The U.S.A. National Final for Red Bull Tetris on Nov. 22nd was an explosive success, with contestants from all across America competing to prove their retro prowess. Red Bull’s distinct version of Tetris offers unique mechanics and power-ups, forcing even the most seasoned players to adapt to new strategies.
Despite loud support for competitor Christian Huynh “Sodium” from the audience during the final showdown, his opponent, Mok Shik Thaddaeus Fam “Coldless” won the competition three to one out of four exciting matches.
Coldless will be heading to the World Final in Dubai on Dec. 13th, so we spoke to the champion following his big win to ask how he’s feeling about the victory. Here’s a recap of the most notable events in the Red Bull Tetris U.S. National Final, plus a few words from the winner himself.
Coldless vs. Sodium: A retro showdown of epic proportions
After proving their skill in the semifinals, Sodium and Coldless stepped onto the stage at the U.S. National Final in Hollywood, Florida, to a roaring audience. Though their first match was close, with the crowd cheering loudly for Sodium, Coldless pulled off an impressive win in the last few seconds.
Sodium gained his momentum back for a single match, but was ultimately defeated three to one. Coldless secured a score of over 700,000 in the last game of the night, while Sodium trailed behind at just over 600,000.
Coldless and Sodium immediately congratulated each other on a game well-played, as their supporters in the audience cheered with excitement, and a drone delivered the victor his trophy. As a final hurrah for the crowd, Coldless was thrown into the swimming pool after securing the win.
Notably, many of the matches during the U.S. National Final were incredibly close. In some instances, the winner only led their opponent by a few thousand points out of 500,000 or more. The closeness of the competition was its true highlight, and it further proved that every competitor deserved their spot in the tournament.
Sodium may not have taken home the gold, but he still told Dot Esports that he was “happy” with the results, and that he would “100 percent” want to compete in another video game tournament in the future. In addition to his Tetris talent, Sodium was eager to tell us about his other favorite games, “I used to play a bunch of FPS games, like VALORANT and Overwatch, but I wouldn’t say I was competitive at them,” Sodium explained.
Dot Esports had the opportunity to interview Coldless following his intense final match, so here’s what the esports star had to say about his victory.
Interview with U.S. victor Coldless
Top place winner Coldless put on quite the show, so we asked him a couple of questions about how he’s feeling after the competition. Coldless told Dot Esports that he felt good, noting that it was his first Tetris tournament on such a massive scale.
Though Tetris is one of Coldless’ passions, his competitive spirit was built through other games as well. “Other than Tetris, I play Supercell games like Clash of Clans, sometimes Clash Royale,” Coldless shared.
Discussing his upcoming trip to Dubai to compete in the World Final, Coldless said that his winning strategy is to adapt to his opponents. The U.S. victor also noted that he typically plays modern Tetris, so he’s already had to conform to a new ruleset throughout the competition.
When asked about what he’d say to his fellow competitors from the U.S. Final who aren’t moving on to Dubai, Coldless told us that “a lot of them played very well.” It’s clear that Coldless has been following his competition closely, as he also explained that he’s looking forward to potentially facing off against Atler in Dubai, the winner of the Turkish National Final.
As a final tip to his fans, Coldless explained how he prepared for the U.S. Final, sharing that taking breaks is key to success in Tetris. “If my fingers are stiff or in pain, I do some hand exercises. I try to be well rested and take breaks.”
Coldless is going to Dubai in December to represent the United States in Red Bull’s Tetris tournament, and his fans can’t wait to see how his skills stack up against the rest of the world.
A final treat for the audience: SypherPK’s hilarious side show
Ali Hassan, also known as SypherPK, sat down for a match of Tetris before the final showdown between Coldless and Sodium. The popular Fortnite streamer lost the match, leading him to throw his opponent into the nearby swimming pool. This comedic halftime gag was a joy to witness for the audience, which was made clear by the onlookers’ roaring reactions.
Prior to his match, Dot Esports asked SypherPK how he was feeling about the Tetris U.S. Final, as well as his personal connection to the retro esports title.
“I’m very excited to be here. Tetris is a game that I’ve played ever since I was a kid, and I’ve also played competitive Tetris at one point before Fortnite. So to see a competitive environment at this stage with Red Bull, it’s pretty exciting that Tetris is still relevant after all these decades,” said SypherPK.
Tetris was originally created in 1984, with various new additions released throughout the past four decades. As such, many viewers can relate to the classic title, whether they’re everyday gamers or simply play phone games now and again.
Red Bull’s recent focus on Tetris is great for modern and retro gamers alike, and it proves that the generation-spanning title is still one of the most popular video games of all time.
The Red Bull Tetris World Final will take place in Dubai on Dec. 13th. Alongside Coldless, competitors are traveling from more than 60 countries to answer the ultimate gaming question: who’s the best Tetris player in the world in 2025?
Alongside the Tetris competition, Red Bull is hosting what’s set to be an unforgettable drone show that’ll light up the skies of Dubai like never before. To learn more about the upcoming World Final in Dubai, visit RedBull.com.
