GM Notes Dec 31, 2025, 11:00 (UTC)
2025 Master Class: Behind-the-Scenes Interview
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Master Class 2025: Behind the Scenes Interview
Welcome to the Master Class 2025: Behind the Scenes Interview!
Celebrate our 30 Master Class finalists while they participate in our exclusive questionnaire.
Scroll down now to check out more!
The content of this Interview is based on information provided by the Master Class Winners. Please note that some responses may have been adjusted to fit the flow of the Interview
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- EU
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Master Class 2025 Winners
Master Class 2025 WINNERS
[CM] Etsu
Hello Adventurers! Welcome to the Master Class Behind the Scenes Interview.
Today's Interview will be directed by yours truly, [CM] Etsu and [CM] Ronin!
[CM] Ronin
That's right, and it is good to be here! First of all, congratulations to our finalists for once again winning the Master Class 2025 tournament!
How does everyone feel?
How does everyone feel?
[NA] Multimeltor 
I'm feeling pretty good now. Right after winning, my heart was pumping like crazy! Even after my match ended, I couldn't calm down for hours.
[NA] Rhya 
I've been playing BDO since the last Master class, and all I've ever wanted out of BDO was to win this tournament. So it's definitely a great feeling to be able to accomplish that! Even so, there are still plenty of achievements to go for. The job simply isn't over yet.
[EU] Vaphroy
It's all a bit surreal still, I thought I would go far but didn't think I would win!
[EU] Neosaurus 
I've been excited for this tournament since it was revealed at the Heidel Ball. It was great being able to take part in this tournament and come out victorious, definitely a memory I'll be holding onto.
[EU] GoldFireNOR 
The tournament has been all I could think about, so I felt insanely relieved once it was all set and done. After I won, I just felt happy and couldn't stop smiling for over an hour.
[CM] Ronin
Would anyone else like to add their thoughts?
[NA] Cory
Succession wins all!
[CM] Etsu
Based Answer Cory! :D
Let me ask the second question!
What was your first impression when you saw the tournament bracket?
[NA] Mehguh 
I asked myself, "Why are all the gamers in my bracket???"
[EU] MichuKPK 
Seeing Lua as my first opponent was quite a shock! I felt that the win could have gone to either one of us, making this by far the most important match for me.
[NA] BackstepSlash 
I was worried! My first match was up against Shortfuse, a really skilled player who had won a previous Best-In-Class on Guardian. Also in my bracket was Kexi who I faced in the semifinals, another extremely experienced player with solid PvP knowledge.
[EU] Warlocked 
At first, I was discouraged when I saw that I was in a bracket full of known Awakening Hashashin PvP players, because I think Awakening Hashashin has an advantage over Succession in the matchup. However, I decided to practice and just show up and do my best regardless.
[EU] FTP
When I saw my bracket, I knew I’d have to be fully locked in from the start. Every matchup was tough, and I especially knew my first round against Emilie would set the tone for the rest of the tournament.
[CM] Etsu
I see that even the mightiest are capable of feeling fear!
Are you curious about who the winners faced?
Please check the page below. (૭ ｡•̀ ᵕ •́｡ )૭
Papu came to see
I was curious, thanks for the link - pu
[CM] Ronin
Okay. Next Question! I'm sure it took a lot of effort to secure your victory. Could you tell me...
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
[EU] CCaJJ 
Just want to say that it was a genius move by PA to have a ranked Arena of Solare season right before the tournament. Without it, I would have lost quite early… My training relied on that, as well as running some 1v1s hours before my matches with Tassader. That might have been why I was kinda late… XD
[NA] Millky 
A friend of mine was gracious enough to help spar with me leading up to the finals. I don't think there was a single day I did not practice. Outside of Nodewar, I don't partake in Arena of Solare, so if I was not grinding, I was 1v1ing both Succession and Awakening specs. Not only that, running the 1v1s taught me a lot more about CC timers and good follow-ups based on the situation.
[EU] Osku
To prepare for the tournament, I dueled my friends Kemorus and Draclye on EU, and even crafted a more serious damage 1v1 combo with my buddy Arise. On NA, I practiced with Choice and Nanohunters.
I probably spent 10-15 hours dueling people total? Especially before my matches to warm up. On top of playing the class for years and actively PvPing on it almost daily!
[NA] Phabi 
I just tried to do 1v1s every day and ran duels while waiting for my matches to start.
[NA] Liuty
For the prelims, I actually couldn't find any opponents to practice against who weren't also in the tournament, despite asking multiple people.
So my preparation basically just came down to watching some Awakening Ranger guides/Arena of Solare vods, creating an Awakening Ranger alt to figure out exactly what all the skills do, learning to recognize each one, and then theorycrafting some ideas for opportunities to try for CCs, getting damage off safely, and avoiding getting grabbed.
Still, because I didn't expect to make it very far, I didn't prepare as much as I should have.
Still, because I didn't expect to make it very far, I didn't prepare as much as I should have.
For the finals, most of my preparation came down to watching footage from the preliminary matches (mostly my own) to see where I could have improved and further analyzing the matchup as a whole. I realized that each Awakening Ranger had a different approach to the Succession Ranger matchup, and so I decided not to practice against any tournament opponents for the finals out of fear that I might grow accustomed to any particular player's individual play-style, instead of relying on my ability to adapt to each player's playstyle.
Yes, I could see how my final opponent played against other Succession Rangers, but I had no reason to assume they wouldn't change their approach as well.
[CM] Etsu
Wow! You guys are showing exactly why you took home that sweet victory!
Time for the next question:
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
[NA] Bobobuddy 
The moment I found the most nerve-wracking... Has to be when I was on the back foot during my match with Zerodenhunter. In the first round, he took me out within seconds....
I was so overwhelmed and forced to flee, and just hanging on by a thread.
The second round of our match was also down to the wire. It was not until I had evened the score that I felt a sense of relief.
Round 3 of our match, I was fully LOCKED IN!!!! I took him out within seconds in order to reclaim my honor. Side note... I believe this is the only time I've lost a round this tournament... so yeah, it was nerve-wracking for sure.
[EU] Draco
Definitely the preliminaries, in particular the first match.
My opponent was really locked in, and since it was my first match ever in a tournament, I was shaking and could hear my heart beating in my ears, and even choked in the first round.
My opponent was really locked in, and since it was my first match ever in a tournament, I was shaking and could hear my heart beating in my ears, and even choked in the first round.
I ended up bringing it home though, but he played it so well, he didn't deserve to go out in the first round for real!
Afterwards, the more rounds went on, the more I got used to the nerves. I still ended up choking the first round a couple of times, however, I played really clean.
Afterwards, the more rounds went on, the more I got used to the nerves. I still ended up choking the first round a couple of times, however, I played really clean.
[NA] NoGambleNoLoss
I felt most nervous when fighting Matroskin in Round 2. He managed to dodge 6-7 grabs in a row (which is exceptionally difficult to pull out) and pushed me to the corner til the last 10 seconds.
If I did not land the very last grab, he would have won the match by HP. Afterward, I asked him to practice with me for the finals and it directly contributed to my win in the finals..
[EU] Yuniexd
The only round I lost in the whole tournament in the quarterfinals. I was winning the trades but got too confident, got CC’d twice in a row, and had to come back from 0–1.
[NA] HeartKing
When Revyii was winning the 1s in Arena of Arsha, I was a little panicked. Glad I got to practice against a succ class because they have so much more damage that's so much faster than you that you gotta play it super slow like a coward.
But you can't wait too long because they have such an insane advantage in the smaller circle round. I wouldn't have learned that without practice.
[NA] AgonyOST
Pick any round against Ehsap or TDE, and you'd be nervous too. Their matches all went to the final minute, but that's just how the matchup plays out with good players.
[CM] Ronin
Reading your responses has even me at the edge of my seat!
Congratulations once again to all of the Master Class Winners!
Papu came to see
So inspiring! - phew!
[CM] Etsu
Yes indeed Papu! So much so that it has inspired me to ask: What do you believe gave you an advantage over your opponent in the finals?
[NA] Liuty
Charging Wind!
But in all seriousness, my ability to stay calm and collected and adapt to my opponent when everything was on the line, and I was one misstep away from losing, has been my saving grace throughout the entire tournament. Adapting to each opponent was the key to each match, which makes sense in retrospect, as Succession Ranger is a very reactionary class.
But in all seriousness, my ability to stay calm and collected and adapt to my opponent when everything was on the line, and I was one misstep away from losing, has been my saving grace throughout the entire tournament. Adapting to each opponent was the key to each match, which makes sense in retrospect, as Succession Ranger is a very reactionary class.
For Example, if I see Awakening Ranger try to play for Forward Guard damage trading, my response should be to either push out more unprotected damage and also look for opportunities to get behind their Forward Guards, like we saw in the semifinals. If I see them playing for protected CCs and aggressively looking to get behind my Forward Guards and otherwise rotating safe movement, my response should be instead to play safe and play for chip damage, as we saw in the finals. Yes, Succession Ranger is strong, but also consider that Awakening Ranger has had many of their tools nerfed, such as mouse movement and grab.
In addition, Succession Ranger has an inherent weakness against ranged classes in general. Yes, the small circle is very claustrophobic for Succession Ranger, but consider the perspective from an Awakening Ranger: An Awakening Ranger can no longer escape damage pressure coming from Succession Ranger. It can no longer back up to recover cooldowns, Forward Guards, or stamina for free.
Also, with HP bars coming down to 50% at 1min anyway, it is the only logical time for me to E-buff, as any chip damage before the 50% HP mark usually doesn't end up mattering anyway.
Overall, still a double-edged matchup.
Overall, still a double-edged matchup.
[NA] PIG 
There are a couple of things that I believe gave me the advantage. Firstly, the sheer amount of PvP I do was a pretty large factor. Another advantage I had was dealing with nerves during my matches, including the finals.
I've been entering basically every tournament form I can for the past 5 or so years, so being able to recognize that you're nervous, while not letting it negatively impact your gameplay, is a huge advantage.
[EU] Meiler 
Scholar has been very niche, so the mirror matchup is something most of the few players we have don't know or practice. Hamsti did well for the amount of time he's played, but there was a clear difference in experience/playtime.
[EU] HyrkoontheHero 
Even though teleporting backwards might look like a defensive move, using the first teleport as a Witch actually forces my opponent to chase me with theirs. That gave me the advantage of having my second teleport come off cooldown earlier, allowing me to catch my opponent off guard during the next exchange.
[NA] RuJynX 
My biggest advantage in the finals was how much nerdy tech I know with the specific niches of Woosa. There are a lot of small details that don't normally make any difference in Node/Conquest War, Guild League, Arena of Solare, etc., but when rounds are coming down to ~1% hp differences, every little bit matters.
I was looking at my debuff bar all throughout the first round to figure out what addons Sais was running, then I played to dodge all of his DP debuffs, AP debuffs, bleeds, and I modified the normal flowchart to make sure I was countering most of his skills. I also used a lot of specific tech like burning DPS skills just to animation cancel my dashes faster, which led to me getting a few key catches in the midrounds to burn his V.
[CM] Ronin
Wow! I feel like I need to step up my game after reading those!
I'm really curious about question six: Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won?
[EU] Horseyy
I knew it when I filled the formular!
[NA] Gunism
I wasn't prep'd for a defensive playstyle. All the Sorceresses I practiced with played aggressively. This forced me to adapt in a way that would secure me wins. This meant conceding any attempts at CCing my opponent and instead playing for the timer and HP win-con.
I learned after the second round that I could win the SA trades throughout the entire fight if I didn't get caught. So I played a bit slower, to preserve my Emergency Escape (V) and to avoid taking chip damage (especially nearing the end of each round).
[EU] lamStarside 
I think I played the first two rounds that I won very strongly, but the next two, I was too anxious to perform in any capacity. For the last round, I reached a zen state and felt pretty confident, especially when we reached the small arena with my E + V buffs remaining, along with a HP advantage.
[NA] DisPearBruh
There wasn’t a moment when I knew I’d won at all. It was down to the wire the whole match.
[EU] Draco
After all that practice/scheming + knowing the opponent and myself, I was 99.9% confident I would win. That's why I practiced so much, to make sure that even if I was suffering from nerves, I would still be able to consistently bring it back anyway.
[CM] Ronin
Whoa, being able to adapt on the fly is a skill all its own! I can see why you all won the finals!
Ready to ask the seventh question Etsu?
[CM] Etsu
Yes! Which 1st place reward are you most excited about?
[NA] Zackiskip 
The Arsha Greatbow! Being able to be the 2nd archer to get one after the person who taught me how to small-scale means a lot.
[EU] Sweeepstar 
The Griffon Mount! I had already thought it was cool, but after using it more, I am even more blown away by it!
[NA] Quix
I'm ecstatic over getting the Glorious Arsha Sledgehammer! It looks great, and I've been eager to get my hands on it ever since it was first shown.
[EU] Meiler
Initially, both the Cron Stones and Pearls felt very appealing before I won, but after winning, dropping the Griffon as a flex has become my new favorite thing to do.
[NA] Quix
Definitely the flying Griffon Mount!
[CM] Etsu
The Griffon Mount is definitely a solid flex! Kinda jealous!
Me too! Time to ask our finalist the eighth question!
Any words for the runner-up who fought until the end?
[NA] Gunism
Cass, your performance was outstanding. I did not expect you to play the way that you did, and it certainly threw me off. Seriously well done.
I remember not too long ago when you asked me questions about our class, and I was happy to see some new blood. From then until now, you've improved significantly. Keep your head up high and don't stop practicing because you're certainly a formidable opponent.
[EU] Osku
RAMBEAU!!! My goat! I saw he practiced like crazy and played really well in the finals. 🙏
We spoke in the Arena of Arsha before the match and agreed that no matter which one of us wins it, it'll at least go to a real zerker main
[NA] Belly
To my knowledge, Ila had little to no tournament experience before this year. I was very impressed by his scores in the bracket, and he demonstrated that he is a great player. In the finals, he played solidly.
I hope the finals aren't stinging too badly for him, as his overall performance represents a strong tournament debut. Good fight Ila!
[EU] Warlocked
I think Crandall played very well, and having watched his matches on his journey to the finals, I was very impressed by his win against Saffe, who is a very good Awakening Hashashin and was one of the tournament favourites. He punished Saffe's gaps and failed grabs very well without leaving himself exposed.
[EU] HyrkoontheHero
Reaching the finals is already an achievement in itself. Nieshie was someone I had encountered in the game before, and they put on a really impressive performance throughout the tournament
[NA] Calb
Everyone played great, and I hope to see them at the next tourney!
[CM] Etsu
Now that's good sportsmanship!
[CM] Ronin
Could agree more Etsu. Once again, hats off to everyone who participated!
The next question is: Any tips for those who want to try your class after watching your matches?
[EU] Vaphroy
I would say passion and open-mindedness. Succession Valkyrie plays very differently from anything in the game and has a rough learning curve..
[NA] Miss 
Kunoichi is insanely fun! Not only is her Awakening one of the most protected kits in the game, but she also has good movement, damage, and lots of CCs. I also suggested locking a few skills as well, starting with Shadow Slash, which lets you swap to Awakening with Half Moon slash. From Awakening, you can use Flash Slash or Tendon Cutter to swap back to pre-Awakening.
Succession is super fast in its movement and damage. It's all about managing your stamina and cooldowns. I recommend setting up your UI to track cooldowns for your movement and protected skills.
[EU] Shaizella
Definitely recommend KamiNoSane's guides. That's who I learned from!
[NA] Chisien 
Awakening Ninja has three protected movement skills in the Awakening Kit. Murderous Intent, Murderous Sever, and Shadow Slash. This is a tip I learned from Armin, but try not to use all three in quick succession because that leaves you without any protected CC movement. I used to be really bad at blowing through those skills too recklessly, but spacing them apart really makes such a massive difference
[CM] Etsu
Now that's some valuable advice! I hope everyone is taking notes!
If you aren't, then you'd better start now because the next question asks:
Do you have any advice for Adventurers who are interested in learning PvP but feel unsure or hesitant about how to start?
[NA] Bobobuddy
For newer players that don't PVP..... I think they should know that PVP is very exciting! The thrill of winning from a hard fight is nothing but bliss. The best way to start is by participating.
There are so many ways for newer players to get started on PvP, Pearl Abyss has released seasonal Arena of Solare and practice mode. These game modes put you in your elo and MMR. But the main thing is.... You have to be willing to learn... at any stage of PvP, a true master is an eternal student.
[EU] LUK114
Be prepared to spend a lot of time practicing, and don't be afraid to jump right into things. Try to "Duel for spot" to get an idea of your current skill level, go into the Battle Arena to learn about other classes, try out Red Battlefeld to learn how to manage your skill cooldowns, and use nodewar/siege to learn how to position.
[NA] Layfonda 
My best advice is just bite the bullet and jump right in! Try out Arena of Solare's ranked or practice mode and keep playing regardless of whether you win or lose. Go into Battle Arena with a friend and run the 1v1s for a few hours. Join a Node War guild and go to every war you can. The only person you should fear is yourself. You have to beat that anxiety and feeling of inadequacy inside of you to truly learn how to PvP, no matter the class. Once you conquer that, you'll find that PvP is easy and a lot of fun.
[EU] INFINITY
Learn the fundamentals of the PVP system. What protections there are: Super Armour, Forward Guards, and invincibility frames. Learn what CCs are: Floats, Knockdowns, Bounds, etc. Once you understand these things, you can start adopting them in movement chains and in combos. After you have some mechanics down, you can start PVPing and getting class matchup knowledge.
[NA] ForestHunter
You will never learn if you don't fail. You can only get better at PVP if you try it out! There is no shame in losing, as long as you learn from it. In time, you will see yourself improve.
[EU] Ceiny
Usually, the biggest advice I give to players who want to start PvP on a new class is to start doing PVE using PvP combos to get used to them, and watch YouTube guides. Learning core mechanics and how they work is mandatory regardless of the class you play.
[CM] Ronin
Such invaluable advice from our top-tier finalists! Moving on to our next question: How did your guild members, friends, or family react?
[NA] Seh 
With overwhelming support, cheering me on the entire way through. It was especially nice to see some friends who don't play BDO tune in and cheer me on.
[EU] Jixia
I got a lot of endorsement from those who are close to me. Very thankful to everyone who cheered me on!
[NA] Venav 
My wife also plays BDO. She was very interested from the beginning and watched all the matches. She was very proud of me when I won the match. The guild members were watching the match together and were supporting me live. I got so many messages from guild members, I couldn't even eat dinner lol.
[EU] Carryhard
Guild chat was cheering, I actually had some irl friends that never played BDO before watching the finals live on Twitch and they were loving the chat and the cast even if they didn't have a clue what was going on in the games ahah.
[CM] Etsu
Last but not least, it's time for our final question:
Any last words for your supporters or anyone else you'd like to mention?
[NA] Divios 
Shoutouts to the CM team specifically. Compared to previous tournaments, this one was insanely well put together and ran very smoothly with very few hiccups. Always love to see the passion come out of PvPers whenever it's Arena of Solare or Tournament time (THOUGH IN THIS CASE BOTH).
People getting all hyped up/practicing in the Battle Arena and raging when things go wrong always makes me excited to play. Finally, thanks to all the people in my stream and guildmates who supported me throughout the years of tournaments. I love y'all! ❤️
[EU] YuberCrypt
Big thanks and GG to grizzmine and TAMER, the practice and preparation we did before the tournament was probably just as fun as the tournament itself!
[NA] DvMcqueen 
I was underestimated a lot. People did not expect me to win, especially since I am not really known in the PvP scene. To all who underestimated me and did not believe in me, all I can say is "I MADE IT", and "THANK YOU". If it weren`t for all of you, I wouldn`t have tried to better myself in PvP. I am just the type of person to prove anyone wrong. Any special mentions for helping me up the ladder, you guys already know who you are mwah mwah. LONG LIVE THE QUEEN.
[NA] Belly
Thank you to DomFeng, Huntler, Feed, and Yuzumorri. These four exemplary mages were the core of my practice group, and with their help, I was able to become more confident and develop reliable strategies.
I would also like to thank Typical and JariWeis; without their encouragement and support, I never would have been able to qualify.
Lastly, thank you to everyone else who supported me in-game and during the stream! When I compete, my hope is to represent the Witch class and to inspire people. So I hope that you enjoyed watching my match. Thank you!
[CM] Etsu
Our finalists are so humble and kind ;_;
It looks like this wraps up the Master Class 2025 Interview. Once again, thank you to all the Adventurers who took part in the Master Class tournament!
[CM] Ronin
And thank you to all of the Adventurers reading this behind-the-scenes Master Class Interview. Before you head out, be sure to check out some stunning screenshots featuring the griffon mount and our Master Class finalist!
End of Interview.
📕Master Class 2025 Winners Photo Album
Master Class 2025 Group Photo NA
Though we couldn't include all of you in the group photos due to time constraints,
we'll keep you all close in our hearts (>‘-’<)
Full Interview
Bobobuddy
Congratulations on winning the Master Class 2025! How do you feel?
Bobobuddy
Thank you!, I feel proud and excited for the rewards!
What was your first impression when you saw the tournament bracket?
Bobobuddy
I was super nervous, but also excited, a ton of my friends and fellow good players were on the other side of the tourney bracket. Initially that gave me hope, thinking I won't need to face them..... but then the dread hit me..... They would contest my GRAND PRIZE!!!!
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
Bobobuddy
Due to my work schedule I was unable to practice to the extent of what i wanted. Shout out to my friend Excalibur Eon! he was able to help me on short notice and trained for the fights needed.
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
Bobobuddy
The moment I find the most nerve-wracking.... has to be when I was on the backfoot during my match with Zerodenhunter, I was on the back foot after round one, in the first to 2 elimination. that first round he took me out within seconds, I was so overwhelmed and forced to flee. I was hanging on by nearly a thread. And the second round for that match was also down to the wire. it was not until I evened out the match 1-1, before i felt a sense of relief. Round 3 of that match I was fully LOCKED IN!!!! And I took him out within seconds to avenge my round 1 shame. He really didSoul Steal* me. Side note... I believe that is the only round I lost in this tournament ... so yea it was nerve-wracking for sure.
What do you believe gave you an advantage over your opponent in the finals?
Bobobuddy
The main advantage I had over soni.... aside the fact that I'm from the guild ChoNation and he's from black rose. our guilds have fought each other for years is that he is located in EU, and I am from NA, the ping advantage is there, he has to play to a certain playstyle. While i can use my natural flexible playstyle to shift between aggressive and defensive.
Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won?
Bobobuddy
I knew I won in the grand finals as soon as I saw how Biceptimus played, he was forced to be aggressive and forced to limit his movement to a certain angle. I SENSED FEAR IN HIS EYES! JK
Which 1st place reward are you most excited about?
Bobobuddy
For the rewards, I was super excited about the Griffon, this is a unique mount that is cool and first of its kind to be limited.... although it would be better if it was permanent .
Any words for the runner-up who fought until the end?
Bobobuddy
To tell Soni something...... it has to bejokingly of course Git Gud!!!
Any tips for those who want to try your class after watching your matches?
Bobobuddy
Most important thing about warrior is that you can waste other people resources with your Q block.... so use it.....
Do you have any advice for Adventurers who are interested in learning PvP but feel unsure or hesitant about how to start?
Bobobuddy
For newer players that don't PVP..... I think they need to understand that , I think PVP is very exciting, the thrill of winning from a hard fight is nothing but bliss. The best way to start is by participating, there are so many ways for newer players to get started on PVP, Pearl Abyss have released seasonal Arena of solare and practice mode, these game modes put you in your elo and MMR. But the main thing is.... you have to be willing to learn... at any stage of pvp, A true master is an eternal student.
How did your guild members, friends, or family react?
Bobobuddy
My family and friends were watching the fights, Everyone was super exited, My wife was supporting me the whole time, allowing me to practice without watching shows with her.......
Any last words for your supporters or anyone else you'd like to mention?
Bobobuddy
Appreciate everyone that cheered me on, appreciate everyone that showed up and was against me and CONGRATULATION to the people that went all in on channel points on the predication for my victory. GGs!
Liuty
Congratulations on winning the Master Class 2025! How do you feel?
Liuty
IYou have no idea. Winning is one thing but being able to pull it off on the underdog spec that nobody expected to go anywhere is a whole different beast.
Absolutely no one thought that Succ Ranger would win (including myself), especially with the arena circles closing in, so it really feels like I've done the impossible.
Sure, people can say "well succ ranger is just OP why should anybody be surprised?" but I can point to the complete lack of other succ rangers doing well in MasterClass for all other regions (to my knowledge).
Every single one my matches went to the final round, and I was 10%hp or 1cc away from being knocked out at least 3 times throughout the tournament.
There were so many points throughout the tournament where I thought to myself "Oh, I guess this is the part where I get knocked out now", so each win felt like a small miracle.
Absolutely no one thought that Succ Ranger would win (including myself), especially with the arena circles closing in, so it really feels like I've done the impossible.
Sure, people can say "well succ ranger is just OP why should anybody be surprised?" but I can point to the complete lack of other succ rangers doing well in MasterClass for all other regions (to my knowledge).
Every single one my matches went to the final round, and I was 10%hp or 1cc away from being knocked out at least 3 times throughout the tournament.
There were so many points throughout the tournament where I thought to myself "Oh, I guess this is the part where I get knocked out now", so each win felt like a small miracle.
What was your first impression when you saw the tournament bracket?
Liuty
IAs soon as I saw the tournament bracket, I knew I had a plausible chance of taking the whole thing.
Not because of an easy bracket, but rather because most of the stronger awakened rangers landed on my side of the bracket,
so I figured most of them would be busy preparing for a mirror matchup and would be underprepared for a Succ matchup, so this was probably an ideal bracket for me to do anything.
Still, I honestly didn't expect to make it very far as succession ranger.
Not because of an easy bracket, but rather because most of the stronger awakened rangers landed on my side of the bracket,
so I figured most of them would be busy preparing for a mirror matchup and would be underprepared for a Succ matchup, so this was probably an ideal bracket for me to do anything.
Still, I honestly didn't expect to make it very far as succession ranger.
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
Liuty
For the prelims, I actually couldn't find any live opponents to practice against that weren't also in the tournament despite asking multiple people.
So my preparation basically just came down to watching some awake ranger guides/AOS vods, creating an awake ranger alt to figure out exactly what all the skills do,
learning to recognize each one, and then theorycrafting some ideas for opportunities to try for ccs, getting damage off safely, and avoid getting grabbed.
Still, because I didn't expect to make it very far, I didn't prepare as much as I should have.
So my preparation basically just came down to watching some awake ranger guides/AOS vods, creating an awake ranger alt to figure out exactly what all the skills do,
learning to recognize each one, and then theorycrafting some ideas for opportunities to try for ccs, getting damage off safely, and avoid getting grabbed.
Still, because I didn't expect to make it very far, I didn't prepare as much as I should have.
For the finals, most of my preparation came down to watching over prelim vods (mostly my own) to see where I could have improved and further analyzing the matchup as a whole.
I came to the realization that each awakened player has a different approach to the succ ranger matchup,
and so I decided against practicing against any live opponents for the final for fear of growing accustomed to any particular player's individual style, instead relying my ability to adapt to each player's playstyle.
Yes I could see how my finals opponent played against other succession rangers, but I had no reason to assume they wouldn't change their approach as well.
I came to the realization that each awakened player has a different approach to the succ ranger matchup,
and so I decided against practicing against any live opponents for the final for fear of growing accustomed to any particular player's individual style, instead relying my ability to adapt to each player's playstyle.
Yes I could see how my finals opponent played against other succession rangers, but I had no reason to assume they wouldn't change their approach as well.
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
Liuty
The most nervous part of the tournament honestly was probably just the anticipation sitting in the waiting room BA for the match to start, especially right before the finals.
For the prelims, because many of my awakened ranger opponents chose to hide behind the pillars for a minute to start the match,
I was kind of able to just stand around and collect myself for a full minute, which was actually quite calming and helped me gain focus for the rest of the match.
For the prelims, because many of my awakened ranger opponents chose to hide behind the pillars for a minute to start the match,
I was kind of able to just stand around and collect myself for a full minute, which was actually quite calming and helped me gain focus for the rest of the match.
What do you believe gave you an advantage over your opponent in the finals?
Liuty
Charging wind!
But in all seriousness, my ability to stay calm and collected and adapt to my opponent when everything was on the line and I was one misstep away from losing has been my saving grace throughout the entire tournament.
Adapating to each opponent was the key to each match, which makes sense in retrospect as succ ranger is a very reactionary class.
As an example -
If I see awakened ranger try to play for forward guard damage trading, my response should be to either push out more unprotected damage and also look for opportunities to get behind their FGs, like we saw in the semifinals.
If I see them playing for protected ccs and aggressively looking to get behind my FGs and otherwise rotating safe movement, my response should be instead to play safe and play for chip damage, like we saw in the finals.
But in all seriousness, my ability to stay calm and collected and adapt to my opponent when everything was on the line and I was one misstep away from losing has been my saving grace throughout the entire tournament.
Adapating to each opponent was the key to each match, which makes sense in retrospect as succ ranger is a very reactionary class.
As an example -
If I see awakened ranger try to play for forward guard damage trading, my response should be to either push out more unprotected damage and also look for opportunities to get behind their FGs, like we saw in the semifinals.
If I see them playing for protected ccs and aggressively looking to get behind my FGs and otherwise rotating safe movement, my response should be instead to play safe and play for chip damage, like we saw in the finals.
Yes, succ ranger is strong, but also consider that awakened ranger has had many of their tools nerfed, such as mouse-movement and grab.
In addition, awakened ranger has an inherent weakness to ranged class in general. Yes, the small circle is very claustrophobic for succ ranger, but consider the perspective from awakened ranger:
Awakened ranger can no longer escape damage pressure coming from succ ranger. It can no longer back up to recover cooldowns, forward guard, or stamina for free.
Also, with hp bars coming down to 50% at 1min anyway it is the only logical time for me to Ebuff, as any chip damage before the 50% hp mark usually doesn't end up mattering anyway.
Overall, still a double-edged matchup.
In addition, awakened ranger has an inherent weakness to ranged class in general. Yes, the small circle is very claustrophobic for succ ranger, but consider the perspective from awakened ranger:
Awakened ranger can no longer escape damage pressure coming from succ ranger. It can no longer back up to recover cooldowns, forward guard, or stamina for free.
Also, with hp bars coming down to 50% at 1min anyway it is the only logical time for me to Ebuff, as any chip damage before the 50% hp mark usually doesn't end up mattering anyway.
Overall, still a double-edged matchup.
Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won?
Liuty
Not until I landed the final CC lol, it was definitely a nailbiter until then!
Which 1st place reward are you most excited about?
Liuty
All the rewards are great, but definitely the MASTER RANGER title, easily =)
It really feels like I've done the impossible. Like I said earlier, people can say "well succ ranger is just OP why should anybody be surprised?" but I can point to the complete lack of other succ rangers doing well in MasterClass for other regions
Most rangers assumed the succ ranger vs awake ranger matchup was basically impossible, to the point where many succ ranger mains opted to enter the tournament on different classes altogether.
It really feels like I've done the impossible. Like I said earlier, people can say "well succ ranger is just OP why should anybody be surprised?" but I can point to the complete lack of other succ rangers doing well in MasterClass for other regions
Most rangers assumed the succ ranger vs awake ranger matchup was basically impossible, to the point where many succ ranger mains opted to enter the tournament on different classes altogether.
Any words for the runner-up who fought until the end?
Liuty
I talked to them already, but I could definitely tell they prepared a lot for the finals and they fought hard, and definitely gave me a run for my money.
Any tips for those who want to try your class after watching your matches?
Liuty
Succ ranger is definitely very strong in large scale without too much effort in learning mechanics, but playing 1v1s is a totally different beast.
Fighting 1v1s consistently requires careful cooldown management, class knowledge, and pure instinct, and even then the tools to fight many matchups properly just aren't there against competent opponents.
Fighting 1v1s consistently requires careful cooldown management, class knowledge, and pure instinct, and even then the tools to fight many matchups properly just aren't there against competent opponents.
Oh and as a final note because I don't think anyone caught this detail, the massive "charging wind" damage we saw in the finals was actually both charging wind + penetrating wind used together (sometimes to the back)
This was a recent succ ranger change following the major nerf of tearing arrow. In testing charging wind by itself did around 12-14 percent damage into SA (in trial gear anyway).
Do you have any advice for Adventurers who are interested in learning PvP but feel unsure or hesitant about how to start?
Liuty
Join a PvP guild, even just a T1 PvP guild. Everyone starts somewhere, and when I started I was a terrible awakened DK player lol. Eventually I kept playing node wars and got reasonably good, so just keep at it.
How did your guild members, friends, or family react?
Liuty
One of my roommates that doesn't play BDO came to see what all the commotion was about after I was shouting after a win, I had to explain everything PvP lol.
Any last words for your supporters or anyone else you'd like to mention?
Liuty
Thanks so much everyone for your support and encouragement! Sorry I don't plan to be streaming again anytime soon, busy touching grass and such.
Gunism
Congratulations on winning the Master Class 2025! How do you feel?
Gunism
I'm glad I won, I certainly put in a good amount of practice into 1v1s, which is a form of BDO combat that I don't find myself particularly great at nor really interested in (especially in the mirror match).
What was your first impression when you saw the tournament bracket?
Gunism
Who are these people?" ... was my first reaction. In hindsight, I definitely got the easier side of the bracket (particularly people who only signed up for a chance at rewards). Although there were certainly noteworthy players placed in this bracket, the upper bracket looked much more scary. Regardless, I took all my matches seriously to avoid becoming complacent.
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
Gunism
We were informed pretty late about the tournament format, so I had to improvise with how I used my time to practice. I mostly practiced in AoA with the declining HP cap & fog. Sometimes I did BA 1v1s.
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
Gunism
Definitely the finals. It was as simple as "I didn't want to lose." The most nerve-wracking would be after I lost a round.
What do you believe gave you an advantage over your opponent in the finals?
Gunism
I've played my Awakening Sorceress for much longer than Cass. She's grown a lot as a Sorceress, but I don't think she's played her long enough to learn the small nuances of the class; ones that are especially exposed in the mirror match. She also played very defensively, which is a solid play pattern, but was not reactive enough to capitalize on catches she'd land.
Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won?
Gunism
I wasn't prep'd for a defensive playstyle. All the Sorceresses I practiced with played aggressively. This forced me to adapt in a way that would secure me wins. This meant conceding any attempts at CCing my opponent and instead playing for the timer and HP win-con. I learned after the second round that I could win the SA trades throughout the entire fight if I don't get caught. So I played a bit slower, in order to preserve my Emergency Escape (V) and to avoid taking chip damage (especially nearing the end of each round).
Which 1st place reward are you most excited about?
Gunism
Pearls. My VP/Old Moon was running low.
Any words for the runner-up who fought until the end?
Gunism
Cass, your performance was outstanding. I did not expect you to play the way that you did, and it certainly threw me off. Seriously well done. I remember not too long ago when you asked me questions about our class and I was happy to see some new blood. From then until now, you've improved significantly. Keep your head up high and don't stop practicing because you're certainly a formidable opponent.
Any tips for those who want to try your class after watching your matches?
Gunism
Watch Eyesack's Ultimate Awakening Sorceress PVP Guide. There's more useful, digestible information in there than I can ever begin to explain on here.
Do you have any advice for Adventurers who are interested in learning PvP but feel unsure or hesitant about how to start?
Gunism
Spend a lot of time playing the class you want to learn in PVE. It'll work wonders for muscle memory. When you feel more comfortable, try practice AoS. But to get to the next level, find resources from reputable sources that would increase your dearth of knowledge. Class discords, YouTube combo/class guides, forum posts, AoS VODs, Twitch streams. BDO PVP is complicated and multi-faceted. There's a lot to learn -- and it's certainly daunting -- but if the drive is there, then all you need is to spend time in the right places.
How did your guild members, friends, or family react?
Gunism
The support was immense. My friends were convinced I had it in the bag before even I did. But my girlfriend was my biggest cheerleader, from beginning to end. From the times I got annoyed with my performance practicing to the moments I felt nervous and anxious, she was there to support. I appreciate everyone who had my back!
Any last words for your supporters or anyone else you'd like to mention?
Gunism
Not really. But, really, even if you don't play Sorceress, watch that Eyesack PVP guide. It's a godsend. You'll learn a lot.
Millky
Congratulations on winning the Master Class 2025! How do you feel?
Millky
Thank you!! Honestly it feels so surreal, one that I never thought would be physically possible. Still thinking about it a month later, and the excitement has still not gone away.
What was your first impression when you saw the tournament bracket?
Millky
Stress, anxiety, and overthinking to the highest degree. There were a lot of big names in the bracket that I had to look out for and be prepared to fight. Going into it though, my objective was NOT to lose round one!
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
Millky
A friend of mine was gracious enough to help spare with me day to day. I don't think there was a single day I did not practice. Outside of Nodewar, I don't partake in AOS, so if I was not grinding I was 1v1ing both Succession and Awaken specs. Not only that, running the 1v1s taught me a lot more about CC timers and good followups based on the situation.
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
Millky
I think my most nerve-wracking fight had to be the semi-finals where both my opponent and I were 1-1. When you take the lead by one, and it's followed up by a loss, the deciding factor literally is the last round. But I had to get past it. Took a deep breath, and said "whatever happens next, just know that you were able to make it this far". I couldn't let that stress get to me.
What do you believe gave you an advantage over your opponent in the finals?
Millky
I would probably have to say an advantage I may have had in my finals match, would be forward aggression and trying not to give my opponent room to breath. Putting pressure in a 1v1 can either be your downfall, or your greatest weapon. Feel out the fight, apply pressure when needed, and keep them on the backfoot.
Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won?
Millky
There is a very famous quote, that I think perfectly depicts my thoughts in the finals: "it's not over until the fat lady sings". Jokes aside, realistically I knew I had won once the match was over. Overthinking in cases like this, competitive or friendly, takes over the entire thought process.
Which 1st place reward are you most excited about?
Millky
I would probably say the silver/black title. The more and more I looked at it, the cooler and cooler it looked. I am a sucker for colored titles, and this one took the cake. Not to say that the other rewards were not satisfying, in terms of ranking this one was definitely #1
Any words for the runner-up who fought until the end?
Millky
Big shoutout to my finals opponent for not only their performances in the bottom bracket, but making the finals match an exhilarating experience. Hoping to see and face you again in the next tournament!
Any tips for those who want to try your class after watching your matches?
Millky
The biggest piece of advice I can give, is to just practice practice practice. On a dummy, on a friend, grinding, whatever! Learn your rotations, set your CD bar to be visible, and try different combinations in various situations. This can arguable be a very freestyle class, so have fun with it and join the Berserkers!
Do you have any advice for Adventurers who are interested in learning PvP but feel unsure or hesitant about how to start?
Millky
The PVP in this game, you just CANNOT beat it. It is the most satisfying, and rewarding combat system there is in any MMO to date. The main reason why I have stuck with it since launch. My advice would be, if you are interested in PVP watch some videos on Nodewar perspectives or Red Battlefield! Get an idea visually what it's like, maybe on a class that you think looks enjoyable, then look through the guild recruitment page for Tier 1 guilds. You don't want to jump in the deep end right away, you want to dip your feet in to see how you like it. One extra piece of advice too, play a class YOU will enjoy and have fun on it!
How did your guild members, friends, or family react?
Millky
I was overwhelmed with so much love and support from all perspectives. Guildies, family members, friends, etc. For the first 10-15 minutes, I stepped away from all electronics (once the match concluded). Came back to what felt like thousands of notifications, nothing but a huge smile on my face.
Any last words for your supporters or anyone else you'd like to mention?
Millky
I'll start off with a big shoutout to my guildies, for being there on the sidelines cheering me on during all of the matches. Another shoutout to all my online friends for always being there for me since day one. Legitimately, I do not think I would have been able to make it here without all of them. And lastly to PearlAbyss and the team, for putting on such an amazing tournament and hope to see this type of content again in the future!
Seh
Congratulations on winning the Master Class 2025! How do you feel?
Seh
Pretty good! I've enjoyed PvP in BDO for a while now so it was great to finally be able to compete in a PvP tournament.
What was your first impression when you saw the tournament bracket?
Seh
I remember thinking that there were a lot more Tamers than I was expecting.
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
Seh
I switched fully to Succession Tamer in PvP for Node Wars and the Arena of Solare season, and then asked a couple of Tamer players I knew for some practice matches.
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
Seh
The final seconds of the my last round with Meiimo where it came down to a 2% hp difference.
What do you believe gave you an advantage over your opponent in the finals?
Seh
Dedication to the class.
Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won?
Seh
Not until the very end.
Which 1st place reward are you most excited about?
Seh
The griffin mount.
Any words for the runner-up who fought until the end?
Seh
GGs.
Any tips for those who want to try your class after watching your matches?
Seh
Succession Tamer is a very straight-forward class and so picking her up and trying her would be pretty painless. Awakening takes much more time and effort but has much more room for player expression.
Do you have any advice for Adventurers who are interested in learning PvP but feel unsure or hesitant about how to start?
Seh
Try it and have fun with it, and just hit your opponent before they hit you.
How did your guild members, friends, or family react?
Seh
With overwhelming support, cheering me on the entire way through. It was especially nice to see some friends who don't play BDO tune in and cheer me on.
Any last words for your supporters or anyone else you'd like to mention?
Seh
Shoutouts to Adoro, Aniion, the BDO Tamer Discord (Especially Nen for running it all these years), and my guild Nightwings. Thanks for all the support.
ForestHunter
Congratulations on winning the Master Class 2025! How do you feel?
ForestHunter
Feeling good, to finally give succession Musa a spotlight in these type of events.
What was your first impression when you saw the tournament bracket?
ForestHunter
I thought that it would be a tough run to get to finals.
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
ForestHunter
For the finals I probably spent about 4 hours for that match alone.
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
ForestHunter
I would say the last trade in the quarter finals in my match against RonaldJ in the 3rd round.
What do you believe gave you an advantage over your opponent in the finals?
ForestHunter
Preparation, and constant awareness of everything he could have attempted to do in that match.
Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won?
ForestHunter
When I won the second round I started to feel more confident about me winning.
Which 1st place reward are you most excited about?
ForestHunter
I would say the Mount was the one I was looking forward the most.
Any words for the runner-up who fought until the end?
ForestHunter
It was a great game, and had fun on that match.
Any tips for those who want to try your class after watching your matches?
ForestHunter
That play at their own pace, do not overcomplicate the class and just improve your combos and skill flows, eventually you can speed up and build up a muscle memory. Is a class that can take some time to master.
Do you have any advice for Adventurers who are interested in learning PvP but feel unsure or hesitant about how to start?
ForestHunter
That you will never learn if you don't fail. PVP you can only get better if you try it out, there is no shame in loosing, as long as you learn from it, you get better with time.
How did your guild members, friends, or family react?
ForestHunter
They were really supportive and appreciate them for cheering me.
Any last words for your supporters or anyone else you'd like to mention?
ForestHunter
I appreciate all the people that helped me through the tournament, Disto, Ohleaver, Tobirama, ICrisI. They were great help for me to improve in order to win this tournament.
DisPearBruh
Congratulations on winning the Master Class 2025! How do you feel?
DisPearBruh
It still feels surreal. I didn’t expect to get past the first two matches, let alone the finals.
What was your first impression when you saw the tournament bracket?
DisPearBruh
When I first saw the tournament bracket, it was quite daunting to look at. There were many people I knew that would at the very least be a tough fight.
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
DisPearBruh
I mostly practiced against other fellow Valks in BA and AoA with the trial gear used in the tourney. In terms of the time dedicated to preparing for the tournament, I lost count, but I would say ~10-15 hours total.
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
DisPearBruh
The final match between CanadianCorgi and I was the most nerve-wracking part, especially the last round.
What do you believe gave you an advantage over your opponent in the finals?
DisPearBruh
We were both going even against each other, so I believe it was only luck at the last moment that I could get some chip damage against my opponent.
Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won?
DisPearBruh
There wasn’t a moment when I knew I’d won at all. It was down to the wire the whole match.
Which 1st place reward are you most excited about?
DisPearBruh
The birb is pretty nifty, so I got to say the griffon.
Any words for the runner-up who fought until the end?
DisPearBruh
That match was extremely close and hard fought, but it was also a lot of fun. I hope we can run it back sometime.
Any tips for those who want to try your class after watching your matches?
DisPearBruh
Despite the class being an SA-FG block class, there are quite a few gaps, especially in its short burst movement. Make sure to be aware of what is happening around you to determine if it is worth the risk to go into these gaps.
Do you have any advice for Adventurers who are interested in learning PvP but feel unsure or hesitant about how to start?
DisPearBruh
Take your time with learning the basics first, they will make it a lot easier for you later. Additionally, try to always think about what you could do better, but don’t beat yourself up about it and use it to learn.
How did your guild members, friends, or family react?
DisPearBruh
My guild members and friends seemed pretty hyped after the match.
Any last words for your supporters or anyone else you'd like to mention?
DisPearBruh
I would like to give a special thanks to Steel_Valkyries, Swid, ZonaTM, Sarron, Asphy, and CanadianCorgi who helped me practice for this tourney. Not only did it help me prepare for the matches, but it was a lot of fun.
Miss
Congratulations on winning the Master Class 2025! How do you feel?
Miss
Thanks! To be honest, I didn't feel good at first. Because I came so close to losing, I accepted that it was over in the final moments, before barely pulling it back in the end. Afterwards, I mostly felt relieved and a bit disappointed at my performance. However, now that some time has passed, I feel great! I'm proud that was able to win against some talented players.
What was your first impression when you saw the tournament bracket?
Miss
My eyes instantly locked on round 2, where I saw I was up again Muffin. Muffin is the best awakening Kunoichi player I know, and was another favorite to win the whole tournament. I mainly felt nervous I was up against him, but I was also disappointed we wouldn't be able to meet in the finals.
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
Miss
The first thing I did is ask my guild master for the ability to host Arena of Arsha, which he instantly gave me. That allowed me to practice mirror matchup in the same setting as the tournament. I mainly practiced on Awakening against both specs. Reaching the final couple days before the tournament, I realized I should learn Succession as a backup. Nearing the tournament, and the week up until finals, I was practicing in AoA for hours every day.
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
Miss
In finals, after I had lost the 4th round. I could feel myself faltering going into the last round, and had to reset my mental quickly. The scariest moment was after I used my V at very low HP around the 1 minute mark, not realizing it was so late in the round. I thought I had definitely lost after that.
What do you believe gave you an advantage over your opponent in the finals?
Miss
The practice I had against other amazing players that prepared me for it, including Feed, Armin, Sadistic, Noods, Calb, Stonezz, and my finals opponent himself, Mahiru.
Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won?
Miss
No, it was close until the very last second.
Which 1st place reward are you most excited about?
Miss
The title and Arsha weapon! All the pearls and crons are great, but there's nothing like a good flex. What surprised me is the Griffon mount, it's actually super useful and fun to fly.
Any words for the runner-up who fought until the end?
Miss
Thanks for nearly giving me a heart attack!
Any tips for those who want to try your class after watching your matches?
Miss
You should! Kunoichi is insanely fun. The awakening spec is one of the most protected classes in the game, she has good movement and damage, and lots of CCs. Get used to swapping between mainhand and awakening. Start by locking Shadow Slash, which lets you swap to awakening with Half Moon slash. From awakening, you can use Flash Slash or Tendon Cutter to swap back to pre-awakening.
Succession is super fast in its movement and damage. It's all about managing your stamina and cooldowns. I recommend setting up your UI to track cooldowns for your movement and protected skills.
Do you have any advice for Adventurers who are interested in learning PvP but feel unsure or hesitant about how to start?
Miss
Try out classes until you find one you love! Once you find your class, it's just about jumping in head first and learning, whether that be in Red Battlefield, Node War, Arena of Solare, or 1v1s in Battle Arena. For starters, you can hop into Battle Arena and practice keeping up your protections for as long as possible.
How did your guild members, friends, or family react?
Miss
I got so many messages hyping me up and congratulating me! My guild and friends supported me throughout the whole thing and that really helped me want to win it all.
Any last words for your supporters or anyone else you'd like to mention?
Miss
Thank you for cheering for me, and thanks to everyone who helped me practice.
Chisien
Congratulations on winning the Master Class 2025! How do you feel?
Chisien
I feel amazing! It was a huge rush when I saw the "YOU WIN!" screen and I just couldn't believe it. But I'm so happy to be able to be in this position.
What was your first impression when you saw the tournament bracket?
Chisien
I got really intimidated! I saw some really amazing players and I was definitely worried I wouldn't even make it past my first match!
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
Chisien
I practiced by going into battle arena, Arsha, nodewar etc and just fighting as many people as I could. Specifically I would look for other ninjas to spar against. One of my best friends, Armin, helped me so much. He sparred with me and really helped me improve on some bad habits and overall skill. I don't know exactly how much time I dedicated, but I would get home from work and just pvp for like 3 hours a day everyday.
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
Chisien
There was a moment when I had accidentally made a major misinput on a skill because I thought I had CC'd my opponent and I immediately got caught for it. I thought I was going to die in that moment and then end up losing the next round due to confidence being shaken.
What do you believe gave you an advantage over your opponent in the finals?
Chisien
I think one massive advantage I had was that my opponent, Kzega/Mayzap, lives in the EU. He had to fight both ping and being up really late to fight me.
Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won?
Chisien
The same moment as previously mentioned! When I stood up from that moment and I didn't die, I knew I was going to win the match because I had saved my E buff to heal just incase I ever got very low HP. I expected my opponent to greed into me for the kill, because thats what I would have done.
Which 1st place reward are you most excited about?
Chisien
The 1st place reward I'm most excited for would be the griffon mount.
Any words for the runner-up who fought until the end?
Chisien
I'm so grateful that I got to fight you. I watched your montages back when I was still in highschool, and I never thought that 7-8 years later I'd be fighting you in a tournament. Thank you for giving me this opportunity and being the goal post I had hoped to reach someday
Any tips for those who want to try your class after watching your matches?
Chisien
We have three protected movement skills in awakening kit. Murderous Intent, Murderous Sever, and Shadow Slash. This is a tip I learned from Armin, but try not to use all three in quick succession because that leaves you without any protected CC movement. I used to be really bad at blowing through those; but spacing them apart really makes such a massive difference
Do you have any advice for Adventurers who are interested in learning PvP but feel unsure or hesitant about how to start?
Chisien
You just gotta dive into it. You're gonna get killed alot, but each death is a chance to learn. I used to go into BA all the time and I would just die over and over for hours. It was super frustrating at first but it helped me get way better.
How did your guild members, friends, or family react?
Chisien
They went crazy! I had alot of IRL friends/coworkers and family watching the tournament. They were all super excited for me and I got so many messages and calls after I had won.
Any last words for your supporters or anyone else you'd like to mention?
Chisien
I just really wanna thank all the friends who helped me get this far. Especially Armin and Blankmega.
Two really amazing friends of mine who actually convinced me to join the tournament in the first place. I thought I wasn't good enough to even participate, and they both convinced me to atleast give it a try. I'm really grateful to have them in my life and I'm so glad I was able to make them proud. Also the Mourn guild is recruiting! DM MTGGraveyard
Two really amazing friends of mine who actually convinced me to join the tournament in the first place. I thought I wasn't good enough to even participate, and they both convinced me to atleast give it a try. I'm really grateful to have them in my life and I'm so glad I was able to make them proud. Also the Mourn guild is recruiting! DM MTGGraveyard
Phabi
Congratulations on winning the Master Class 2025! How do you feel?
Phabi
It was pretty exciting
What was your first impression when you saw the tournament bracket?
Phabi
Was just wondering the specs of the people I was going to go up against
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
Phabi
Like one week in advance, just tried to do 1v1s everyday, and on the tournament day I did duels inbetween waiting for the match
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
Phabi
I was extremely low I think against bluesky and almost lost because it was a best of 3
What do you believe gave you an advantage over your opponent in the finals?
Phabi
Prep, and better knowledge of combos and trading
Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won?
Phabi
When I first start trading, and saw the combo I got hit with
Which 1st place reward are you most excited about?
Phabi
The arsha weapon, and title
Any words for the runner-up who fought until the end?
Phabi
I think he played well, we were both nervous so we both got cced and play differently then we normally would
Any tips for those who want to try your class after watching your matches?
Phabi
I'm going to make an in depth wizard guide in the future, but for now I would recommend watching experienced players on the class, and understanding that the class is very freestyle, so try to understand the kit as much as possible and understand other classes. Understanding other classes is a key part to being able to use your kit properly on all classes not just wizard
Do you have any advice for Adventurers who are interested in learning PvP but feel unsure or hesitant about how to start?
Phabi
I would recommend trying to watch some streamers and content of different forms of pvp, it's really fun in black desert online to pvp, you just need to find a community and people you like playing with.
How did your guild members, friends, or family react?
Phabi
My guild members congratulated me, my friends did right after aswell, and so did my family, it was pretty cool
Any last words for your supporters or anyone else you'd like to mention?
Phabi
I hope more people pvp in the future, and I hope in the future that the formatting of the tournament could possibly include a loser's bracket or just be a longer format, because even someone worse than you at the game can beat you atleast 2 times. For example, in practice someone beat me 2-1, but I beat them 20 times in a row after, however that wouldn't matter at all since I would've been out of the tournament.
Belly
Congratulations on winning the Master Class 2025! How do you feel?
Belly
Exhausted and accomplished.
What was your first impression when you saw the tournament bracket?
Belly
I had a bye in the first round, but my strongest succession witch competition was on the same side of the bracket. I was more confident in the succ vs succ matchup, so in the end I got lucky that the awakening witches were eliminated before the finals.
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
Belly
To get used to the recent changes, I spammed AoS games using the same build/addons as for the tournament. It was around 200 games of AoS until I felt comfortable using the new build under pressure. After that, I switched my focus to 1v1 practice and developing match-specific strategies. Leading up to the finals, I tried to avoid overpracticing, and focused instead on keeping myself calm. I think that once you achieve a certain level of comfort on your class, staying focused and relaxed becomes the deciding factor.
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
Belly
For me, the wait before the finals was the most nerve-wracking. When I played the Best-in-Class tournament in 2021, I ended up losing the finals in an agonizing reverse sweep. So when I was waiting for my Master Class finals, I was reminded of that loss, and I felt the same anticipation and pressure as four years ago. This time I was more prepared to handle the nerves, and I'm glad I was able to overcome them.
What do you believe gave you an advantage over your opponent in the finals?
Belly
The main advantage I had was tournament experience. I have already played in a class tournament finals, and have played dozens of 2v2 and 3v3 tournaments over the years. As far as mechanics and skill choice, Ila proved he knows his stuff, but I was able to win due to staying relaxed and making the right strategic decisions.
Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won?
Belly
After winning the first round of finals, I was overcome with a feeling of calm inevitability. After that point, I played with full confidence and didn't make mistakes.
Which 1st place reward are you most excited about?
Belly
Definitely the title. The tournament exclusive titles are highly coveted in the PvP community and opportunities to obtain them are rare. It is especially rewarding to have a title that represents the countless hours I've put into mastering my favorite class.
Any words for the runner-up who fought until the end?
Belly
To my knowledge, Ila had little to no tournament experience before this year. I was very impressed by his scores in the bracket, and he demonstrated that he is a great player. In the finals, he played solidly. I hope the finals aren't stinging too bad for him, as his overall performance represents a strong tournament debut. Good fights Ila!
Any tips for those who want to try your class after watching your matches?
Belly
Witch Succession can feel very clunky until you get the hang of it. Also, our skill tree is a bit more complex than most classes, so careful study is very important. Practice, experiment, and never give up!
Do you have any advice for Adventurers who are interested in learning PvP but feel unsure or hesitant about how to start?
Belly
Find mentors and practice partners. When I was first learning PvP, I was lucky to find a really helpful community of PvP players that showed me the ropes and would practice with me for hours on end. It can be intimidating to ask a veteran player for help, but most people will be happy to show you a thing or two in BA.
How did your guild members, friends, or family react?
Belly
My friends and family, despite not playing BDO, were very accommodating and supportive of my schedule for qualifying and practicing. I'm glad that I have something to show for it, and they were very proud of me.
Any last words for your supporters or anyone else you'd like to mention?
Belly
Thank you to DomFeng, Huntler, Feed, and Yuzumorri. These four exemplary mages were the core of my practice group, and with their help I was able to become more confident and develop reliable strategies.
I would also like to thank Typical and JariWeiss; without their encouragement and support, I never would have been able to qualify.
Lastly, thank you to everyone else who supported me in-game and during the stream! When I compete, my hope is to represent the Witch class and to inspire people. So I hope that you enjoyed watching my match, thank you!
Pig
Congratulations on winning the Master Class 2025! How do you feel?
Pig
I feel pretty relaxed, the days leading up to the first and third weekend of the tournament were a little bit stressful.
What was your first impression when you saw the tournament bracket?
Pig
I was expecting some other longtime strikers to be in the bracket, I was pretty surprised to see that some big competitors like Verde weren't in the tournament.
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
Pig
Arena of Arsha works much differently than practically every other form of pvp, so I spent the majority of my practice fighting other strikers in there. Aside from constant Arena of Solare, Nodewar, and Openworld pvp, I probably spent around 15+ hours practicing for the bracket leading up to the finals, and probably around 8 or so hours leading up to the finals.
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
Pig
The most nerve-wracking moment was definitely matching up against Clap. I was told he was a BA 1v1'er and I had nothing else to go off of because I've never fought him before.
What do you believe gave you an advantage over your opponent in the finals?
Pig
There's a couple things that I believe gave me the advantage. Firstly the sheer amount of pvp I do was a pretty large factor. Another advantage I had was dealing with nerves during my matches including the finals. I've been entering basically every tournament form I've been able to for the past 5 or so years, so being able to recognize that your nervous, but not let it negatively impact your gameplay is massive.
Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won?
Pig
I knew I'd won when he died lol, I didn't want to assume or celebrate early or anything like that.
Which 1st place reward are you most excited about?
Pig
I'm definitely most excited about the pearl rewards so i can gamba and get more gear (hopefully).
Any words for the runner-up who fought until the end?
Pig
GG's mista Godski, appreciate all the practice we got in together
Any tips for those who want to try your class after watching your matches?
Pig
Striker is a very fun and satisfying class (biased I know...) and has a very easy entry-barrier in terms of skill rotations at a basic level. So send it if it looks cool to you 🙂
Do you have any advice for Adventurers who are interested in learning PvP but feel unsure or hesitant about how to start?
Pig
The best way to learn pvp is to literally run it down. You're going to get destroyed over and over again; what matters is taking a mental note of why you died and how you can kill whoever you're fighting, and trying to apply it to the next fight. Don't be scared of dying/losing because improving is significantly harder with that mentality.
How did your guild members, friends, or family react?
Pig
My guild members and friends were all very supportive and confident that I would win, and congratulated me when it was over.
Any last words for your supporters or anyone else you'd like to mention?
Pig
Thanks to all the lovewatchers and cheerers. I have no words for my appreciation of Mr. ASquareCow/TheRealMigz (my twin) and screw you, Dazza. Boom.
Multimeltor
Congratulations on winning the Master Class 2025! How do you feel?
Multimeltor
Well now i feel pretty good. Right after winning though my heart was pumping like crazy since my match was so intense. i couldnt calm down for like hours after.
What was your first impression when you saw the tournament bracket?
Multimeltor
When i saw the bracket i was initially pretty intimidated i didnt think i was gonna make it to the finals.
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
Multimeltor
Initially i almost didnt practice at all since i was really sick the weak before the bracket. All i did was figure out some good combos for the setting and a tiny bit of sparring. After getting to the finals however i practiced a ton. like an hour of AOA practice basically evry day.
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
Multimeltor
Initially i almost didnt practice at all since i was really sick the weak before the bracket. All i did was figure out some good combos for the setting and a tiny bit of sparring. After getting to the finals however i practiced a ton. like an hour of AOA practice basically evry day.
What do you believe gave you an advantage over your opponent in the finals?
Multimeltor
My main advantage was the combos that i learned. Allowing me to force a v after almost evry catch when my opponent couldnt force me to v after most of his catches.
Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won?
Multimeltor
Honestly i didnt believe i won even after the match was already over...
Which 1st place reward are you most excited about?
Bobobuddy
The pearls i think. Not sure though.
Any words for the runner-up who fought until the end?
Multimeltor
I talked with them right after the match. I dont feel like saying anything additional in a public interview.
Any tips for those who want to try your class after watching your matches?
Multimeltor
uhh i guess im gonna give pretty generic advice here but maybe it helps. General advice on learning any class: learn how to stay protected -> learn how to move -> learn how to catch people -> learn how to combo. Some mystic specific things that u might wanna do after those: learning how to maintain 3 shards.
Do you have any advice for Adventurers who are interested in learning PvP but feel unsure or hesitant about how to start?
Multimeltor
uhh i cant think of much to say here
How did your guild members, friends, or family react?
Multimeltor
Guild members were super hyped. Dont share much about my bdo exploits with family though so they dont know.
Any last words for your supporters or anyone else you'd like to mention?
Multimeltor
Shoutout to my boy dayzie/sonii/Biceptimusprime. Hes probably the reason i started playing awake Mystic. Maybe hell finish BG3 this year... Also shoutout to LaLo and Waffl for helping me practice for the finals. o7
Rhya
Congratulations on winning the Master Class 2025! How do you feel?
Rhya
I've been playing BDO since the last Masterclass, and all I've ever wanted out of BDO was to win this tournament. So it's definitely a great feeling to be able to accomplish that. However, there are still plenty of achievements to go after and all I have to say is the job isn't done yet.
What was your first impression when you saw the tournament bracket?
Rhya
When I first saw the bracket, I was excited but also nervous. I think that I had one of the hardest lines to the finals with Yuike, and Day as opponents. However, after I overcame that initial nervousness. I became excited because I wanted to prove myself in this tournament, and going through the best players in the tournament to do that, made the win that much more fufilling.
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
Rhya
I practiced in BA mostly. 3-4 hours a day since the tournament was announced. I went to EU, I studied opponent POV's and honestly just pvp'd for hours.
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
Rhya
The most nerve-wracking for me was when I fought Day. He was one of the people I practiced against the most so he knew my playstyle and my tricks. You can see in the vod's that he came extremely close to winning against me on the last round of the Semi-Finals. If it wasn't for that last second CC he would've gotten me.
What do you believe gave you an advantage over your opponent in the finals?
Rhya
The two main advantages I had were as follows: 1. Azurlia was playing on a Succession Lahn, so he didn't have the grab to be able to punish me like I was able to punish him. The second advantage I had was that Azurlia streams quite often. So I was able to prepare against him playstyle by learning and taking notes from his POV vods.
Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won?
Rhya
There was not honestly, I had to ask if I won. I was so locked into playing the game that I was unsure if that was the winning round or not.
Which 1st place reward are you most excited about?
Rhya
The Arsha weapon is by far my favorite part of the rewards.
Any words for the runner-up who fought until the end?
Rhya
Yes, Azurlia played amazingly. He is by far one of the best Succession Lahn players that has ever graced BDO on any region. If he had more tools available on his class he would've definitely closed the gap more in the finals.
Any tips for those who want to try your class after watching your matches?
Rhya
Of course, if you are interested in awakening lahn or Lahn in general. Just make sure to keep at it, stick with it and use Eradication core 😉
Do you have any advice for Adventurers who are interested in learning PvP but feel unsure or hesitant about how to start?
Rhya
PvP could seem extremely intimidating especially since most PvPers now a days are seasoned. If you are interested in PvP, it's very important that you do not give up. Repetition is the only way to become competent on any class in PvP. Hit the BA whenever you can, and know that failing a million times is how you learn how to succeed.
How did your guild members, friends, or family react?
Rhya
Everyone was super excited and happy that I won, and I'm glad I had such a supportive group of people around me. I couldnt of done it without them.
Any last words for your supporters or anyone else you'd like to mention?
Rhya
Shoutout to Muffin for really getting my hyped about the tournament, shoutout to JBoard for being the only Succ lahn to practice with me, and Shoutout to the entire Awakening Lahn community for being the undisputed best class community out there.
Zackiskip
Congratulations on winning the Master Class 2025! How do you feel?
Zackiskip
Relieved, when they announced the requirements I spent most days hunting down archers to practice 1v1 against for weeks.
What was your first impression when you saw the tournament bracket?
Zackiskip
Scared I had to play an extra match and was surprised the majority of strong players were in the top bracket.
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
Backiskip
I spent most of my free time outside of work trying to get 1v1 practice against other archers; savantelle was my main practice partner and we did 1v1s for around 5 hours total each week. Other people who gave me practice include: yuike,yarn(he spent the longest practicing), tenebris, Jexel, czane, grovey, tuki, and for finals I spent a few hours 1v1ing the awakening ranger finalist before my match for about 2-3 hours in ba.
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
Zackiskip
The match against grovey, I couldn’t feel my hands and was playing poorly and got ccd multiple times for misplaying.
What do you believe gave you an advantage over your opponent in the finals?
Zackiskip
I learned archer from the old best in class winner ika/nusar he taught me how to 1v1 from an archer pov and i leaned on it heavily when practicing.
Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won?
Zackiskip
Round 2 when I burned through his q buff through fg and evading with iframes then chipping him down to 0 slowly through better sa trades.
Which 1st place reward are you most excited about?
Zackiskip
The arsha greatbow being able to be the 2nd archer to get one after the person who taught me how to small scale means a lot.
Any words for the runner-up who fought until the end?
Zackiskip
Chapter 236 page 17 jujutsu kaisen.
Any tips for those who want to try your class after watching your matches?
Zackiskip
The movement of the class is the best experience when it is flowing no other game scratches that itch.
Do you have any advice for Adventurers who are interested in learning PvP but feel unsure or hesitant about how to start?
Zackiskip
PvP is not as hard as you’d think when you’re fighting others that are on your level for the longest time I was terrible at PvP. For the first few years I was in cho I was made fun of for how bad I was for how strong archer was at the time. But I practiced a lot, went to every nodewar, every gvg, and was one of the top frags near the end.
How did your guild members, friends, or family react?
Zackiskip
Most of my guild mates cheered me on they expected me to win because they knew how much I practiced for it.
Any last words for your supporters or anyone else you'd like to mention?
Zackiskip
My guild was helpful with being there even when I moved states and got a job, it’s great having them around.
AgonyOST
Congratulations on winning the Master Class 2025! How do you feel?
AgonyOST
It feels good to win, but I wish I got the chance to fight...
What was your first impression when you saw the tournament bracket?
AgonyOST
Top-side bracket was heavily weighted with good players, I knew I had a difficult run to reach finals.
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
AgonyOST
I practiced AOA format a decent amount, a couple times a week leading up I think.
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
AgonyOST
Pick any round against Ehsap or TDE, they all went to the final minute that's just how the matchup is with good players.
What do you believe gave you an advantage over your opponent in the finals?
AgonyOST
Being comfortable in tournament probably won me the tournament to be honest, though being smart about AOA format comes second.
Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won?
AgonyOST
When I got 8 DM's telling me the other finalist got banned.
Which 1st place reward are you most excited about?
AgonyOST
Even though I play succession so I'll never see it, the Arsha weapon - I've always wanted to have one.
Any words for the runner-up who fought until the end?
AgonyOST
Give Teeter his 2nd place rewards fraud.
Any tips for those who want to try your class after watching your matches?
AgonyOST
Do it, succ DK is broken.
Do you have any advice for Adventurers who are interested in learning PvP but feel unsure or hesitant about how to start?
AgonyOST
Don't slot DR crystals, just play better.
How did your guild members, friends, or family react?
AgonyOST
My friends are the goats.
Any last words for your supporters or anyone else you'd like to mention?
AgonyOST
Shoutout Teeter, the real second place winner.
Mehguh
Congratulations on winning the Master Class 2025! How do you feel?
Mehguh
I feel great I'm enjoying the rewards and the matches were fun!
What was your first impression when you saw the tournament bracket?
Mehguh
Why are all the gamers in my bracket???
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
Mehguh
I practiced by fighting other shais and I also went to my eu account to practice with the best shais I know there.
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
Mehguh
The match for semi-finals because whoever won in their bracket was definitely the hardest competition, and I didn't know how it would go.
What do you believe gave you an advantage over your opponent in the finals?
Mehguh
My combo that I learned right before the tournament is really strong so learning that helped me some, and I can stay protected decently well so that probably helped the most.
Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won?
Mehguh
When the first round ended.
Which 1st place reward are you most excited about?
Mehguh
Flying Skyrend is really fun so I'm enjoying that the most currently.
Any words for the runner-up who fought until the end?
Mehguh
My opponent in the finals is high ping and I think they played really well with what they had to work with.
Any tips for those who want to try your class after watching your matches?
Mehguh
I would say learning your protections and knowing a good combo for after you get a cc will get you far as ap shai, we are probably the worst class for pvp if you're not in full dp gear though so I don't recommend ap shai.
Do you have any advice for Adventurers who are interested in learning PvP but feel unsure or hesitant about how to start?
Mehguh
I think being social is a good start, talk with people that are into pvp and try fighting with them and ask for advice as it's happening.
How did your guild members, friends, or family react?
Mehguh
Some of guildmates and friends did expect me to win and were happy to see it happen.
Any last words for your supporters or anyone else you'd like to mention?
Mehguh
For everyone that was watching and did support me I appreciate you <3
BackstepSlash
Congratulations on winning the Master Class 2025! How do you feel?
BackstepSlash
Honestly, kind of surprised because as a player from Australia I always found that I was on the losing end of a lot of 1v1 encounters due to the ping. But this was the first best in class tournament I felt like I was in a position to apply for and did not come into it with any particular expectations. It was only after fighting through the Main - Semiinals bracket that I thought, oh I might have a chance here. Winning the tourney feels almost like a bit of a validation of the time I have spent on this class over the last 5 years in NW, RBF, AoS, PvE.
What was your first impression when you saw the tournament bracket?
BackstepSlash
I was worried, my first match was up against Shortfuse, a really skilled player who had won a previous best in class on Guardian. Also in my bracket was Kexi who I faced in the semifinals, another extremely experienced player with solid PvP knowledge.
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
BackstepSlash
Before the Main-Semifinals bracket I was actually overseas for 2 weeks and flew back in the morning before competing so barely any practice leading into the first matches. For the finals bracket I scrimmed a few matches with ImXen and Draco (the EU winner), although my matches with Draco were somewhat comical due to our massive ping difference.
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
BackstepSlash
Waiting for the gates to open on the first round of the Finals, after waiting the 2 weeks since the main bracket and doing my best to prepare this felt like it was it. Win or Lose, it would be decided in the next 30 minutes.
What do you believe gave you an advantage over your opponent in the finals?
BackstepSlash
I think I came into the match with a structured game plan, I was going to mash my E buff early since Guardian cannot 1 combo without it at 100% HP and try to force the V early so that 1 catch later on would mean victory, my opponent never ended up using their E buff in any round so I think I found an advantage there.
Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won?
BackstepSlash
It was the last round, I was up 2-1 and we had both missed our grab in the last 15 seconds of the match so it was going to come down to a super armor trade and HP win, in the last 5 seconds I landed a full Gate Crasher and as soon as I saw that skill hit I knew I would take the victory.
Which 1st place reward are you most excited about?
BackstepSlash
The Arsha Weapon skin, it is such a unique item that so few players will ever get to own and the animation on the Jordun is awesome to look at. It will always be a reminder to me that I earned my legacy on Guardian against some of the best.
Any words for the runner-up who fought until the end?
BackstepSlash
Amazing work to my opponent OlorinGospel, the upper bracket was stacked with amazing players like LactateMilkshake, ImXen and Diesel. I think they should be proud that they were able to come out on top of their side of the bracket and make it to the finals.
Any tips for those who want to try your class after watching your matches?
BackstepSlash
Just give it a go! Guardian is quite simple to pick up and easy to learn, but putting in the time to understand the positioning required for large scale content or learning the timings to beat opponents in small scale combat can be very rewarding.
Do you have any advice for Adventurers who are interested in learning PvP but feel unsure or hesitant about how to start?
BackstepSlash
I can understand that it might be a bit daunting for people new to BDO or new to the PvP dynamics but I would encourage anyone interested to give it a go, finding a T1 node war guild is probably the most accessible way to enter the PvP scene in BDO.
How did your guild members, friends, or family react?
BackstepSlash
My guild was very supportive, we had 2 guild members make it to finalist and the guild hosted a watchparty on the day. They were very excited when I came out on top and lots of congrats and support was shown. Two of my real life friends who also play the game were watching that day and I was super happy they were there to support and cheer me on.
Any last words for your supporters or anyone else you'd like to mention?
BackstepSlash
I would say thank you to everyone who cheered me on, and also thanks to PA for putting on the tournament as well, it has been a long time since we had a Best in Class tournaent and I'm glad I was around to be able to take part in it, let alone win it. I hope to see more events like this in the future!
HeartKing
Congratulations on winning the Master Class 2025! How do you feel?
HeartKing
3 weeks ago i felt pretty good now it kinda passed and just lookin forward to the next one.
What was your first impression when you saw the tournament bracket?
HeartKing
Holy shit what an easy tournament on the lower bracket LMAO. Top side was so miserable with all the actual good PvPers on that side aside from like three people.
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
HeartKing
About 2-3 hours of 1v1ing in aoa with disto, bloody, reyvii, dcent, and kozi testing different addons and strats and just playing around with the grab.
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
HeartKing
When Revyii was winning the 1s in aoa I was a little panicked. Glad i got to practice against a succ class because they have so much more damage that's so much faster than you that you gotta play it super slow like a coward. But you can't wait too long because they have such an insane advtanged in the smaller circle round. I wouldn't of learned that without practice.
What do you believe gave you an advantage over your opponent in the finals?
HeartKing
In the finals that mfer was just straight RIPPIN purge in my face dawg idk how that man made it past llama and even more confused how llama made it past disto. Purge is so easy to catch if you know it's coming because of how long the unprotected frames are afterward especially because you blow through literally 900 stamina just getting to it and out of it.
Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won?
HeartKing
Yeah when disto lost LMAO. That man got so screwed over by the shift+z bug and server desync he lost 2 lives just to some B.S poor fella.
Which 1st place reward are you most excited about?
HeartKing
You can ask anyone in family bro I was FIENDING for that griffon (his name is Peter. Peter the Griffon). A legit mount that isn't a horse? Finally bro it only took 9 years. I was so hyped when I saw it. Little sad I can't aura farm over night since it kicks you off after like 90s but still a pretty pog 90s. I hope they keep adding this stuff man. Hopefully like a ferrica or a shadow lion or maybe even a a big bipedal bear like the ahibs use but not just tournament winners I want EVERYONE to have alternate mounts.
Any words for the runner-up who fought until the end?
HeartKing
I already told him man, family's got a slot for you big dawg. LMAO! Nah we "hashed" it out he had great grabs but just relied on purge way too much. going unprotected in this climate is just such a grief move. He did pretty good baiting out sin splitter a couple times but dashing out after purge puts you into a chase position with less stamina.
Any tips for those who want to try your class after watching your matches?
HeartKing
Do not try awake hash until they fix the bugs, you are a worse awk musa, you are a worse awk ninja, a worse awk lahn, a worse scholar, you are a worse awk mystic, you do everything worse than every other class there is no reason to play it. Until they add legitimate protections that don't server-side desync because they're so short (even core duneslash is unprotected in the beginning and you can't dash into grab like other classes because the SA falls off before your dash CD comes back), implement the use of preawk skills from awake so you don't have to tab cancel, make it so recall isnt so buggy with all the teleporting late or teleporting in place, or giving protections to more than 1 movement skill that's on a sub 5 second CD then just wait it should happen soon after seeing what they've done to the other classes. Just play savior...
Do you have any advice for Adventurers who are interested in learning PvP but feel unsure or hesitant about how to start?
HeartKing
Just jump in, capped content is super poppin especially on t1s. Don't bother trying to go uncapped because the devs have made it such a long and tedious journey just to get to a point where you are viable in PvP. But by the time you get to like 760/770 GS you're straight up good to go in any t2 NW or below.
How did your guild members, friends, or family react?
HeartKing
They were poggin out. Idk I feel like I was the favorite of the tourny so no one was really surprised but it was really nice seeing everyone being nice to me.
Any last words for your supporters or anyone else you'd like to mention?
HeartKing
SHOUT OUT TO MY BOI BLOODY ALWAYS THERE ALWAYS A REAL ONE WOO LOVE THAT YN THAT'S MY FCKIN GOAT! Also disto is a real one too and was the one that convinced me to actually practice 1v1s which built my confidence immensely. My motto is every hash is perfect but today I was just a little bit better than perfect!
NoGambleNoLoss
Congratulations on winning the Master Class 2025! How do you feel?
NoGambleNoLoss
Great, I hope NA Nova Tourni was more competitive like EU Nova Tourni.
What was your first impression when you saw the tournament bracket?
NoGambleNoLoss
I am probably going to win the tournament, knowing most of the participants.
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
NoGambleNoLoss
I practice 1-2 hours on the day before the tournament and 3-5 hours on the day of the tournament. I spent 5ish hours extra to develop a combo specifically for the trial character since the trial character lacks attack speed and damage.
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
NoGambleNoLoss
I felt most nerve-racking when fighting Matroskin in Round 2. He managed to dodge 6-7 grabs in a row (which is exceptionally difficult to pull out) and pushed me to the corner til the last 10 seconds. If I did not land the very last grab, he would have won the match by HP. Afterward, I asked him to practice with me for the final, and it directly contributed to my win in the final.
What do you believe gave you an advantage over your opponent in the finals?
NoGambleNoLoss
More in-depth combo knowledge specifically tied to the new trial character gear.
Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won?
NoGambleNoLoss
In Round One. For some reason, the NA Nova Community despises of learning the optimized class combo.
Which 1st place reward are you most excited about?
NoGambleNoLoss
100k pearls. I really hope it was the title, but the black/white color was not very attractive. I hope it is any other color combination.
Any words for the runner-up who fought until the end?
NoGambleNoLoss
Thank you for gatekeeping the bottom bracket and good fights.
Any tips for those who want to try your class after watching your matches?
NoGambleNoLoss
This is basically a PVP-only class, and you should master the combo sequence before anything else for Succession Nova. That is the foundation for this class, and everything else comes naturally.
Do you have any advice for Adventurers who are interested in learning PvP but feel unsure or hesitant about how to start?
NoGambleNoLoss
Play what you wholeheartedly enjoy the most, not what the META leads. When you truly enjoy playing the class, you would spontaneously want to study the class basics and develop your own playstyle/combo/gear combination.
How did your guild members, friends, or family react?
NoGambleNoLoss
The four of us who won in family: Heartking/ImSmash/Layfonda/me all got a huge shout-out and a special family discord title for winning. ❤
Any last words for your supporters or anyone else you'd like to mention?
NoGambleNoLoss
Besides Matroskin, I also want to shout out to Arcanathax and Camil. They helped me with AOA practices and granted me more confidence. Without them three, I would not have performed as well as I did in the tournaments.
Calb
Congratulations on winning the Master Class 2025! How do you feel?
Calb
I feel very happy and hope you do more tournaments in the future.
What was your first impression when you saw the tournament bracket?
Calb
I was scared because i was fighting Zethiann first round.
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
Calb
I 1v1’ed a lot of sages that i know and in total around 30 hours of practice.
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
Calb
When i lost the round to bot because of a very avoidable mistake and greed trying to kill him standing.
What do you believe gave you an advantage over your opponent in the finals?
Calb
I have a very aggressive style that most sages aren't use to fighting.
Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won?
Calb
When i got the first cc and was able to grab them out of v that helped ease the nerves.
Which 1st place reward are you most excited about?
Calb
The Griffon Mount
Any words for the runner-up who fought until the end?
Calb
Everyone played great and hope to see them at the next tourney.
Any tips for those who want to try your class after watching your matches?
Calb
Practice conserving stamina as much as you can
Do you have any advice for Adventurers who are interested in learning PvP but feel unsure or hesitant about how to start?
Calb
Fight as many people as you can even if your gonna lose.
How did your guild members, friends, or family react?
Calb
They were very happy for me.
Any last words for your supporters or anyone else you'd like to mention?
Calb
Nerf Sage
Layfonda
Congratulations on winning the Master Class 2025! How do you feel?
Layfonda
I feel exhilarated. I'm just happy it's done and the nerves are over!
What was your first impression when you saw the tournament bracket?
Layfonda
I felt the bracket was....interesting. There were a few familiar faces I saw in the upper bracket, but I was in the lower bracket with only one person who I knew who was a tournament winning contender.
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
Layfonda
I really did not practice much. I practiced a couple hours before the tournament began to warmup against awakening corsairs (shoutout Aribris the goat). And for the finals, I think I did about 20minutes with an old school succession corsair, Nuke. I was more or less mentally preparing compared to getting in any practice for the entire tournament.
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
Layfonda
My fight versus Herny was definitely the most nerve racking. I felt he one of the few contenders to win master class. When he grabbed me in round 2 to even the odds 1-1, I might have panicked a bit due to my greed. He was so low with no block that I thought I could fully commit to it, but he read me like a book and won that 2nd round. I had to play more safe and smart in the 3rd round for sure.
What do you believe gave you an advantage over your opponent in the finals?
Layfonda
The only thing that really gave me an advantage over my opponent, Corsa, was just my experience in playing the class. I've played succession corsair pretty much since release, whereas he was on Shai for a few years. It just came down to the experience of knowing when you can dish out damage while dodging your opponent's damage at the same time.
Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won?
Layfonda
Truthfully? I felt like I had won after I won round 2. I was testing round 1 to see his habits; IE how he likes to move and use our big i-frame/damage skills. Once I felt I learned enough, I just heard something like, "gg I won," in my mind and locked in for rounds 2, 3, and 4.
Which 1st place reward are you most excited about?
Layfonda
Definitely the white and black "Master Corsair" title. I like collecting and wearing unique cool looking titles. I just wish it had an aura or something more special to it 🙁
Any words for the runner-up who fought until the end?
Layfonda
GGs and well played to Corsa. I definitely was not expecting him to win the upper bracket. Beating people like Alutia and Meo who have been on the class longer than he has was not on my bingo card to say the least. If this tournament does continue next year, he definitely has a good chance of winning it.
Any tips for those who want to try your class after watching your matches?
Layfonda
In all honesty, my class is extremely easy to learn and play. Work on learning how to use her skills to "swim" (move) around your opponents, and you'll find huge success. If you like colorful water abilities and/or throwing whales and dolphins around, pick her up!
Do you have any advice for Adventurers who are interested in learning PvP but feel unsure or hesitant about how to start?
Layfonda
My best advice is just bite the bullet. Jump into Arena of Solare either ranked or practice modes. Lose a lot. Win a lot. Go into Battle Arena with a friend. Run the 1v1's for hours. Join a Node War guild and go to every war you can. The only person you should fear is yourself. You have to beat that anxiety and inadequacy feeling inside of you to truly learn how to PvP on any class. Once you conquer that, you find that PvP is easy and a lot of fun.
How did your guild members, friends, or family react?
Layfonda
I have a few in real life friends who used to play BDO back in 2019-2020 era before they quit. I told them about this grand tournament and how I won my class's bracket, and they got extremely nostalgic and happy. We reminisced about our days in our baby PvP era's, and how we ran around with muskets role playing police officers and shooting people off their horses for "speeding."
Any last words for your supporters or anyone else you'd like to mention?
Layfonda
I started playing BDO about a month after release in North America. Over the years of gaming I have developed a system to try and mitigate wasting time playing games that are overhyped. Basically, I'll watch videos and streams of the game for the first month. This allows me to observe and get an idea of what the gameplay loop looks like and see if it lives up to its hype. If the player base takes a big dive after the first 30 days I'll avoid the game.
Venav
Congratulations on winning the Master Class 2025! How do you feel?
Venav
Thank you! I still can't believe I won.
What was your first impression when you saw the tournament bracket?
Venav
I thought I was going to be the first one to be eliminated. There were so many good players I know.
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
Venav
I practiced at BA or AOS almost every day right after the bracket announcement. My guild members helped me out a lot, and sometimes I asked my Drakania friends for help.
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
Venav
When I first enter the AOA! I couldn't think of anything, and my hands were sweating a lot.
What do you believe gave you an advantage over your opponent in the finals?
Venav
I practiced a lot, so I thought if I didn't make a mistake, I would have a chance to win.
Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won?
Venav
Not really. I knew Yoshi is a very good player, so I thought I could lose at any time.
Which 1st place reward are you most excited about?
Venav
I love all of them but my favorite is the Master Drakania title because it's permanent 🙂
Any words for the runner-up who fought until the end?
Venav
YOSHI. It was an honor to play against you in the final.
Any tips for those who want to try your class after watching your matches?
Venav
I made too many mistakes in the finals because I was too nervous!
Drakania is fun and cool class but it's very unprotected. (PLS BUFF DRAK)
I think it is important to maintain Super Armor by combining pre-awakening skills that can be used in awakening form.
Also, it's very important to adjust your pace depending on the opponent because you lose your stamina quickly.
Drakania is fun and cool class but it's very unprotected. (PLS BUFF DRAK)
I think it is important to maintain Super Armor by combining pre-awakening skills that can be used in awakening form.
Also, it's very important to adjust your pace depending on the opponent because you lose your stamina quickly.
Do you have any advice for Adventurers who are interested in learning PvP but feel unsure or hesitant about how to start?
Venav
Once you start, it's very fun. I've made a lot of friends since I started doing PVP. It's not difficult at all, and the game will be more fun when you get better.
How did your guild members, friends, or family react?
Venav
My wife also plays BDO. She was very interested from the beginning and watched all the matches. She was very proud of me when I won the match. The guild members were watching the match together and were supporting me live. I got so many messages from guild members I couldn't even eat dinner lol.
Any last words for your supporters or anyone else you'd like to mention?
Venav
Thank you so much for supporting me as always, my wife Venadi, and thanks to my guild master Ownage for not kicking me from the guild and my brother Bembang who's always there to spar me and DivinePunisher who's been rooting me since 2016 and thanks to my guild Arise!
RuJynX
Congratulations on winning the Master Class 2025! How do you feel?
RuJynX
Winning the masterclass tourney doesn't really feel all that special to be honest; my goal has always been to be the best at what I do and I went into the tourney believing I was the best.
What was your first impression when you saw the tournament bracket?
RuJynX
My first impression when I saw the tournament bracket was that I needed to unrust. It had been a while since I played either spec of Woosa and I wanted to make sure I still had all the good habits I'd built since her release. Lots of people in the bracket I saw had been practicing on Woosa specifically even while I took a short break from the game.
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
RuJynX
I started my practice by doing mirror-matchup 1v1s with Precision, who many people know as a top succession woosa before making his debut on awakening drakania. Since he's not playing the game as much, I pivoted to taking succ woosa into ranked aos games where I focused on my general gameplay habits rather than 1v1 specific tech. I also want to shoutout Dabin for hopping in AoA to practice with me the night before the real bracket. Overall, I would say I spent a total of 5-6 hours 1v1ing other succ woosas, and then probably another 8 hours in ranked AoS games over the course of a month.
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
RuJynX
I wouldn't say I got nervous at any point during the tournament, but in the first round of the finals against Sais, I realized in the first 10 seconds of the match that he was running the full-heal 3rd rabam that woosa has access to. Since I opted to go for the heal-over-time rabam, he would have the advantage if each round went to the full duration. I lost the first round because I couldn't take his V early on, so going into the 2nd round of the Bo5 I knew I had to pull out some tricks if I wanted any chance to win. Since it's very hard to force anything to happen in a mirrored succ woosa matchup, I had to play extremely aggressively which is not the style I'm used to.
What do you believe gave you an advantage over your opponent in the finals?
RuJynX
My biggest advantage in the finals was how much nerdy tech I know with the specific niches of woosa. There are a lot of small details that don't normally make any difference in node wars, gleague, aos, etc., but when rounds are coming down to ~1% hp differences, every little thing matters. I was looking at my debuff bar all of the first round to figure out what addons Sais was running, then I played to dodge all of his dp debuffs, ap debuffs, bleeds, and I modified the normal flowchart to make sure I was countering most of his skills. I also used a lot of specific tech like burning dps skills just to animation cancel my dashes faster which led to me getting a few key catches in the midrounds to burn his V.
Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won?
RuJynX
Anything can happen in a Bo5, so I wouldn't say I definitively felt like I had won at any point. I treated every round like it was 2-2 and I had everything to lose. I would say my confidence grew once I had proven I could take a round off by landing CCs before the zone closed, and I definitely played more aggressively with each passing round (even if it led to me hitting the floor)
Which 1st place reward are you most excited about?
RuJynX
Definitely the griffin. Everything else has already been seen before, this one is completely new and I'm excited to be part of the first wave of people to own one.
Any words for the runner-up who fought until the end?
RuJynX
First of all, gfs. It takes a lot of commitment to even sign up for a tournament, let alone sweep a whole side of a bracket. Sais took out a lot of other favorites to win on his side, and it's an achievement in itself.
Any tips for those who want to try your class after watching your matches?
RuJynX
To anybody who wants to try Woosa: it's not for the faint of heart. Woosa has a lot of gimmicks (for both specs) that you need to learn and master before her potential really shines. The hardest part about playing the class is honestly balancing your playstyle; lean in too much to reflect/clouds in succession and you lose her main advantage of being hard to track. Lean in too much on the flowers in awakening and you'll get caught for being greedy. Stay committed, find a balance.
Do you have any advice for Adventurers who are interested in learning PvP but feel unsure or hesitant about how to start?
RuJynX
Start off casually. It's pretty easy to feel overwhelmed by all the different things happening, especially if you have no clue how other classes work, so I would definitely start by finding someone of equal skill and dueling in your free time. For me, it started by dueling friends in arenas until I eventually expanded into T1 nodewars, and moved my way into bigger large scale fights. Nowadays I think it's pretty easy to jump into AoS practice games once you have a general idea of what classes do, and having 3 other people trying to punish your bad habits can train you very quickly.
How did your guild members, friends, or family react?
RuJynX
To be honest, when I said I was signing up for the tournament most of my friends assumed I would just win and said I wouldn't need to practice. I wasn't even planning on participating on Woosa, but I got baited by Graybler to play it. When I won, I got the usual congratulations and that was pretty much it.
Any last words for your supporters or anyone else you'd like to mention?
BuJynX
Thanks again to Precision and Dabin for helping me with 1:1 training, Graybler for making me go on Woosa instead of Scholar, Dosa, Drak, or Wizard, and Oppai for always being my biggest supporter.
Cory
Congratulations on winning the Master Class 2025! How do you feel?
Cory
Succession wins all!
What was your first impression when you saw the tournament bracket?
Cory
Cooked due to IRL schedule.
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
Cory
I went through almost all reachable Awakening Maegu- such as FAFI, SLUGZ, AZURLIA, BLU15, KEVIN.
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
Cory
Legolan (semi final) was toughest. He's a good awegu player.
What do you believe gave you an advantage over your opponent in the finals?
Cory
Knowledge and experience on AOA setup.
Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won?
Cory
When enemy ran out of stamina and couldnt punish nor trade with FGs.
Which 1st place reward are you most excited about?
Cory
Crons
Any words for the runner-up who fought until the end?
Cory
Coop played well- everyone who i fought played well.
Any tips for those who want to try your class after watching your matches?
Cory
Both spec of Maegu is very easy-to-learn. what cross good and bad is positioning and decisions time-to-time.
Do you have any advice for Adventurers who are interested in learning PvP but feel unsure or hesitant about how to start?
Cory
Start with T1s, AOS, RBF and any sort of open field pvp if you get a chance. see if you like it. if not, then don't bother too much.
How did your guild members, friends, or family react?
Cory
People around me send me bunch of congratulation messages- but my family who were watching had a blast of enjoyment after i burst out of my room with roar.
Any last words for your supporters or anyone else you'd like to mention?
Cory
Adding Aura to MASTER class title will boost urge of people to participate next year. If rewards are overly unfavored then people won't bother. Please add aura to new title ❤️
Quix
Congratulations on winning the Master Class 2025! How do you feel?
Quix
I'm feeling absolutely amazing. Really glad they decided to host this tournament, I've been waiting for this for quite a while and to prove I'm the best.
What was your first impression when you saw the tournament bracket?
Quix
Quite relieved to see there wasn't many people I had to worry about and was a little saddening to see Mlem on the same side of the bracket early on instead on instead of the opposite side for an entertaining finals.
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
Quix
I would reach out to fellow players to do AOA 1v1s for a few hours a day consistently, getting the matchup down and finding every opening until i felt prepared.
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
Quix
Not knowing what to really expect from the other players and how well they would do.
What do you believe gave you an advantage over your opponent in the finals?
Quix
Consistent practice, reviewing matches and overall time spent on the class learning and mastering it.
Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won?
Quix
To be quite frank, since the moment the gates opened; I watched back our respective matches looking for any mistakes that could be corrected and what his playstyle was and what he shouldn't be doing. My expected hardest match was already over flawlessly and I knew that it was going to a breeze afterwards.
Which 1st place reward are you most excited about?
Quix
I'm ecstatic over getting the Glorious Arsha Sledgehammer, it looks great and I've been eager to get my hands on it ever since it was first shown.
Any words for the runner-up who fought until the end?
Quix
Good fights, thanks for showing up it was fun and congrats on your rewards!
Any tips for those who want to try your class after watching your matches?
Quix
repulsion after hammer rush is highly recommended and fast casting hammer smash with hammer rush or core fusion, those are the 2 best tips I've got for anyone that is new or looking to pick up the class, any questions you can directly ask me or the Scholar discord!
Do you have any advice for Adventurers who are interested in learning PvP but feel unsure or hesitant about how to start?
Quix
Never a better time to start learning than now, Don't let your worries prevent you from enjoying the game. Practice AoS is a great place to start learning your class and others for PvP and reaching out to any friends, guild members, and streamers the community is a great place for advice and help!
How did your guild members, friends, or family react?
Quix
My guild members and were all happy and excited for me and they all were joking and already congratulating me weeks before my matches hahaha.
Any last words for your supporters or anyone else you'd like to mention?
Quix
I did not end up needing it but thank you so much to my friends and guild members that were willing to donate for me to get pearls to get my gear up and meet the requirements LOL, Thanks Slayer for giving me a PC so my game wouldn't run terribly. I will be flexing my Griffon and other rewards on all of you for the next year. Shout out to the Blitzed boys my long time friends I love you guys, Shout out Jayoura for constantly coming to do AoA and practice with me when asked and SHOUT OUT ARMIN FOR THE COMBO!
ImSmash
Congratulations on winning the Master Class 2025! How do you feel?
ImSmash
I feel great! Honestly, I was surprised. Everything happened so fast that I barely had time to process the moment before realizing I actually won.
What was your first impression when you saw the tournament bracket?
ImSmash
Honestly, I didn’t think too hard about it. I just showed up and locked in.
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
ImSmash
I didn’t do specific tournament practice. I’ve been playing Dosa since the day it released on GLabs, and my time and dedication to the class speaks for itself. In a way, my preparation has been ongoing long before the tournament.
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
ImSmash
Anytime I got CC’d. It meant I made a mistake, and potentially losing a round like that made winning that much harder.
What do you believe gave you an advantage over your opponent in the finals?
ImSmash
Time played. Plain and simple.
Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won?
ImSmash
When the final round was over.
Which 1st place reward are you most excited about?
ImSmash
Definitely the flying Griffon Mount.
Any words for the runner-up who fought until the end?
ImSmash
GG’s. You played really well and didn’t make many mistakes.
Any tips for those who want to try your class after watching your matches?
ImSmash
Learn your spacing and movement first. Get comfortable just running around as if blindfolded.
Do you have any advice for Adventurers who are interested in learning PvP but feel unsure or hesitant about how to start?
ImSmash
Join a guild and connect with other players whether it’s guildmates, streamers, Discord communities, etc. It’s an MMO, after all.
How did your guild members, friends, or family react?
ImSmash
My guildmates were spamming guild chat, and my Discord DMs and whispers were blowing up all day. Even people I hadn’t spoken to in years were messaging me.
Any last words for your supporters or anyone else you'd like to mention?
ImSmash
Thanks to all my guildmates in Family who cheered me on, and to everyone in the community that I’ve shared great moments and memories with throughout my time in BDO.
DvMcqueen
Congratulations on winning the Master Class 2025! How do you feel?
DvMcqueen
I felt ecstatic when I won, but the high was gone.
What was your first impression when you saw the tournament bracket?
DvMcqueen
I honestly felt confident with my skills when I saw the bracket I was in up to the point where I saw who I will be going up against in the semi-finals. Looking at the brackets itself, seeing as its rng, not much to think over. There's always going to be uneven skill fights between players.
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
DvMcqueen
For the first round of the tournament, I practiced mostly with deadeye players like Alexander, and Coco occasionally. When I won the semi-finals, I only practiced with Alexander. I dedicated roughly 3 weeks of practice in total, ranging one to two hours daily.
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
DvMcqueen
The most nerve-racking thing for me was overanalyzing everything to the point that I am afraid that I missed something, also with the fact that I don't want to make a simple mistake that would make me lose (e.g., jumping, BSR transfer, etc). I am my own worst enemy.
What do you believe gave you an advantage over your opponent in the finals?
DvMcqueen
I think what gave me an advantage is that I play a lot of NW like daily, multiple AOS practices, and practicing against one of the best deadeyes in NA (special mention alexander)
Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won?
DvMcqueen
Going into the finals, I was way too confident because I fought my opponent 1v1 prior to the first tournament which gave me an insight on how they play the class. I was nervous before finals took place because I was thinking too much on the small things like maybe my opponent has been practicing and changing how he plays. Fighting Demolition first few seconds, I felt nervous since he was winning most of our SA trades, and I was still gauging how he plays (which didn't change much from when I fought him prior to first tourney) and that made me go for the CC instead of SA trading him because he has a lot of gaps. Winning that first round, I pretty much knew that I already won.
Which 1st place reward are you most excited about?
DvMcqueen
I was mostly excited about the title because it is the only thing that`s really permanent out of all choices, but was greatly disappointed since the title doesn`t have accompanying aura. It`s like the title is unique, but not that unique that it feels like you can literally buy the title through pearls. It is the most disappointing thing, seeing as we put our time and effort to at least get that. Fragging on NW and getting those titles are easier and THAT at least have aura.
Any words for the runner-up who fought until the end?
DvMcqueen
NOPE. Those words are reserved to only me and demolition in private hehehe
Any tips for those who want to try your class after watching your matches?
DvMcqueen
Anyone, I mean anyone can literally play deadeye. It is the easiest class you can play, especially if you just started doing pvp. It was braindead before, but playing deadeye now after nerfs from iframes, you literally just have to watch your positioning and you will be fine.
Do you have any advice for Adventurers who are interested in learning PvP but feel unsure or hesitant about how to start?
DvMcqueen
Play pvp over and over despite losing a lot on aos practice, and even being bottom on the list on NW scoreboard. Losing is the new winning. We all have to start below the chain, it is up to us if we persevere and go for the top. Pvp is actually not scary in itself, it is the community that is toxic and making people quit.
How did your guild members, friends, or family react?
DvMcqueen
They are all way tooooooooo supportive for my liking, saying things like "I know you`re going to win". It made me way too overconfident, and that alone can be detrimental, luckily I still won anyway.
Any last words for your supporters or anyone else you'd like to mention?
DvMcqueen
I was underestimated a lot. People did not expect me to win, especially since I am not really known to the pvp scene. To all who underestimated me and did not believe in me, all I can say is that "I MADE IT", and "THANK YOU". If it weren`t for all of you, I wouldn`t have tried to better myself in pvp. I am just the type of person to prove anyone wrong. Any special mentions for helping me up the ladder, you guys already know who you are mwah mwah. LONG LIVE THE QUEEN.
Divios
Congratulations on winning the Master Class 2025! How do you feel?
Divios
Feels great! Was my top priority in PvP ever since the class and tournament announcement at the Heidel Ball! Feels nice being able to relax after it now too.
What was your first impression when you saw the tournament bracket?
Divios
Bracket was a little messed up from my POV, all 4 of my guildies all ended up on my side of bracket so it made practice a little rough to get.
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
Divios
Practiced only about 10-15 hours against other Wukong's due to lack of Wukong players to fight but prob got the same amount of practice against other classes as well. Just getting that time into Arena-Of-Arsha is worth it as its such a different game mode.
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
Divios
Was no particular time where I was too nervous but can always lose just due to the rules. Health decay to 50% means you can die even if the enemy doesn't do a good combo and in the early rounds best of 3 is a very scary setup.
What do you believe gave you an advantage over your opponent in the finals?
Divios
I think my main advantage going in is obviously tournament experience and being able to deal with the pressure/adrenaline when you know everyone is watching. Though after getting practice with Otter weeks prior he had the chance to completely change his style to counter mine and was like fighting a whole new player with fantastic adaptations on his part.
Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won?
Divios
Last round with 10 seconds left HP was even and my main goal was to dodge his Impale then hit him with my own. Worked out perfectly then saw him cancel Buddha Form and that is when i knew it was over.
Which 1st place reward are you most excited about?
Divios
Most excited about getting the first Arsha skin and title for Wukong! Even though you can't really see it very often I can still see it more then my other ones on Striker (due to majority of new outfits hiding it) and Sage (I only play succession). Also having 3 different Arsha skins was a personal goal of mine! The title currently is really hard to see (because who types in dark gray >.>) but I love having the class specific title on for each class I play!
Any words for the runner-up who fought until the end?
Divios
Really great fights to Otter! After our practice I went in really confident but was curious how much he would adapt. From practice to tournament he made extremely smart adaptations and made it insanely close. I felt like i got scammed on second round but he definitely should have won last round with just a slightly better combo.
Any tips for those who want to try your class after watching your matches?
Divios
Class definitely is worth a shot. Definitely not the strongest (and a bit weaker after recent "buff" patch ;_;) but is super versatile and has the potential when played well to do alot. Has very few bad or good matchups as opposed to my old class Striker who was much more volatile depending on who you fought.
Do you have any advice for Adventurers who are interested in learning PvP but feel unsure or hesitant about how to start?
Divios
When starting PvP best thing to do is just getting time in. I only started PvPing on Wukong a couple weeks before the tournament but had so many hours learning the whole kit in PvE. Not just a doing standard PvE combo and leaving brain off lets you truly understand a whole kit. For older classes i would implore you to find people good at your class and just watch them PvP/PvE to see what things are "supposed to look like". After you have a baseline yourself and some time seeing what people tend to do, Its just practice time. Arena of Solare practice or Battle Arena with friends is a great starter. Joining a T1 nodewar guild and just figuring stuff out is also great.
How did your guild members, friends, or family react?
Divios
Everyone in guild congratulated me but expected me to win easier haha. Had some family watching and they were very excited to see the fights. Also had a family dinner planned already for right after so became a bit of a congrats dinner as well >.<
Any last words for your supporters or anyone else you'd like to mention?
Divios
Shoutouts to the CM team specifically. Compared to previous tournaments this one was insanely well put together and ran very smoothly with very few hiccups. Always love to see the passion come out of PvPers whenever its AoS or Tournament time (IN THIS CASE BOTH). People getting all hyped up/practicing in the BA/raging when things go wrong always makes me excited to play. Final thanks to all the people in my stream and guildmates that supported me throughout the years of tournaments I love y'all! ❤️
Neosaurus
Congratulations on winning the Master Class 2025! How do you feel?
Neosaurus
Thanks. I've been excited for this tournament since it was revealed at the Heidel Ball. It was great being able to take part in this event and even come out victorious, definitely a memory I'll hold onto.
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
Neosaurus
I started practicing a week before my bracket games, and another week before the finals. My ranger friends and I did so many Arena of Arsha matches to get familiar with the new map, the zone mechanics and its damage, and to get an overall good feel for how the fight goes in this arena.
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
Neosaurus
I honestly didn't feel much pressure this tournament since I had to fight a lot of succession rangers which was an easy win in my opinion. However, the finals were a little challenging since I knew I had to take it seriously since I was going against another strong awakening ranger who had been practicing very hard to prepare for this fight.
What do you believe gave you an advantage over your opponent in the finals?
Neosaurus
I have been playing awakening ranger for over four years and I really know this class by heart. I took my time to learn my opponent's playstyle and find a good strategy to guarantee my win. Being able to trade protected damage better and predicting when my opponent would be unprotected gave me the edge I needed to win.
Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won?
Neosaurus
Not really. I knew I had a better chance at winning since me and my opponent trained a lot together before our bracket games. However, I took the finals very seriously and gave it 100% until the final moment in the final round.
Which 1st place reward are you most excited about?
Neosaurus
I was most excited about the MASTER RANGER title, but you know what I'm about to say... where is my title aura!?
Any words for the runner-up who fought until the end?
Neosaurus
Kemper is a really good ranger, he hasn't been playing the class for as long as I have, but he really gave this tournament his best and achieved amazing results in his bracket beating a lot of other good rangers. I'm proud of how far he made it in this tournament and I'm still grateful to him for helping me warm up before the tournament started
Any tips for those who want to try your class after watching your matches?
Neosaurus
Awakening Ranger is a really cool class in terms of style and gameplay, it's a strong duelist and excels in small scale PvP, you just have to be a little bit patient to learn how to flow its skills together since most of her skills are low cooldown. We're currently struggling in the meta due to some nerfs we received (please buff our stamina), but it's still a class worth trying if you're into duels and game modes like Arena of Solare.
Do you have any advice for Adventurers who are interested in learning PvP but feel unsure or hesitant about how to start?
Neosaurus
PvP is all about experience. The more you play, the better you get — and quickly. It's alright if you feel overwhelmed in the beginning, but it's very important to learn the fundamentals of PvP such as protections and CCs for your class and start small, like dueling your friend in the arena until you can successfully kill them in one combo!
How did your guild members, friends, or family react?
Neosaurus
Everyone was happy for me and it made my victory feel ten times better! It was really nice getting to celebrate this win with them, especially since I got to watch their reaction to my game live.
Any last words for your supporters or anyone else you'd like to mention?
Neosaurus
I want to say thanks to all my friends who helped me practice for my games and cheered for me. Shout-out to my cute Ranger friends Evasion, Aserbin, and Kemperiai for helping me practice; shout-out to my family in the guild Drama for cheering for me the hardest; shout-out to my cute friends in Comfy and Rat; and last but not least, shout-out to T and I, my favorite short kings.
LUK114
Congratulations on winning the Master Class 2025! How do you feel?
LUK114
Honored
What was your first impression when you saw the tournament bracket?
LUK114
That i need to deal whit the broken aspect...
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
LUK114
For the finals i play solare most of the time and dueled a sorcc friend to practise for finals (Freya) aprox 5h and 1h before the match begins.
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
LUK114
Was in the finals when i was 2-2 and I knew that any mistake would make me lose
What do you believe gave you an advantage over your opponent in the finals?
LUK114
The sa pressure that i was dealing to him
Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won?
LUK114
At the moment that i detected that he couldn't deal whit the sa trading
Which 1st place reward are you most excited about?
LUK114
The weapon skin and the unique title
Any words for the runner-up who fought until the end?
LUK114
It was a honor fight one of the best sorc of the game
Any tips for those who want to try your class after watching your matches?
LUK114
Learn the skills, how to stay protected and stamina management
Do you have any advice for Adventurers who are interested in learning PvP but feel unsure or hesitant about how to start?
LUK114
In a general way get prepared mentally to spend a lot of hours , try to do "deul for spot" to know what you can lose if you dont win, batle arena for know other classes to deal, red battlefield for skill management and deal whit a "chaos" scenario and nodewar/siege for a learn positioning and the principal pvp content of the game
How did your guild members, friends, or family react?
LUK114
They react like winning the tourney was my objective in life xd
Any last words for your supporters or anyone else you'd like to mention?
LUK114
I want to thank all my friends that support me, also sorcc dc comunity for all support that they give me all this years , Awoc Freya NoCookiesForYou Yisuni for all duels and advices that they give me towards my journey and Otrsor to the first advices and lessons he teach me about the class. Zior and Military for force me to gear up and improve and all ppl that beat me all this years that motivate me to keep improving.
Osku
Congratulations on winning the Master Class 2025! How do you feel?
Osku
Great, happy to have won a tournament
What was your first impression when you saw the tournament bracket?
Osku
My first gut feeling was happy since i skipped the first round but after inspecting it further, i noticed both lower and upper bracket will have some fights im 100% not confident in.
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
Osku
I dueled friends:, (Arise, Kemorus, Draclye on EU and did some fights with Choice and Nanohunters on NA) and theorized on a higher damage combo for 1v1's with Arise. I probably spent 10-15 hours dueling people total? Especially before my matches to warm up. On top of playing the class for years and actively pvping on it almost daily
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
Osku
Losing my first round against Augustavo got me good, but i realized right after dying that im overthinking it and i can just play better without doing anything fancy.
RAMBEAU 2-2 just made me laugh since i once again overthought the match for no reason, the realization made me calm down knowing if i just play like i usually do its my win.
RAMBEAU 2-2 just made me laugh since i once again overthought the match for no reason, the realization made me calm down knowing if i just play like i usually do its my win.
What do you believe gave you an advantage over your opponent in the finals?
Osku
Knowing a better combo i cooked with Arise for quite a few hours in BA.
Extending enemies DR debuffs in my grab.
Having dueled friends before im pretty confident in the mirror matchup.
Extending enemies DR debuffs in my grab.
Having dueled friends before im pretty confident in the mirror matchup.
Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won?
Osku
When i saw LUCID didnt sign up to the tournament.
Which 1st place reward are you most excited about?
Osku
The title, nice to have a unique looking title that only one person has. The pearls, griffon and arsha weapon are also very cool but the best reward was definetly the title
Any words for the runner-up who fought until the end?
Osku
RAMBEAU my goat, i saw he practiced like crazy and played really well in the finals 🙏
We spoke in the Arena of Arsha before the match and agreed that no matter which one of us wins it, itll atleast go to a real zerker main
We spoke in the Arena of Arsha before the match and agreed that no matter which one of us wins it, itll atleast go to a real zerker main
Any tips for those who want to try your class after watching your matches?
Osku
Class is very easy to learn thats for sure, if you need help theres plenty of guides on youtube/berserker discord that arent too bad, you can also ping me in the berserker disc if you have any questions
Do you have any advice for Adventurers who are interested in learning PvP but feel unsure or hesitant about how to start?
Osku
I think the answer to this question is much different in 2025, if i started BDO right now and wanted to learn something as fast as possible id be going into every active RBF during the day, run at people in BA when a RBF isnt up and join a Capped T2 guild until i have enough gear/experience to move onto uncapped.
How did your guild members, friends, or family react?
Osku
My discord and guildchat blew up with messages so much i couldnt keep up, the 20 people in guild voice watching the match on stream was also very heartwarming.
Any last words for your supporters or anyone else you'd like to mention?
Osku
Shoutout to Arise, Kaelthy, Kemorus, LUCID, RAMBEAU, Drac for still playing the class and for being helpful fellas.
Also shoutout to Flirty's thighs 🙏
🙏
🙏
Thanks to anyone who dmed me after the matches or wished me luck 🙏
Also shoutout to Flirty's thighs 🙏
🙏
🙏
Thanks to anyone who dmed me after the matches or wished me luck 🙏
YuberCrypt
Congratulations on winning the Master Class 2025! How do you feel?
YuberCrypt
I was very excited for the tournament and i'm happy i won.
What was your first impression when you saw the tournament bracket?
YuberCrypt
I went into the tournament togheter with my 2 good friends TAMER and Grizzmine both also tamers that participated in the tournament, so obviously when i first saw the bracket i went to check if i'll have to face any of them early on then i saw grizzmine was in a different bracket as me so i'm happy i don't have to fight him before the finals. TAMER was in the same bracket as me so i thought there is a big chance i will have to face his hwatcha.. i mean tamer.
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
YuberCrypt
I practiced quite alot togheter with TAMER and Grizzmine, we practiced in the same arena as the tournament Arena Of Arsha with the exact same rules as the tournament.
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
YuberCrypt
In the semi-finals when i fought CUP after i was losing 0-1 at that point the nerves really started kicking in.
What do you believe gave you an advantage over your opponent in the finals?
YuberCrypt
Practice, a good strategy and the fact that the majority people thought succession is the superior spec in 1v1.
Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won?
YuberCrypt
not really i did alot of 1v1 practice already vs grizzmine the other finalist and our fights were always quite even so i knew it was gonna be a tough one.
Which 1st place reward are you most excited about?
YuberCrypt
The MASTER TAMER title because its something unique only one person has on the server.
Any words for the runner-up who fought until the end?
YuberCrypt
Goodfights to everyone and hopefully see you in the next tournament.
Any tips for those who want to try your class after watching your matches?
YuberCrypt
Tamer is not in the best spot right now in pvp after the grab changes and the mouse movement removal it still is a great class for Arena Of Solare and 1v1 pvp though, the PvE is pretty good.
How did your guild members, friends, or family react?
YuberCrypt
my friends and family congratulated me.
Any last words for your supporters or anyone else you'd like to mention?
YuberCrypt
Big thanks and GG to grizzmine and TAMER the practice and preparation we did before the tournament was probably just as fun as the tournament itself :cooling:
Sweeepstar
Congratulations on winning the Master Class 2025! How do you feel?
Sweepstar
I feel happy that I was able to come this far and somehow manage to win it.
What was your first impression when you saw the tournament bracket?
Sweepstar
My first impression was that the bottom bracket was stacked with most of the known Musa players.
With me being in the top bracket I thought that I would at least get to round 4 (Top 8)
With me being in the top bracket I thought that I would at least get to round 4 (Top 8)
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
Sweepstar
I didn’t really do any practice for the fights up to Semi.
For the finals I practiced with my good friend Minorexus in AoA and reviewed the vods from the fights.
For the finals I practiced with my good friend Minorexus in AoA and reviewed the vods from the fights.
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
Sweepstar
I didn’t expect to get to the Semifinal so when I had to fight back to back (round 4 and then semifinals) hands were shaking
Obviously, the final was intense, but I feel like I was more prepared for that
Obviously, the final was intense, but I feel like I was more prepared for that
What do you believe gave you an advantage over your opponent in the finals?
Sweepstar
I don’t think I had any advantage, to me the final was a 50/50.
Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won?
Sweepstar
No, after the 3rd round i thought it was over but i somehow managed to pull it back.
Which 1st place reward are you most excited about?
Sweepstar
When looking at the rewards the Griffon sure looked cool, but now with me having used it a bit it surprised me. Such a cool mount even tho it’s a bit clumsy at times.
Any words for the runner-up who fought until the end?
Sweepstar
GGWP HAZE, was a close one
Do you have any advice for Adventurers who are interested in learning PvP but feel unsure or hesitant about how to start?
Sweepstar
"Don't let your dreams be dreams. Just do it." - Shia LaBeouf
Any last words for your supporters or anyone else you'd like to mention?
Sweepstar
Special thanks to Minorexus who helped me with most of the practice and preparations for the final. Without Mino I don’t think I would have won
lamStarside
Congratulations on winning the Master Class 2025! How do you feel?
lamStarside
Pretty good. Was feeling pretty confident. I didn't necessarily expect a win, but got there in the end.
What was your first impression when you saw the tournament bracket?
lamStarside
Great outcome honestly, ended up in the finals with the one person everyone expected to be there.
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
lamStarside
I didn't practice for the tournament that much, but I did have a Maehwa friend of mine duel me a bit so I got really comfortable with the trading patterns of the mirror matchup. I do BA whenever possible in general though.
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
lamStarside
When I was 2-0 in the finals and the possibility of having a clean sweep. Hands went full on blender shaking mode for the next 2 rounds.
Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won?
lamStarside
I think I played the first two rounds really strong that I won, but the next two I was too anxious to perform in any capacity. For the last round I reached zen and felt pretty confident, especially when we reached the small arena with my E buff and V still remaining along with a HP advantage.
Which 1st place reward are you most excited about?
lamStarside
I suppose the Master Maehwa title means the most, since it's unique in the way that only I have it on the server.(Even though it could probably look a bit different and have an aura...hint hint) 🙂
Any words for the runner-up who fought until the end?
lamStarside
Great fights, the exact person in the finals I wanted to fight against.
Any tips for those who want to try your class after watching your matches?
lamStarside
Just go for it and find your own playstyle that works for you.
Do you have any advice for Adventurers who are interested in learning PvP but feel unsure or hesitant about how to start?
lamStarside
As much flak as class discords tend to get, if you are new and interested in starting to learn pvp or your class in general, class discords and youtube guides made by people are the way to go. There is no need for you to reinvent the wheel just yet, get the basics down first and then start putting your own twist in it.
How did your guild members, friends, or family react?
lamStarside
The amount of spam and congratulations was kind of overwhelming(in a good way). Thanks everyone.
Any last words for your supporters or anyone else you'd like to mention?
lamStarside
Thanks to everyone who supported me and thanks to Kerispear for the amazing fights.
Vaphroy
Congratulations on winning the Master Class 2025! How do you feel?
Vaphroy
Still a bit surreal, I thought I would go far but didn't think I would win!
What was your first impression when you saw the tournament bracket?
Vaphroy
Daunting, very strong opponents but some what confident given the practice.
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
Vaphroy
Always aimed for at least a couple of hours a day with weekends being the most I've practiced going on for 5-6 hours at a time.
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
Vaphroy
The waiting for sure, most of my matches were very late in the day so spending the whole day in agony :KEKW:
What do you believe gave you an advantage over your opponent in the finals?
Vaphroy
Standing my ground, not getting baited and countering grabs with quick trades I believe gave me an advantage but I think what brought it home was being cool headed while being a couple of rounds down.
Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won?
Vaphroy
The grab on the 5th round in the last 10 seconds, I can't describe the feeling, all those hours of practice and nerves finally being released.
Which 1st place reward are you most excited about?
Vaphroy
The griffon and the arsha weapon although I don't get to see it :angy:
Any words for the runner-up who fought until the end?
Vaphroy
I'm glad I got to fight another Succession Valkyrie specially Himmiltun and we got to prove that with enough passion and dedication to a class there's nothing that can't be done
Any tips for those who want to try your class after watching your matches?
Vaphroy
I would say passion and open mindness, Succession Valkyrie plays very differently than anything in the game and has a rough learning curve.
Do you have any advice for Adventurers who are interested in learning PvP but feel unsure or hesitant about how to start?
Vaphroy
I would say have a pvp mate to fight or hop into Battle Arena, there's plenty of very cool people that are there to improve and teach you.
How did your guild members, friends, or family react?
Vaphroy
They were overjoyed, my friends held a watch party with snacks and webcams. I joined in vc after the match and it was absolute cinema of reactions.
Any last words for your supporters or anyone else you'd like to mention?
Vaphroy
I would like to personally thank SVNT, Dreamy, Ronniesaurus, WolfenHoro, Cutteri, MILITARY and ChampionJason for their time and effort in practice and all my friends and guildies for the support.
Jixi
Congratulations on winning the Master Class 2025! How do you feel?
Jixi
It's my first time winning an official tournament. I'm very glad it happened and I feel very honored.
What was your first impression when you saw the tournament bracket?
Jixi
I had a general idea of which players I'd expect in my matches down the line. The outcome of the top bracket felt particularly surprising.
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
Jixi
I practiced in the AoA under the same conditions as the tournament would be held - with my significant other who trained me against both succession and awakening. I trained around 1-2 hours a day for 2 weeks.
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
Jixi
Anytime the arena opens for the first time during the tournament is where my heartrate would spike the most. I'd calm down more and more as time went by.
What do you believe gave you an advantage over your opponent in the finals?
Jixi
I thoroughly practiced the matchup and determined my win-condition. Pressing my advantage during the final 30s and managing my resources carefully until then was I believe what gave me the advantage I needed.
Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won?
Jixi
Not until the very final moment. A single mistake can cost you the entire round and the momentum you built. We have all seen those reverse sweeps happen!
Which 1st place reward are you most excited about?
Jixi
If I had to choose, I'd say it is the weapon skin.
Any words for the runner-up who fought until the end?
Jixi
Thank you for the good fights!
Any tips for those who want to try your class after watching your matches?
Jixi
The succession kunoichi is a strong class that can struggle a lot with stamina management and protection. Both awakening and succession are my absolute favourites in terms of gameplay though, so please give them a chance.
Do you have any advice for Adventurers who are interested in learning PvP but feel unsure or hesitant about how to start?
Jixi
I think the most important part is finding a supportive environment and people that will practice with you.
How did your guild members, friends, or family react?
Jixi
I got a lot of endorsement from those who are close to me. Very thankful to everyone who cheered me on!
Any last words for your supporters or anyone else you'd like to mention?
Jixi
Shoutout to my guild Nap that sadly disbanded very recently!
And of course shoutout to my significant other for helping me train so much! Can't forget about the friends as well, hope to see you all around soon!
And of course shoutout to my significant other for helping me train so much! Can't forget about the friends as well, hope to see you all around soon!
INFINITY
Congratulations on winning the Master Class 2025! How do you feel?
INFINITY
I’m fairly satisfied with my performance.
What was your first impression when you saw the tournament bracket?
INFINITY
Very winnable. I was surprised that a lot of talkative and confident ninjas did not bother to attend.
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
INFINITY
I was very ill with Covid during the entire tournament and could not prepare as much as I would have liked to.
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
INFINITY
When my mysterious Bee opponent took a round from me in the semifinals and I had to lock in.
What do you believe gave you an advantage over your opponent in the finals?
INFINITY
Class spec and preparation. I had practiced against another top succ ninja and perfected the matchup.
Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won?
INFINITY
I was confident from the beginning that I would dominate the finals and once I took two rounds, I was convinced.
Which 1st place reward are you most excited about?
INFINITY
The title aura....
Any words for the runner-up who fought until the end?
INFINITY
Flacko is a very skilled succ ninja player and has been top EU for a while. A very skilled and talented opponent. He came in with a game plan and executed it optimally. He got to the semifinals despite spec disadvantage and he deserves his rewards.
Any tips for those who want to try your class after watching your matches?
INFINITY
Practice fundamentals and fight as much as possible.
Do you have any advice for Adventurers who are interested in learning PvP but feel unsure or hesitant about how to start?
INFINITY
Learn the fundamentals of the PVP system. What protections there are: Super Armour, Frontal Guards, Invincible frames. Learn what CCs are: Floats, Knockdowns, Bounds, etc. Once you understand these things you can start adopting them in movement chains and in combos. After you have some mechanics learnt you can start pvping and getting class matchup knowledge. Honestly a quest in the game explaining all of these things with a training dummy etc would be very useful for a new player. The Awakening/ Succession quests could also take information from the class discords to help with combos and movement.
How did your guild members, friends, or family react?
INFINITY
As a favourite of the bracket it was generally expected, but they were all happy.
Any last words for your supporters or anyone else you'd like to mention?
INFINITY
To my friends, my fans and my guild: You guys are the best and make this game worth playing.
Horseyy
Congratulations on winning the Master Class 2025! How do you feel?
Horseyy
Happy that i won again and could defend my throne.
What was your first impression when you saw the tournament bracket?
Horseyy
That i will win 100%.
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
Horseyy
I practice a bit with my obvious best friend zerrooo. I didnt even knew about the tournament and he gave me all the info. Shoutout to zerrooo, without hin i wouldve missed the tournament.
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
Horseyy
Againt basz cuz it was the only round i lost and couldnt practice against awakening.
What do you believe gave you an advantage over your opponent in the finals?
Horseyy
My 9 year experience on wizard and all the tournaments ive participate.
Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won?
Horseyy
I knew it when i filled the formular.
Which 1st place reward are you most excited about?
Horseyy
Pearls and crons to improve my 820gs. Sadly i already own 2 tournament titles and have the glory arsha skin for awakening already.
Any words for the runner-up who fought until the end?
Horseyy
Keep practicing and good luck next time.
Any tips for those who want to try your class after watching your matches?
Horseyy
The basics are very simple. Awakening is very beginner friendly and super strong in capped pvp. I dont recomment succession as a beginner in bdo.
Do you have any advice for Adventurers who are interested in learning PvP but feel unsure or hesitant about how to start?
Horseyy
Learning by doing. Most of the stuff is just muscle memory and experience.
How did your guild members, friends, or family react?
Horseyy
People expected my win.
Any last words for your supporters or anyone else you'd like to mention?
Horseyy
Thanks for my believer and who stood behind me and buffwiz as always!
HyrkoontheHero
Congratulations on winning the Master Class 2025! How do you feel?
HyrkoontheHero
Overall, it’s an amazing and very joyful feeling. Winning is always great, but achieving it in a highly competitive region like EU—where so many strong players participate makes it even more special
What was your first impression when you saw the tournament bracket?
HyrkoontheHero
When I saw the bracket, I noticed several players I had encountered in the game before—people I knew were really skilled. So I knew right away that some great and challenging matches were waiting for me
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
HyrkoontheHero
Because of work and having a baby, i couldn’t practice as much as I wanted. But I ve been playing Witch since 2016, so I definitely relied on the experience and familiarity I ve built over the years
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
HyrkoontheHero
Every moment that made me panic and press V was definitely nerve-wracking
What do you believe gave you an advantage over your opponent in the finals?
HyrkoontheHero
I’d say this: even though teleporting backward might look like a defensive move, using the first teleport as a Witch actually forces my opponent to chase me with theirs. That gave me the advantage of having my second teleport come off cooldown earlier, allowing me to catch my opponent off guard during the next exchange
Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won?
HyrkoontheHero
At the start of the third round, when I managed to calm myself down even more, I felt that I had the momentum and that I was going to win against my opponent
Which 1st place reward are you most excited about?
HyrkoontheHero
Definitely the title. Winning and being able to carry that title is the reward I’m most excited about
Any words for the runner-up who fought until the end?
HyrkoontheHero
Reaching the finals is already an achievement in itself. They were someone I had encountered in the game before, and they put on a really impressive performance throughout the tournament
Any tips for those who want to try your class after watching your matches?
HyrkoontheHero
Even though Witch may seem like an outdated class, I can say that it’s really fun in 1v1 situations. Don’t underestimate it—there’s a lot of depth and strategy to enjoy
Do you have any advice for Adventurers who are interested in learning PvP but feel unsure or hesitant about how to start?
HyrkoontheHero
PvP might not always feel fun at first, but as you learn your class and start performing well, the time you spend in PvP can become really enjoyable and rewarding
How did your guild members, friends, or family react?
HyrkoontheHero
Their first reaction was basically ‘we knew it' 😄
FTP
Congratulations on winning the Master Class 2025! How do you feel?
FTP
Thank you! I feel great, it’s an amazing feeling to come out on top.
What was your first impression when you saw the tournament bracket?
FTP
When I saw my bracket, I knew I’d have to be fully locked in from the start. Every matchup was tough, and I especially knew my first round against Emilie would set the tone for the rest of the tournament.
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
FTP
I practiced by spamming Arena of Arsha practice games against a wide variety of Mystics. I even trained on both specs, Awakening and Succession so I’d be prepared to swap if needed.
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
FTP
Definitely the first match when I went down 0–1. Being one round away from elimination right out of the gate is always nerve-wracking.
What do you believe gave you an advantage over your opponent in the finals?
FTP
My experience on Mystic. I’ve played the class since 2018, and I’ve competed in and won several tournaments with it. That long-term familiarity really helped in high-pressure moments.
Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won?
FTP
When I went up 2–1, I felt confident I could close things out. At that point I had good momentum and a solid read on the matchup.
Which 1st place reward are you most excited about?
FTP
The Griffin mount was really unique and cool. The 100k Pearls and 50k Cron Stones were great too though the Crons disappeared in about a minute after I got them. I already had Arsha weapon skins from previous wins, so that part wasn’t as exciting for me.
Any words for the runner-up who fought until the end?
FTP
You played well—getting to the finals is no small feat.
Any tips for those who want to try your class after watching your matches?
FTP
I run a Discord with tons of Mystic information, and I recommend joining if you’re looking to learn the class. I’m also always happy to answer questions.
Link: https://discord.com/invite/FFrfvvVxmz
Link: https://discord.com/invite/FFrfvvVxmz
Do you have any advice for Adventurers who are interested in learning PvP but feel unsure or hesitant about how to start?
FTP
The best way is simply to jump in. Queue up Arena of Solare practice matches, do 1v1s with guildmates, spam Red Battlefield, anything that gets you consistent experience. The start is always tough, but if you stick with it, you’ll improve.
How did your guild members, friends, or family react?
FTP
They were happy for me and supportive as always.
Any last words for your supporters or anyone else you'd like to mention?
FTP
Thanks to Eliteton and Lolzy for spamming Arena of Arsha practice games with me, they were a huge help.
Carryhard
Congratulations on winning the Master Class 2025! How do you feel?
Carryhard
The arsha weapon was just something I wanted to get as to prove a point for myself and when I saw the bracket I just knew it was possible if I put effort in it
What was your first impression when you saw the tournament bracket?
Carryhard
I did maybe a bit over 1h of duels daily during the 3 weeks of the tournament, the last week for the final was no different
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
Carryhard
The first couple games are definitely the most nerve-wracking because the worse thing that can happen is practicing so many hours to go out early on some uncommon mistakes due to nerves. Also the wait time in between games is very rough, inside the arena isn't that bad
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
Carryhard
Honestly the mirror matchup is very volatile and I knew it wasn't over even when I was up 2-0. Only on the last cc I knew it was gg
What do you believe gave you an advantage over your opponent in the finals?
Carryhard
Even though before the tournament I wanted the arsha weapon because I think it's a strong symbol, now that I have them I think the title and the griffon are the cooler things (FIX THE TITLE PA)
Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won?
Carryhard
Learn at your own pace, use AoS as a tool to learn your class and try to understand its' strengths and weaknesses, find a capped guild as an extra to learn large scale. Do not get discouraged by the rough start, this game has a lot of little things to learn
How did your guild members, friends, or family react?
Carryhard
Guild chat was cheering, I actually had some irl friends that never played BDO before watching the final on twitch and they were loving the chat and the cast even if they didn't have a clue what was going on in the games ahah
Ceiny
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
Ceiny
I mainly asked some archers to 1 v 1 for half and hour to decide how mandatory luthraghon Core is for 1 v 1 and once i was set onto using it i was pretty done.
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
Ceiny
The worst part was the start cuz i didnt rly know what to expect but once i got slight clue of how Jampe will play it was good.
What do you believe gave you an advantage over your opponent in the finals?
Ceiny
I feel like having an choice to play agressive or defensive whenever i wanted to is most important in this match up and when u are allowed to to drain your opponent stamina by pushing him into tight spots dictates rest of the fight.
Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won?
Ceiny
Yes once i realized that Jampe will mainly play defensive if i dont make major mistakes the fight should be unlosable
Which 1st place reward are you most excited about?
Ceiny
Pearls and title
Do you have any advice for Adventurers who are interested in learning PvP but feel unsure or hesitant about how to start?
Ceiny
Usually the biggest advice i give to players that wanna start pvp on new class is just to start doing PVE using pvp combos to get used to them it might also apply to new players but for sure just watch youtube guides there is plenty and understanding core mechanics and how they work is mandatory regardless of a class.
MichuKPK
Congratulations on winning the Master Class 2025! How do you feel?
MichuKPK
Thanks! I'm really happy I could participate and managed to win the whole tournament. I've been waiting for this kind of tournament since Best-in-class tournament that happened 4 years ago.
What was your first impression when you saw the tournament bracket?
MichuKPK
I was watching brackets seeding live and seeing Lua as my first opponent was quite a surprise as I believed it's either me or him winning it all, this was by far the most important match for me.
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
MichuKPK
I asked many DK players for duels, set up AoA rules the same as tournament and just try myself. I've mostly dueled DK players that I find the strongest on the class, tried to not keep the duels sessions too long, so we usually did first-to-30 wins which took about an hour per session.
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
MichuKPK
In semi finals for sure. My first round was very unlucky and I ended up losing it, so I had in my mind that I'm now at a match point and can't make many more mistakes, but I played it more safe and managed to bring it home.
What do you believe gave you an advantage over your opponent in the finals?
MichuKPK
I'll answer what I believe gave me advantage overall. (In finals it would be just spec, me on succ, Ditts on awak). Damage trades are my strength for sure. Almost all the DKs I fought often used Air Strike and Flow: Vedir Strike with no real reason while it's the best damage trading skills in our kit.
Which 1st place reward are you most excited about?
MichuKPK
MASTER DARK KNIGHT title for sure, I like the unique color grading on it (please give it an aura). I would say that Glorius Arsha weapon is also great, but I play succession (Glorius Arsha main weapon skin when) so I will never see it :(
Any tips for those who want to try your class after watching your matches?
MichuKPK
Just give a try, the class is not difficult by any means and super fun to play.
Do you have any advice for Adventurers who are interested in learning PvP but feel unsure or hesitant about how to start?
MichuKPK
There's a lot of guides for PvP, but I recommend finding a guild (maybe a T1 nw guild) and just keep practicing through AoS practice or just random fights in battle arena with friends. Also don't get discouraged if you won't succeed instantly, it takes some time to get used to this game.
Any last words for your supporters or anyone else you'd like to mention?
MichuKPK
I saw a lot of encouraging messages in twitch streams, thanks a lot for all of them. I would also like to thank my friends Velkoz and Youruch as well as our whole Frogshop community discord that I played with for years, you're all great!
Shaizella
Congratulations on winning the Master Class 2025! How do you feel?
Shaizella
It feels good
What was your first impression when you saw the tournament bracket?
Shaizella
At first I thought I would advance directly to the final, but after dueling with some people I realized I would have a tough time.
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
Shaizella
Personally, I haven't done much training; I've been playing PvP with this character for a long time now.
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
Shaizella
Definitely when I fought Sargatarius
What do you believe gave you an advantage over your opponent in the finals?
Shaizella
Even before the tournament, I was doing a lot of shai vs shai fights, and we developed combos with a friend I knew.
Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won?
Shaizella
When I eliminated Sargatarius
Which 1st place reward are you most excited about?
Shaizella
Normally it would be a title, but since it lacks an aura, it didn't excite me much, so I'd just say Pearl and Griffin.
Any words for the runner-up who fought until the end?
Shaizella
I want to congratulate him; he eliminated people I didn't think he could eliminate.
Any tips for those who want to try your class after watching your matches?
Shaizella
I don't have much to say, but there are videos I can recommend, and I learned from them too. They can check out KamiNoSane's videos.
Do you have any advice for Adventurers who are interested in learning PvP but feel unsure or hesitant about how to start?
Shaizella
Go and fight with your character, but not only combos but also your own comment(touch).
How did your guild members, friends, or family react?
Shaizella
They were happy for me, I thank them.
Any last words for your supporters or anyone else you'd like to mention?
Shaizella
Thank you for everyone
Draco
Congratulations on winning the Master Class 2025! How do you feel?
Draco
happy and relieved, it was a really stressful but fun experience
What was your first impression when you saw the tournament bracket?
Draco
a bit afraid, since the bracket i was in was more stacked, had more good players/players i knew
and succession which i usually play, is pretty disadvantaged against awakening, and i was up against mostly awakening/decent awakening players
and succession which i usually play, is pretty disadvantaged against awakening, and i was up against mostly awakening/decent awakening players
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
Draco
for the preliminaries, i only did some 1v1s with my homie Bugcat (He lost his first fight...), we spent at least a couple nights 1v1ing in battle arena
then the day before the preliminaries, i also did some 1v1s against Howy (who ended up becoming the other finalist too).
After i won prelims, i practiced more for the finals, contacted every guardian i knew that could 1v1 on succession, since i knew howy only plays succession, rented arena of arsha, and also theorycrafted a decent amount about the 1v1 matchup and the win/lose conditions.
but shoutout to everyone who helped out: Bugcat (my goat, why did he lose first fight ...), Azure_sky, Anthxny (rank1 NA shotcaller frfr), and BackstepSlash (who ended up winning NA master guardian).
then the day before the preliminaries, i also did some 1v1s against Howy (who ended up becoming the other finalist too).
After i won prelims, i practiced more for the finals, contacted every guardian i knew that could 1v1 on succession, since i knew howy only plays succession, rented arena of arsha, and also theorycrafted a decent amount about the 1v1 matchup and the win/lose conditions.
but shoutout to everyone who helped out: Bugcat (my goat, why did he lose first fight ...), Azure_sky, Anthxny (rank1 NA shotcaller frfr), and BackstepSlash (who ended up winning NA master guardian).
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
Draco
Definitely the preliminaries, in particular the first match.
My opponent was really locked in, and since it was my first match ever in a tournament, i was shaking and could hear my heart, even choked the first round.
Ended up bringing it home though, but he played it so well, didn't deserve to go out first round for real.
Afterwards the more rounds went on, the more i got used to the nerves, still ended up choking first round a couple times, however i played really clean.
My opponent was really locked in, and since it was my first match ever in a tournament, i was shaking and could hear my heart, even choked the first round.
Ended up bringing it home though, but he played it so well, didn't deserve to go out first round for real.
Afterwards the more rounds went on, the more i got used to the nerves, still ended up choking first round a couple times, however i played really clean.
What do you believe gave you an advantage over your opponent in the finals?
Draco
uhmmmm a couple things actually,
so the day i did those 1v1s with Howy (the other finalist and a guildie), i had a slight edge when we went succession vs succession
However when i swapped to awakening for 5 minutes just to try, i don't think he won once. Because he didn't know the awakening kit well + in the 1v1 matchup awakening has a massive advantage (+ people forgot, but way back in 2021 I was a awakening guardian main that did LOTS of 1v1s, though i hadn't played it since then too)
Howy also couldn't be sure on what spec i would pull up on, since i did say i was rusty on it + i did the entire preliminaries on succession.
I also made sure he didn't know that I was practicing at all/with who/where
Only indication i would pull up on awakening was those 5minutes of 1v1 we did where i went awakening.
Then the day of the finals, i stayed full in pre-awakening untill my first grab attempt, to surprise him + also mental debuff him,
was kind of a betrayal ngl, was supposed to be a battle of the succession guardians, but a win is a win
Full villain mode
so the day i did those 1v1s with Howy (the other finalist and a guildie), i had a slight edge when we went succession vs succession
However when i swapped to awakening for 5 minutes just to try, i don't think he won once. Because he didn't know the awakening kit well + in the 1v1 matchup awakening has a massive advantage (+ people forgot, but way back in 2021 I was a awakening guardian main that did LOTS of 1v1s, though i hadn't played it since then too)
Howy also couldn't be sure on what spec i would pull up on, since i did say i was rusty on it + i did the entire preliminaries on succession.
I also made sure he didn't know that I was practicing at all/with who/where
Only indication i would pull up on awakening was those 5minutes of 1v1 we did where i went awakening.
Then the day of the finals, i stayed full in pre-awakening untill my first grab attempt, to surprise him + also mental debuff him,
was kind of a betrayal ngl, was supposed to be a battle of the succession guardians, but a win is a win
Full villain mode
Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won?
Draco
After all that practice/scheming + knowing the opponent and myself, i was 99.9% confident i would win.
Thats why i practiced so much, to make absolutely sure that even if i was dying from nerves/my internet acted up(yk what im saying),
i would still be able to consistently bring it back anyways
Thats why i practiced so much, to make absolutely sure that even if i was dying from nerves/my internet acted up(yk what im saying),
i would still be able to consistently bring it back anyways
Which 1st place reward are you most excited about?
Draco
The title,
(leave this out if you want, even though a lot of ppl find it ugly/disappointing that it doesn't have aura like some other titles)
I really wanted it since it's the only real permanent flex, like a statement that you actually achieved something
Especially after i missed out on participating in the last best in class tournament, since i didn't have enough playtime on my guardian back then, i REALLY wanted it and now i finally did
(leave this out if you want, even though a lot of ppl find it ugly/disappointing that it doesn't have aura like some other titles)
I really wanted it since it's the only real permanent flex, like a statement that you actually achieved something
Especially after i missed out on participating in the last best in class tournament, since i didn't have enough playtime on my guardian back then, i REALLY wanted it and now i finally did
Any words for the runner-up who fought until the end?
Draco
I'm sorry ...
I had to do it ...
I'm sorry for taking your only chance to actually get a BDO girlfriend... (He wanted to win so he could get a BDO gf)
I had to do it ...
I'm sorry for taking your only chance to actually get a BDO girlfriend... (He wanted to win so he could get a BDO gf)
Any tips for those who want to try your class after watching your matches?
Draco
For succession guardian, do some PvE on it untill your comfortable with the skills/freestyling the combo.
Gameplay is really similar PvE/PvP, only really need to get used to the movement and you're kind of ready.
Gameplay is really similar PvE/PvP, only really need to get used to the movement and you're kind of ready.
Do you have any advice for Adventurers who are interested in learning PvP but feel unsure or hesitant about how to start?
Draco
Go to battle arena with your friends and just go whack at eachother, try some aos (and maybe some rbf), just have fun you know.
If you want you could also join a T1 guild, good introduction to nodewars/pvp in general, + there would probably also be a community in there happy to help you get into it, with guides in it etc.
If you want you could also join a T1 guild, good introduction to nodewars/pvp in general, + there would probably also be a community in there happy to help you get into it, with guides in it etc.
How did your guild members, friends, or family react?
Draco
welp lots of congratulations from everyone for real, howy was bummed out 😭
, and i got teased a bit for playing awakening too xd
for friends/family it was a bit hard to explain what i even won though ngl, what videogame/what tournament.
, and i got teased a bit for playing awakening too xd
for friends/family it was a bit hard to explain what i even won though ngl, what videogame/what tournament.
Any last words for your supporters or anyone else you'd like to mention?
Draco
Ty for everyone supporting me/the real OGs from back in 2021 who supported me, even when i had it rough mentally,
You were too real back then Snezhevna, my bad ...
Also shoutout to Hopinhos and everyone from Espresso back then! Those were the times, what really got me into PvP...
And of course, Comfy on top!
You were too real back then Snezhevna, my bad ...
Also shoutout to Hopinhos and everyone from Espresso back then! Those were the times, what really got me into PvP...
And of course, Comfy on top!
Warlocked
What was your first impression when you saw the tournament bracket?
Warlocked
At first I was discouraged when I saw that I was in a bracket full of known Awakening Hash PvP players, because I think Awakening Hashashin has an advantage over Succession in the matchup, however I decided to practice and just show up and do my best regardless.
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
Warlocked
I practiced by doing fights in the Arena of Arsha to mimic the tourney environment against various known Hashashin players. I actually happened to practice with Crandall (the other Hashashin finalist) before the tourney started. Going into the finals I was quite confident but I still practiced by fighting my Awakening Hashashin friend during the weekend, doing sets of 7 or 10 Arena of Arsha rounds.
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
Warlocked
Probably the first round of the finals, it was going quite well until I got cc'd and had to use my V which meant that any cc that hit me afterwards would equal death.
Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won?
Warlocked
During the third round of the finals I managed to land an early cc on my opponent which lead to him having to use his V. In the Awakening vs Succession Hashashin matchup the start of the round (before health gets capped) is very Awakening favoured so being able to force his V so early made me very confident that I would win it all.
Any words for the runner-up who fought until the end?
Warlocked
I think Crandall played very well and having watched his matches on his journey to the finals I was very impressed by his win against Saffe, who is a very good Awakening Hashashin and who was one of the favourites to win the tourney. He punished Saffe's gaps and failed grabs very well without leaving himself exposed.
Do you have any advice for Adventurers who are interested in learning PvP but feel unsure or hesitant about how to start?
Warlocked
It can be a bit rough at first but I think learning the basics of the PvP system is crucial - how ccs and protections work, especially. After that, hop on the class you want to play and practice moving around, throwing some ccs while staying as protected as possible. Once you've gotten a general idea of how to stay protected, try learning a few combos that start with your main ccs (you can easily practice these on the Battle Arena dummies). Afterwards, you can either ask a friend or guildie to spar with you in the Battle Arena or you can queue up for practice Arena of Solare. It may be Over time, staying protected while moving, throwing ccs and comboing will become muscle memory. Later on I'd also suggest learning what other classes do either by simply reading their skills or even by playing them yourself for a bit so you can learn which skills to avoid and how to punish them.
How did your guild members, friends, or family react?
Warlocked
It was very fun and heart-warming to read back on my guild's discord chat after my match and seeing them all cheering me on and being excited each time I landed a catch or won a round.
Any last words for your supporters or anyone else you'd like to mention?
Warlocked
It was very fun and heart-warming to read back on my guild's discord chat after my match and seeing them all cheering me on and being excited each time I landed a catch or won a round.
GoldFireNOR
Congratulations on winning the Master Class 2025! How do you feel?
GoldFireNOR
Thank you! I felt an insane relief because it had been on my mind for a while, from getting into the normal bracket all the way to the finals. After it was over, I was just happy. I couldn’t stop smiling for an hour.
What was your first impression when you saw the tournament bracket?
GoldFireNOR
I was half-and-half. I knew there was tough competition, but I also knew it was possible to push through.
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
GoldFireNOR
Honestly, I didn’t practice much. I only did a few rounds with Vollkornbeet right before my finals—the same person I fought in Round 4.
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
GoldFireNOR
At first I underestimated my opponent (Alphadoje). After the first and second round, I realized I’d made a mistake doing that, and I needed to fully lock in.
What do you believe gave you an advantage over your opponent in the finals?
GoldFireNOR
I’ve been an avid PvP’er for years. Daily NWs, BA, Arsha, and other PvP content—so I have a lot of PvP experience. But even with that, nothing really prepares you for the nerves and pressure during the actual finals.
Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won?
GoldFireNOR
In the last round, when I managed to lock in and force V and E-buff out of my opponent. Even then, my nerves were at their peak until the final grab that ended the fight.
Which 1st place reward are you most excited about?
GoldFireNOR
The Griffin. It’s a really fun novelty to have and use.
Any words for the runner-up who fought until the end?
GoldFireNOR
First off, GG! It could have gone either way. Alphadoje could’ve won as well. He definitely deserves praise.
Any tips for those who want to try your class after watching your matches?
GoldFireNOR
Don’t be passive. Succ Nova is strong defensively, but she applies a lot of pressure if you play aggressively.
Do you have any advice for Adventurers who are interested in learning PvP but feel unsure or hesitant about how to start?
GoldFireNOR
When I started PvPing years ago, I was shaking every single time I had a duel for spot, so you’re not alone. Try joining a Tier 1 Node War guild with no mandatory requirements. That way you can experience PvP without pressure. Worst case, you might even find a new home and friends.
How did your guild members, friends, or family react?
GoldFireNOR
I got a ton of messages and calls from guild members, in-game friends, and people IRL who watched. They were all hyped and stressed on my behalf.
Any last words for your supporters or anyone else you'd like to mention?
GoldFireNOR
I think it’s important to play for fun. Do what you enjoy—screw the meta.
And a big thanks to everyone in Adversary. Much love <3
And a big thanks to everyone in Adversary. Much love <3
CCaJJ
Congratulations on winning the Master Class 2025! How do you feel?
CCaJJ
Stoic, its a familiar feeling. thanks to Arena of Solare.
What was your first impression when you saw the tournament bracket?
CCaJJ
Pretty optimistic, was expecting assign to eliminate everyone else but he bottled and got eliminated, after that it was obvious.
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
CCaJJ
If there was no Arena of Solare season, i would ve lost this tournament quite early… but thanks to genius move from the devs they release a quick season to make people practice more pvp, this was my general training. As for the 1v1s 1 hour before the early brackets with Tassader and 2 hours before the finals with Assign. Which is why i was kinda late XD.
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
CCaJJ
There was no such moment.
What do you believe gave you an advantage over your opponent in the finals?
CCaJJ
There was no advantage we were equally matched.
Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won?
CCaJJ
yes, 4th round. why? because when you were ahead 2-1 and your opponent down V(emergency escape) you get insane amount of advantage and confidence boost, you think like you are basically the winner. Losing that advantage and confidence usually the reason you lose. So technically you could say this. Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won? no. Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that your opponent would lose? yes.
Which 1st place reward are you most excited about?
CCaJJ
Exclusive title… But honestly title is underwhelming. I was expecting way more aura farming title than basically this… My friends call me MASTER SA because you cant even read the ge part :(… Honestly instead of all caps if it was something like Master Sage and had some aura effect like ultimate weapon or the greatest title x, i wouldnt mind having the gradient. But all caps MASTER SAGE with unreadable ge part and no aura is kinda not it...
Griffon cool tho but its also insanely sad that i just cant sit on it at heidel or velia aura farm people… Come one now let us have that atleast… 🙁
Any words for the runner-up who fought until the end?
CCaJJ
Well played, Rokon. You did well. May the crons you got would serve you well.
Any tips for those who want to try your class after watching your matches?
CCaJJ
Sure, Don't spam too much abilities back to back you will run out of stamina. Play more of a reactive play style, only go agressive if you have the enough stamina to do so. maybe i ll release a guide soon...
Do you have any advice for Adventurers who are interested in learning PvP but feel unsure or hesitant about how to start?
CCaJJ
yes, Don't worry about the outcome of the pvp too much. losing is the part of the learning curve. I remember going 0-200 in battle arena but who cares. the experience is what matters… Look forward to ranked arena of solare and spam as much as you can... in no time you will be 1500+(shining spear)red elo player and make ton of money aswell.
pro tip: how to super armor trade?
FG beats superarmor : only use quick cancellable or range fg to your opponents super armor
mobility beats FG : if you know you dont have the answer to incoming damage use your use mobility to move out of the way. Most fg skills in this game is directionally locked.(I said most not all) so move sideway
Iframe beats everything : Everyclass in this game has an iframe skill to react and play accordingly… Your gameplay should revolve around the iframe espically in small scale. yes yes some classes have more iframes they get to do more things but when your class has only 1 iframe dash thats when you need learn when to use it... An awaken warrior called HaCaY(rank 1 warrior in Arena of Solare rankings) for example is legit harder to catch compare to an awakening sorceress.
pro tip: how to super armor trade?
FG beats superarmor : only use quick cancellable or range fg to your opponents super armor
mobility beats FG : if you know you dont have the answer to incoming damage use your use mobility to move out of the way. Most fg skills in this game is directionally locked.(I said most not all) so move sideway
Iframe beats everything : Everyclass in this game has an iframe skill to react and play accordingly… Your gameplay should revolve around the iframe espically in small scale. yes yes some classes have more iframes they get to do more things but when your class has only 1 iframe dash thats when you need learn when to use it... An awaken warrior called HaCaY(rank 1 warrior in Arena of Solare rankings) for example is legit harder to catch compare to an awakening sorceress.
How did your guild members, friends, or family react?
CCaJJ
mireyel gave me a special gift(i wont tell you what it is) and he also give me a T10 guild payout.
Any last words for your supporters or anyone else you'd like to mention?
CCaJJ
Honestly i have more haters than supporterts cm ronin is one of them… but regardless thanks for everyone their support, im glad i could deliver what they were expecting from me.
Yuniexd
Congratulations on winning the Master Class 2025! How do you feel?
Yuniexd
Pretty satisfied but i know some of the best players of this class weren't able to partecipate
What was your first impression when you saw the tournament bracket?
Yuniexd
"Damn im gonna be against my guildmate in the semifinals" (he forgot the day of the tourney and got dq)
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
Yuniexd
A handful of 1v1s with guild mates with the new trial gear to test damage, and like 20 rounds of scrims vs one of the best awakening maegus in the server which is in my guild "Ufovokprime"
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
Yuniexd
The only round I lost in the whole tournament in the quarterfinals. I was winning the trades but got too confident, got CC’d twice in a row, and had to come back from 0–1.
What do you believe gave you an advantage over your opponent in the finals?
Yuniexd
In my opinion, Succession performs better against Awakening strictly in 1v1 vs her. Its one of the few 1v1 matchups succession can win, Awakening excels as a surprise burst assassin style, but if you actively pay attention to her you can react to her movements easily
Which 1st place reward are you most excited about?
Yuniexd
Crons, so i dont' have to grind
Any words for the runner-up who fought until the end?
Yuniexd
They are a really good player, but i believe the matchup is succession favourite, or maybe there aren't enough good succession players in the game to practice against, while i had really good practice vs good awakening players
Any tips for those who want to try your class after watching your matches?
Yuniexd
Master your elusiveness, slowly drain your enemies HP by never getting caught and keep poking
Do you have any advice for Adventurers who are interested in learning PvP but feel unsure or hesitant about how to start?
Yuniexd
If you are good in PVE you can be good in PVP, you just need to put the same time and interest without getting discouraged by losing, PVE in any game is designed to be beaten, PVP is not which can be exciting and discouraging at the same time, You just need to put time and solve the game
How did your guild members, friends, or family react?
Yuniexd
Guild leader gave me t10 payout, more money good
Any last words for your supporters or anyone else you'd like to mention?
Yuniexd
I'd like to thank my guild mate "Ufovokprime" for giving me lot of practice and suggestions before the tourney and before the finals, im gifting him some of my pearls if he wants them, Hashashin masterclass winner in my guild "Warlocked" also gave me a good warm up 1v1 a few minutes before the finals would start which helped me a lot
Meiler
Congratulations on winning the Master Class 2025! How do you feel?
Meiler
I feel both happy and relieved that I performed as I was expected to.
What was your first impression when you saw the tournament bracket?
Meiler
Releasing it live on stream felt exciting but the bracket for Scholar was disappointing with clear favorites going up against each other in the firs two rounds and no way to meet in the finals.
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
Meiler
I practiced two days for 1-2h each in AoA. Otherwise I kept playing some AoS and NW to keep myself ready.
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
Meiler
Winning on 1% in the last round against Lyd got my heart beating the most.
What do you believe gave you an advantage over your opponent in the finals?
Meiler
Scholar has been very niche so the mirror matchup is something most of the few players we have don't know or practice. Hamsti did well for the amount he plays but there was a clear difference in experience/playtime.
Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won?
Meiler
Right out of the gate.
Which 1st place reward are you most excited about?
Meiler
Initially both the crons and pearls felt very appealing before I won but after winning dropping the Griffon as a flex has become my new favorite.
Any words for the runner-up who fought until the end?
Meiler
Everybody tried to some extend and don't feel discouraged. In the first Scholar tourney after it's release I lost very early on so just keep going and the next win could be yours.
Any tips for those who want to try your class after watching your matches?
Meiler
The Class itself has a very high skill floor so just try it out it's good at everything. Easy choice for anybody with a free tag.
Do you have any advice for Adventurers who are interested in learning PvP but feel unsure or hesitant about how to start?
Meiler
I played on and off for a long time before getting into PvP and it's what got me to stay. While it's very daunting it is also extremely rewarding whenever the kill sound dopamine hits.
How did your guild members, friends, or family react?
Meiler
My guildies and ingame friends all celebrated right away. IRL both friends and family didn't really care.
Any last words for your supporters or anyone else you'd like to mention?
Meiler
Shoutout to HOLO and Claymore(MENA) for helping me practice and figure out my winning strategy to play in AoA.
Unlyne
Congratulations on winning the Master Class 2025! How do you feel?
Unlyne
I feel great
What was your first impression when you saw the tournament bracket?
Unlyne
I was hyped seeing some names i know
How did you practice, and how much time did you dedicate to preparing for the finals?
Unlyne
id say a week of mirror matchup 1v1s and learning bout animations you can grab/punish
Which moment during the tournament did you find the most nerve-wracking?
Unlyne
always the first game
What do you believe gave you an advantage over your opponent in the finals?
Unlyne
Im good at grabbing but I didnt think that i had a big advantage outside of that
Was there a moment during the finals when you knew that you'd won?
Unlyne
i had a good feeling after i grabbed my opponent out of aerial movements a few times
Which 1st place reward are you most excited about?
Unlyne
The title + weapon ( I CANT SEE MY WEAPON)
Any words for the runner-up who fought until the end?
Unlyne
he played well
Any tips for those who want to try your class after watching your matches?
Unlyne
dont try it til it gets QoL fixes and meaningful buffs but if you really like wukong as a concept still go for it.
Do you have any advice for Adventurers who are interested in learning PvP but feel unsure or hesitant about how to start?
Unlyne
Just ask your guildies for guidance , join AoS practice , go to battle arena 1 for 1v1s , join a T1 guild for starters , alot of things you can do to get into pvp + watching streamers or vods of people that play your class helps too!""
How did your guild members, friends, or family react?
Unlyne
they were super supportive
Any last words for your supporters or anyone else you'd like to mention?
Unlyne
TY FOR THE SUPPORT**
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