Engineer Felix Galeano won the national Red Bull Tetris title in São Paulo, securing a spot in the world final in Dubai. The event drew over 50,000 players in Brazil, setting a participation record. The competition underscored the enduring popularity of the classic puzzle game.
Launched in 1988 by Soviet engineer Alexey Pajitnov, now 70, Tetris is one of the best-selling games ever, with 520 million units sold and over 220 versions. Its simple mechanics involve arranging falling pieces to complete horizontal lines and prevent the stack from overflowing.
On Thursday, the 13th, Avenida Paulista in São Paulo hosted the national final of Red Bull Tetris at the steps of Faculdade Cásper Líbero in the Gazeta building. Felix Galeano, an engineer and IT analyst, defeated seven other finalists to claim the title. “It was a surreal experience, I never imagined this. Very exciting and tough, the eight players were really good. It was nerve-wracking playing in front of so many people, I'd never done that before,” Galeano said.
The tournament saw impressive figures in Brazil: over 50,000 players, 424,000 matches played, and more than 120,000 games submitted to the official ranking, making the country the largest global participant in absolute terms. Galeano will represent Brazil at the world final from December 11 to 13 in Dubai, where national champions will vie for the global title. The event will feature a show with over 2,000 drones recreating Tetris gameplay in the city sky.
While Brazil leads in participation, countries like the United States and Japan show even higher absolute engagement with the game.