Denial have won the 2015 Call of Duty world championship, beating Team Revenge by three matches to two in an engrossing final.

The team established itself immediately, dominating the opening Hardpoint round of the best-of-five series, winning 250 points to 130; that impressive total came thanks to the astonishing accuracy of James “Clayster” Eubanks – later awarded the Most Valued Player of the tournament – who claimed 40 hits in the match, including one 11-kill streak.

In the next match, however, Team Revenge excelled in the Search and Destroy mode, winning 6-0. They then went on to take the chaotic Uplink match, which saw a series of blistering shootouts in the narrow alleys and wide courtyard spaces of the Comeback map. But Denial surged back, taking Capture the Flag and then finally triumphing in a climactic Search and Destroy match.

The three-day championship event saw 32 teams from around the world competing for a prize fund of $1m. After Friday’s group stage, Saturday saw the knockout phase begin, although the tournament’s double elimination format meant that losing sides dropped down into a lower bracket, giving them a second chance to reach the final.

Championship Sunday got off to a thrilling start with Revenge and Denial slugging it out in the upper bracket final. The first two matches went to Revenge, with some brutal gun skill from both seasoned veteran Clayster and 18-year-old newcomer Attach securing the opening Hardpoint match. Next it was Ulysses “Aqua” Silva who shone, revealing his clinical long-range accuracy with a series of sniped kills to win Search and Destroy.

But Denial fought back, putting in an aggressive, high-tempo performance to secure a tense Capture the Flag match. The incredible Uplink bout was the highlight of the series, with the teams continually trading a two-point lead between them, leading to a frenetic final 30 seconds. Although Clayster made a number of vital shots, showing off why he has the best Kill/Death ratio in the championships, the star of the match was Revenge’s Brice Faccento, claiming eight uplinks for his side. It was Denial that booked its place in the grand final, however, winning a gripping Search and Destroy round, which at times turned into a personal face-off between Clayster and Faccento.

After that nerve-jangling loss, Revenge dropped down to face Faze Red in the lower bracket final. It was another dramatic showdown, with Revenge going up 2-1 after entertaining Hardpoint, Search and Destroy and Uplink matches. The latter went into extra time with both teams on 10 uplinks each. Revenge seemed to have it in the bag, making a forward pass within site of Faze Red’s hoop, however Faccento made a astonishing clutch interception, scoring for Revenge in the closing seconds. It was to be Revenge’s series, however, storming through the Capture the Flag match, with Aqua and Remington “Remy” Ihringer dominating the captures.

The victory set up a re-match of the upper bracket thriller, with Revenge looking for retribution against Denial. But it would be Denial, relying on the greater experience of its players under tense tournament conditions, that would claim the championship for the first time.

“Everything went our way today,” said Denial captain, Chris “Replays” Crowder. “There were a few maps here and there that we choked on, but we clutched up in the end. We put a lot of work in, especially over the last two weeks. We came second in the last tournament before this, so we’ve just been playing for hours and hours. It paid off. We were really confident.”

• Keith Stuart is attending the Call of Duty Championships on a press tour, with accommodation and travel paid for by Activision.