Costa Rica sets off the 5-on-5 MK1 LATAM invitational

A dominating victory against the team from El Salvador.

The Mortal Kombat 1 5-on-5 invitational tournament kicked off tonight, with Latin America North getting things started. The tournament, officially sponsored by Warner Play Latino and organized by TopSieteGames, aims to crown the best national team in the region. Set to run through May when Grand Finals are expected to be held, this single-elimination tournament will have the winner of LATAM North face the winner of LATAM South to determine a champion, and of course, bragging rights.

 

Latin America North: Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, and Republica Dominicana (click here to see calendar)

Latin America South: Argentina, Bolivia, Brasil, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay (click here to see calendar)

 

Costa Rica kicked off the tournament against El Salvador and pulled off a dominating win, winning the series 5-2. Teams must defeat all 5 members of the opposition in a best-of-5 series to advance. Costa Rica’s Ermac got them off to a great start, winning his first two sets before losing to Itachi-TheGod503. El Salvador would quickly tie the series 2-2 before Mozzko would put Costa Rica back on top for good, eliminating Itachi-TheGod503, MKNero, and Darko_023 in succession.

Costa Rica now faces Mexico on February 22nd. The winner faces off against the winner of Guatemala/Honduras in the following round.

The next tournament date is set for January 25th when Colombia faces Nicaragua. The LATAM South bracket also kicks off that night with Brasil going against Peru. All matches start at 8 PM AST (Atlantic Standard Time).

 

A much-needed victory for Costa Rica

Winning its inaugural match was vital for the Costa Rican scene. A first-round exit would’ve been catastrophic. Getting that first win was more important than most can imagine.

As someone who lives in Costa Rica and is involved in the local scene, seeing a team of local players succeed helps bring more eyes to the talent we have here. The lack of consistent offline tournaments since the pandemic has been a major impediment that Costa Rica has struggle to recover from. If this team could win the tournament, it could help open the market for talent in the country and expand our reach in the region. Perhaps Costa Rica can become a major hub to facilitate travel between North and South America, including all the nations of the Caribbean.

Essentially, except for Mexico and Panama, the remaining nations in the region are in dire need of support and resources. Of course, Puerto Rico and Republica Dominicana are an exception, too. However, the remaining nations that make up the core of Central America are still behind.

For these nations, to win an invitational sponsored by the game’s publisher is a big deal.

For Costa Rica, it can be a step in the right direction on a path many of us share to get ourselves back on track.

 

Overcoming challenges

For many in the region, it’s difficult to travel to the United States to attend a major tournament. You may have enough money saved up, but you can’t get approved for a U.S. Visa to travel. You may have a U.S. Visa to travel, but can’t afford to constantly travel back and forth to compete. It’s a complex situation that only a few have been able to overcome.

This shows the importance of strong regional majors that can acknowledge those players who are affected by these circumstances. There’s plenty of talent in the region, they just need the platform to showcase their skills. This is why a local offline presence is important. A welcoming environment for players to keep their skills sharp while enjoying the spirit of competition and community.

As the scene grows, so does opportunity. It’s the players that help a country get its recognition. It’s the tournament organizer’s responsibility to set the stage for them to do it.

Make a name for yourself in your country, then introduce yourself to the world.

If you build it, they will come.

 

Watch the VOD of Costa Rica vs. El Salvador