested Alliance in a close series, earning them the title, the lion’s share of the 230,000 SEK prize pool, and the opportunity to return to compete during the Spring 2025 season.
DreamHack, Def Jam bring “Legendary” Hip Hop Showcase to Stockholm
For the first time, DreamHack and Def Jam Recordings Sweden rallied the country’s top hip hop artists for “Legendary,” a celebration of Sweden’s growing music scene. Highlighting the intersection of music, gaming, and pop culture, the duo invited the likes of Adaam, Greekazo, Imenella, Shiro, Sebastian Stakset, Zoe Lobos, and many more for live performances and DJ sets throughout the festival. The lineup of artists boast over 4 million monthly listeners on Spotify, and reflect both established names and rising talent.
Tyler1 Flexes on Fans with Head-to-Head Battles, Talent Showcases on the Main Stage
Making his first-ever appearance at a European DreamHack festival, fan-favorite creator Tyler1 hosted back-to-back events on the Main Stage in front of a roaring crowd. Visitors who thought they could beat the five-role Challenger-ranked League of Legends expert in a 1v1 battle staked their claim on stage. Then, Tyler1 invited the festival’s most talented guests to “Show Us What You Got!” talent show.
Sidemen, MrSavage Kick Off DreamHack Debut with EA SPORTS FC 25 Exhibition Matches
Visitors competed to earn their place on stage next to the Sidemen, one of the Internet’s most popular creator groups. Harry, Josh, and Simon faced off against creator MrSavage and a host of other challengers in EA SPORTS FC 25. A full house of visitors waited their turn to see if the best could be beaten, with both qualified duos and random fans earning chances to come up on stage and step onto the virtual pitch against their favorite creators. Later, guests that couldn’t find their way on stage lined up for a Meet & Greet with the trio, where they bumped fists and snapped selfies.
Stockholm’s Cosplay Community Shows Up Big Across Two Competitions
DreamHack’s best-dressed attendees showed off their craft on the Main Stage during the festival’s Cosplay Championship. The competition awarded 28,000 SEK in prizing across three tiers, with knightofwandscosplay’s Gawain cosplay earning the Expert division’s top prize, A.k.a.Chibi’s Pinoccio winning the Artisan division, and Springflowercosplay’s Elf winning Novice.
The Extreme Cosplay Gathering Qualifier featured its own cast of cosplayers, each of which bringing their best-crafted outfits to the stage with hopes of qualifying for Europe’s largest cosplay stage at Japan Expo in Paris. A pair of Genshin Impact cosplayers, Nukleara (dressed as Sigewinne) and MemorizedCosplay (dressed as Wriothesley), won top honors and will take their cosplay to the expo in 2025 to compete for even more prizes and a regional title.
For more images and assets from DreamHack Stockholm, click HERE. For more information on ESL FACEIT Group, visit eslfaceitgroup.com and follow EFG on LinkedIn.
