The esports market is moving to a whole new level, especially in Europe. Valued at $1.7 billion in 2024, it is projected to hit $2.3 billion by 2033.
On the other hand, the casino industry has been also gaining speed due to new bonus offers and rewards across casino sites, like free spins upon registration UK and generous welcome packages. As such, it attracts players with numerous games on the market, but only a few are suitable for tournament formats.
The Six Invitational championship is one particular tournament that stands out, captivating tens of thousands of spectators. This tournament allows players to compete in the video game “Rainbow Six Siege.”
So, don’t be surprised when you see a team pulling off an insane reverse sweep or a single player clutching against all odds to claim the crown. In this article, we will be exploring some of the unbelievable comebacks in the R6 Siege tournament. Let’s get started.
An Overview of the Six Invitation Championship Tournament
The Six Invitational Championship is an annual competition hosted by game developer Ubisoft. Officially launched in 2015, it is the final event of the competitive five-on-five esports video game Rainbow Six Siege series.
Typically, the competition consists of 20 teams. Each team is seeded based on its ranking in the Global Standing. The first four teams will be in Seed 1, 5th to 8th will be in Seed 2, 9th to 12th in Seed 3, 13th to 16th in Seed 4, and 17th to 20th in Seed 5.
Meanwhile, the Six Invitations announced an enormous format change to its game and the competitive scene in 2020. These changes include the end of Pro League and the introduction of a new point-based system to reward players. Below is a review of how this works:
- A 2:0 win gets awarded 4 points;
- A 2:1 win gets awarded 3 points;
- A 1:2 loss gets awarded 1 point;
- A 0:2 loss gets awarded 0 points.
It's important to note that the top four teams from each group will progress to the playoffs, while the teams finishing in last place will be eliminated from the tournament. Below is a table highlighting the results of the last six seasons of the Six Invitation championship:
Year
| Champion | Prize Pool
| Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
2025 | FaZe Clan
| $3,000,000
| MGM Music Hall at Fenway (Boston)
|
2024 | w7m esports
| $3,000,000
| Ginasio do Ibirapuera (Sao Paulo)
|
2023 | G2 Esports
| $3,000,000
| Place Bell (Montreal)
|
2022 | TSM | $3,000,000
| Stockholmsmassan (Stockholm)
|
2021 | Ninjas in Pyjamas
| $3,000,000
| Palais Brongniart (Paris)
|
2020 | Spacestation Gaming
| $3,000,000
| Place Bell (Montreal)
|
Historical Comebacks in the R6 Siege Tournament
For the last 10 years since the R6 Siege tournament started, there have been a lot of high and low moments. Fans who attend these competitions can attest to moments where a team was almost knocked out of the competition, but the match ended in an unbelievable comeback. Such moments make the competition so thrilling. Below are some of such unbelievable comebacks in the R6 Siege tournament:
PENTA Sports vs. Evil Geniuses (2018 Six Invitational Grand Final)
In the 2018 Six Invitational grand finale, PENTA Sports faced Evil Geniuses. Evil Geniuses, the squad from North America, was in the finals to defend its title from the previous year, while the European powerhouse of PENTA Sports was out to prove itself to the world as the best.
But despite Evil Geniuses being a strong contender and former champion, PENTA Sports defeated them in the Grand Final. PENTA dominated the run, winning the first overtime round. Furthermore, Pengu from PENTA achieved his 15th kill on the map to clutch a 1v2, crowing them to become the world champion of the tournament.
Team Liquid vs. Fnatic – Six Major Paris 2018 Quarterfinals
Fnatic’s run at the Six Major Paris 2018 was legendary. They were down 0-1 in the series and trailing 1-5 in the second map. However, just when it seemed like Liquid was on the verge of closing it out, Fnatic pulled off a miraculous comeback, forcing overtime and eventually winning the map. They rode that momentum into the third map, completing the upset and advancing to the semifinals in one of the most improbable turnarounds in Siege history.
Team Empire vs. G2 Esports (2019 Six Invitational)
The Six Invitational 2019 saw two titans clash in the grand final—G2 Esports, formerly PENTA Sports and Team Empire, a rising star from the CIS region. Empire stormed into the series with a strong showing, taking early leads in multiple maps. However, G2’s experience and adaptability shone through as they mounted an epic comeback, winning 3-0 in a best-of-five series.
What made this comeback particularly legendary was G2’s ability to turn the tides with flawless executions and individual brilliance, solidifying themselves as the greatest team in Siege history.
Ninjas in Pyjamas vs. Team SoloMid (2020 Six Invitational)
The Team SoloMid was knocked down from the winner’s bracket by Spacestation Gaming into the loser bracket, where they were set to face Ninjas in Pyjamas. The winner of the competition gets to face Spacestation in the Grand Finale. As such, the prize on the table for the winner of the match between Ninjas in Pyjamas and Team SoloMid was far too great not to bring your best game, of which both teams did exceptionally well.
In the first map, Ninjas in Pyjamas took the first lead with a successful attack, which Team SoloMid responded with their own to make it a 1-1. Team SoloMid won the next two rounds, but Ninjas in Pyjamas came back with another win, and Team SoloMid responded with another win, making it a 2-4 in favour of Team SoloMid.
Throughout the competition, Ninjas in Pyjamas made some questionable decisions that appeared to cost them at times. However, they managed to stage a strong comeback, winning two matches in a row to level the score at 4-4. Map one ended as a victory for the Ninjas in Pyjamas, and so also did map two, taking them to the grand finale with Spacestation.
FaZe Clan vs. Team BDS (2021 Six Invitational)
The rivalry between Brazilian teams FaZe Clan and Ninjas in Pyjamas (NiP) reached a boiling point in the lower bracket final of the Six Invitational 2021. NiP had dominated throughout the tournament and seemed poised to eliminate FaZe. However, FaZe managed to claw their way back from a massive deficit, relying on coordinated aggression and clutch plays from players like Astro and Cameram4n. They secured a breathtaking reverse sweep, taking the series 2-1 and booking their spot in the grand final.
Conclusion
Rainbow Six Siege’s esports scene has delivered some of the most jaw-dropping comebacks in competitive gaming. From reverse sweeps to last-second clutches, these moments remind us that no match is truly over until the final round. As Siege continues to evolve, fans can only wait in anticipation for the next great comeback to shake up the tournament scene.