The final day of the year is a time to take stock of the year that has past. Allow me to do that here. In many respects 2016 should go down in the annals of history as a truly pivotal year in which more people than ever tweaked their computer to gain a competitive edge against like-minded peers. It was a year when the HWBOT World Tour truly came of age, covering seven countries and reaching the hearts and minds of so many people along the way. But that’s not all…

There were lots of new projects happening too. HWBOT X came into existence, spreading the world about Overclocking contests, workshops and meet ups between old friends. The Open Benchtable evolved from a sketch and a notion, to a fully fledged product that people genuinely like. And let’s not forget the arrival of the Overclocking World Championship, adding a competitive edge and fitting climax to the HWBOT World Tour.

And there are congratulations owed too. Well done to marc0053, our first World Champion. Also to Greece for their dominant Country Cup win. There’s a also a massive shout to Dancop who finished 2016 as the No.1 Overclocker in the HWBOT rankings. He also dominates the 2016 season on OC-ESPORTS winning the individual rankings with a score of 1,180. Warp9-systems (thanks for the reminder Mr.Scott) have broken past 100,000 points in their mission to dominate the HWBOT team rankings, while Overclock.net proved to be head and shoulders above the rest on OC-ESPORTS.

In general, I think we can safely say that we’ve seen more competitive Overclocking in 2016 than in any year previously. The good news is, 2017 promises to provide even more, with more contests and more World Tour events than ever before. Personally, it’s been a pleasure and an honor to have been a part of this team in 2016. It’s given me the chance to work with some of the most dedicated, hard working and motivated people I have ever known. Their passion transmits through the entire Overclocking scene. Without that passion, we’d all be lost. I raise my glass to the entire HWBOT team, to the members, and of course to the dedicated folks we call winners.

On behalf of the entire HWBOT Team, have a happy New Year, and above all… keep pushing.