On the first day of spring, the Games of the Future City held a festival for fans competing in virtual reality accompanied by music. VR rhythm simulator and Dance simulator competitions were held on the Main Stage.
Two tournaments of the extended program of Games of the Future were available to everyone. Firstly, the selections for them were open and took place in different cities, including Kazan, at the end of February. Secondly, the venue for the competitions themselves has become the Games of the Future City, which does not require tickets or accreditation to visit. On Friday, March 1, the winners in the VR rhythm simulator and Dance simulator disciplines were determined here.
Both tournaments were held according to the playoff system, starting with the 1/8 finals. The participants climbed in pairs to the Main Stage of the Games of the Future City and in a face-to-face confrontation found out who would go further. The athletes were actively supported by the guests of Kazan Expo and competitors waiting for their matches: the community of these games is very friendly, and Games of the Future became a great opportunity for them to come together and compare skills.
“I got unforgettable emotions. This is the first time I have participated in an event of this scale. I’m from Moscow, I’ve been playing Beat Saber since 2018. Then I started immersing myself more, getting to know other guys, we have our own community on the Internet. I learned about Games of the Future right there. I remember someone wrote about the tournament, about the amount of the prize money. And I decided that I had to go. I’ve been wanting to visit Kazan for a long time, now there’s a great reason. The city itself is very beautiful, and everything at the tournament is organized at the highest level. Modern equipment, everything is bright and spectacular. Thanks to the organizers, who take into account all the wishes of the players,” said Gleb Ivanov, a participant in the VR rhythm simulator.
Before the tournament, the participants seriously prepared at home and in VR clubs. The professionalism of the athletes is evidenced by their results: for one composition, the players scored more than half a million points.
“I started playing in 2018. We had a mini club with equipment in the city, then it closed, and I kept the VR glasses. I wanted to participate in the Phygital Games, but I didn’t get in. In the fall, I learned about Games of the Future, immediately decided to go, and prepared for three or four hours a day. I felt nervous on stage, worried. I will remember all the songs I competed to for a long time. I hope this discipline will continue to develop, and we will compete on a huge stage more than once,” said Mikhail Stepanyuk, the third prize–winner of the VR rhythm simulator.
Roman Konev, the winner of the Phygital Games, was among the participants, but this time he was eliminated at the 1/8 finals stage. Ivan Kosnikov from Moscow became the new star of the VR rhythm simulator. In the final match, he beat Eric Niyazov.
“My friends and I learned about Games of the Future a few months ago, decided to go, try our luck, test our abilities. I couldn’t even think that it would turn out like this. Open qualification is an interesting opportunity. I hope the tournament will be a serious impetus for the development of the discipline. I’ve been playing for four years now, and I have virtual reality glasses. It was very exciting here on stage, my legs were giving way. I used to participate in various tournaments, but it can’t be compared with the big stage and so many spectators. Everything that happens here is incredibly cool and large-scale!” says Ivan Kosnikov, the winner of Games of the Future.
VR rhythm simulator
Final position
1. Ivan Kosnikov (Russia)
2. Eric Niyazov (Russia)
3. Mikhail Stepanyuk (Russia)
4. Vladimir Ivanov (Russia)
5-8. Kirill Pavlov (Russia)
5-8. Semyon Kuznetsov (Russia)
5-8. Artem Selivanov (Russia)
5-8. Roman Konev (Russia)
9-16. Nijat Eyvazov (Azerbaijan)
9-16. Moises Miguel Rodriguez Espinosa (Venezuela)
9-16. Alexander Ortin (Russia)
9-16. Alena Kuznetsova (Russia)
9-16. Daniil Ivchenko (Russia)
9-16. Gleb Ivanov (Russia)
9-16. Artem Tetyorkin (Russia)
9-16. Sergey Prokhorov (Russia)
Dancers followed on the Main Stage of the Games of the Future City. They put on an incendiary show, demonstrating the filigree technique and the precision of repeating all the steps. The spectators also did not sit still – they supported the guys by dancing with them.
Friends Ivan Vlasov and Maria Zvereva met in the final match. It was Ivan who told Maria about Games of the Future and the opportunity to go through open qualification.
“I was very worried, I thought I would eliminate after the first track. But I ended up in the final. I am very happy with my result, the second place is cool. There was an incredible atmosphere around, everyone was very supportive, shouting my name. Because of this, I wanted to keep fighting. Vanya Vlasov, my good friend, told me about Games of the Future. At first, I planned to just come to Kazan, cheer for him, go to the tournament. But then the open qualification was announced, I decided to test myself. As a result, it turned out that I competed with my friend in the final. I immediately realized that he had won, I am very happy for Vanya,” Maria Zvereva, the second prize–winner of the Dance simulator, smiled. “I am very impressed with the tournament. Everyone here is cheerful, energetic, there are a lot of activities and stands. I didn’t even have time to go around everything. I hope there will be another opportunity.”
The good relationship of the guys did not prevent them from showing a spectacular duel, as a result of which 19-year-old Ivan Vlasov became the winner of Games of the Future.
“For the first time I tried myself in a dance simulator at a friend’s birthday party about five years ago, and since then I’ve been drawn in. It turned out to add a lot during the quarantine period, when there was a lot of free time. I found out about the qualifiers in Moscow, came and won. Then I started diligently preparing for Games of the Future, training for 7 hours a day. It’s very exciting to perform here. When I realized that I had made it to the finals, I began to worry even more. But it’s easier to deal with it when you’re so warmly supported. All the participants communicate well with each other, I was also rooting for the other guys, I even lost my voice, incredible emotions. I am very glad that such a thing was invented and organized in Russia. When I watched the broadcast of the Opening Ceremony of Games of the Future, I was extremely impressed. I am happy that our direction is reaching a new level,” said Ivan Vlasov, the winner of the Dance simulator.
Dance simulator
Final position
1. Ivan Vlasov (Russia)
2. Maria Zvereva (Russia)
3. Artem Simonov (Russia)
4. Anastasia Agafonova (Russia)
5-8. Konstantin Fominykh (Russia)
5-8. Victor Perin (Russia)
5-8. Olga Solomatina (Russia)
5-8. Oleg Balabanovsky (Russia)
9-16. Kristina Movsisyan (Russia)
9-16. Ilya Pozhidaev (Russia)
9-16. Ildirim Mirmammadov (Azerbaijan)
9-16. Beligma Tsyrendorzhieva (Russia)
9-16. Adriano Perez Posada (Cuba)
9-16. Yulia Zhdanovskikh (Russia)
9-16. Tatyana Sholomova (Russia)
9-16. Fedor Martynenko (Russia)
Information:
Games of the Future is an international multisport tournament in the phygital concept, a sports show of a new format combining competitions in physical and digital dimensions. The technology partner is VK Play. More than 270 teams and more than 2,000 athletes from 107 countries are taking part in 21 innovative disciplines in the first Games of the Future. The competitions are divided into five categories, or challenges: sports, tactical, battle, technical, speedrun.
Title Sponsor is PAO Gazprom
General Sponsors:
PAO Gazprom Neft G-Drive
PAO Sibur Holding Sibur
OAO Russian Railways
OOO VK Company VK Play
PAO Sberbank SBER
OOO PMBK (Liga Stavok)
OOO INTERROS Holding Company Interros
PAO Megafon Yota
Official sponsors:
OOO PBO System– Vkusno – i Tochka
PAO Sollers / UAZ
PAO Aeroflot
OOO Wildberries
OOO NTS Gradient – Influence
Roscosmos State Corporation
AO Positive Technologies
AO Russian Post
OOO Nanobarrier – HyDrop
AO Kaspersky Laboratory – Kaspersky
More information about the tournament can be found on the official channels of Games of the Future: