We saw the UK and France face off to defend their undefeated records in the Overwatch World Cup, competitive gaming’s answer to the global football tournament

It’s a Friday morning in late September and 2,000 fans are packed into the underground arena of La Grande Arche de la Défense, ready for the Paris stage of the Overwatch World Cup. It’s a fairly mixed-gender crowd, predominantly young adults, mostly French, many wearing game-themed clothing. Overwatch is one of the world’s most popular competitive video games: matches are fast-paced, chaotic battles between two teams of six players. Using colourful characters with outlandish powers, they take turns to attack and defend objectives. Fights can be over in seconds or turn into minutes-long scraps. The sense of unpredictability makes for very exciting viewing.

The Overwatch league works like football’s Premier League, with teams signing players across nationalities, but the Overwatch World Cup evokes a sense of home pride among viewers. Each of the Paris leg’s 15 matches had their share of intense moments as national teams fought for the two remaining places at the finals, which will take place later this month in Anaheim, California. The previous group stages in Incheon, South Korea; Burbank, USA; and Bangkok, Thailand.

Blizzard, Overwatch’s developer, hopes that the international contest will get people excited about the eSport, in the same way as people who do not watch league football will happily watch the FIFA World Cup. “There’s a lot of people who play games and know about eSports, but haven’t really engaged with it yet,” says Overwatch league commissioner Nate Nanzer. “When you see Italy v the Netherlands, it immediately makes sense and you also get to play on the national pride.” It also highlights lesser-known players from smaller countries who might not feature prominently in the regular league.

The crowds in Paris were very excited to see Overwatch played at a professional level: though the French home team was very clearly the favourite, what the fans really loved was seeing great plays. Whenever something dramatic happened – a fight won, a flashy demonstration of skill, an objective scored – they erupted, regardless of the team.

The professional players are, without exception, young men. Most are in their early 20s, but some are teenagers. For a lot of them, this is their first time playing in front of a crowd – and with this crowd, they were certainly jumping in at the deep end. After his first game, 17-year-old Marco Soffia – who, like all players, usually goes by his in-game handle, “HearThBeaT” – admitted that his hands were shaking at first. But in a game as dynamic as Overwatch, nerves are not visible to viewers. All they see is the drama and excitement.

Blizzard offers some training and support to Overwatch players, including media and sexual harassment training. “A lot of these players are very young. Some of them have literally gone from living at home with their parents to being famous on the Internet,” says Nanzer. “I think the League and the teams have a responsibility to make sure that we give the players the tools they need to succeed.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest What the fans really loved was seeing great plays ... Benjamin “Unkoe” Chevasson at the Overwatch World Cup. Photograph: Robert Paul/Blizzard

No match in Paris was as electrifying as the last clash, which saw France and the UK face off to defend their previously undefeated records. Both had already qualified for the finals, but this match would determine who would earn the better seed and dodge playing top competitors such as South Korea in the next round.

As hosts Soe Gschwind-Penski and Malik Forté introduced the French team, the crowd launched into their first of many renditions of La Marseillaise. When the game started, they roared for every French success – and enthusiastically applauded for UK triumphs, too.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Man of the moment ... fans of Los Angeles Valiant player Terence ‘SoOn’ Tarlier. Photograph: Robert Paul/Blizzard

The man of the moment was Terence “SoOn” Tarlier. A player for the Los Angeles Valiant in the Overwatch league this year, he brought his professional experience to the world stage. Every time he eliminated a British player – which was very often – the stadium erupted into an elongated cheer of his name. At first, the echo of “soon” sounded like booing – but the French crowd certainly had no reason to boo. Their team won the first three games of the best-of-five format with ease, and then took another victory in the perfunctory fourth game.

The UK players left with their heads held high, but it was clear how much the home advantage had bolstered the French team. After their games, the players signed flags and team jerseys in the corridors. They spoke about how much energy the cheering had given them. “It’s really hard not to be motivated right now,” said Dylan “aKm” Bignet after the final match, explaining that the motivation would help them not only at the BlizzCon final, but at future Overwatch World Cups.

Overwatch is still a relatively new eSport, but it has already found a dedicated fanbase. As well as the 2,000 viewers who filled the stadium, the Paris matches were viewed by tens of thousands online. Blizzard will be broadcasting the penultimate rounds live from BlizzCon’s opening week, 25-29 October, where the UK will have to defeat the US to progress closer to the final.

The UK team is keen to beat the US this month. “I really want to play in front of a home crowd,” said Christopher “ChrisTFer” Graham, reflecting on the energy in La Défense. France, buoyed by their experience, are confident they can beat their next opponents, Canada.