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This makes classic Tetris universal, but also daunting. Anyone can pick up a Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) or an emulator and play, and there are people in the community who’ve been watching blocks drop since the game came out 30 years ago. Yet I don’t know anyone else who really follows it.Ĭlassic Tetris is a bit of a funny animal that way, even among esports. Classic Tetris as a competitive endeavor seems to have finally hit critical mass and begun to flower into a global phenomenon after decades of being sustained more or less entirely by a small community of hardcore fans. Even Tetris creator Alexey Pajitnov himself, came in person to the 2019 Classic Tetris World Championship (CTWC), which is foremost a celebration of his work. In his wake have followed dozens of young, dynamic new players, coming out of the worldwide woodwork to become genuine contenders at the highest level of competition. This year, Joseph did it again, cementing his number one position and ushering in a new era for classic Tetris. He came away a world champion after defeating Harry Hong, Koji “Koryan” Nishio, and Neubauer, all more than twice his age and, arguably, the three greatest players of all time. The California teen’s explosive rise to the pinnacle of a scene that has welcomed him is a sign of the open and promising future for classic Tetris that I’ve ever seen in my years following the competition.Īfter showing up for his first tournament in 2018 as a relatively promising unknown just hoping to qualify for the elimination round, Saelee overcame the most stacked bracket in the as-yet history of the game. It shouldn’t surprise you if you’ve read this far that I’m a huge fan of classic Tetris, and I was thrilled to see Joseph (the best Tetris players are known by their first names) take another title. The kid is just that good, on a level that seems to exceed anything ever demonstrated by the hundreds who have played the game at an elite level.

He proved his miracle win last year over seven-time champion and Tetris legend, Jonas Neubauer, was not a fluke. 20, 17-year-old Joseph Saelee was crowned Classic Tetris World Champion for the second year running, blazing past a field made up largely of much older, more experienced competition.