GPL Debuts Four New Teams
Riot·6/20/2014, 11:05:08 PM·1 votes·920 views
A new split brings new teams to Southeast Asia's Garena Premier League. The four newest squads in the circuit have been tested before, triumphing in their respective regional circuits and winning against even some of the GPL's best to earn their place in the race for the summer championship and possible seat at Seoul in October. Whether it be the Philippines' Wargods or Taiwan's Machi, they share the same intent: to prove themselves against veterans like AHQ and TPA, and to bring glory back home.
AHQ has had a tough time since their debut in the League of Legends competitive scene. Yes, they’re considered one of the strongest teams in the region, having taken the GPL championship during the Taipei Assassins' infamous Season 3 slump. But TPA has without a doubt begun to regain its swagger, and that’s casting a shadow over AHQ's efforts. Having missed out on the championship crown two splits in a row, AHQ seems as if they’ve returned to playing second fiddle to the Azubu teams.
But the team’s ambition isn't so easily quenched. Like with Azubu, they've established a sister team system to ramp up their competitiveness. Ex-AHQ starting players Lantyr and MrAlbis have returned to the circuit flying the AHQ Fighter banner, guiding new partners and helping old friends to a new level of competitive play.
"AHQ and AHQ Fighter are like brothers," claimed manager Eric. The teams play and live with each other – a situation similar not only to that of the rival Azubu teams, but also to that of the top Korean teams up in the OnGameNet Champions circuit.
Though AHQ Fighter had a rough start, losing against the Taipei Assassins in their debut game during GPL Summer week one, every other match thus far has been confidently concluded. Whether that's enough to knock TPA off the top of Group A will be decided in their week three rematch.
Taiwanese hiphop star and music producer Jeff Huang's esports debut came out of nowhere, and caught everybody by surprise. The five-man squad, newly born as of this year, were comprised of relative unknowns: though they had some minor experience in the Taiwanese competitive circuit, they were overshadowed by the likes of the Taipei Snipers during the domestic Nova League last year. Though it was true that the Snipers were struggling at the end of the spring split, for Machi to suddenly knock out a consistent GPL semifinalist caught everybody by surprise.
It was a mic drop befitting their founder's background. The AHQ/Azubu stranglehold at the top of the Taiwanese circuit was not going to last forever, and Machi was to be the hammer that breaks it. Said Jeff Huang in January, "our goal is to move forward on the world stage on behalf of Taiwan. Our spirit is 'Never Surrender!'"
Of course, beating an ailing team is one thing, but success in Southeast Asia's highest circuit is another. Though Taiwanese teams are deservedly considered the region's cream of the crop, they've failed before: Yoe Flash Wolves put up a middling performance in the spring, overshadowed by the rising threat of the Vietnamese squads. For a while, Machi was looking good: only AHQ's beaten them in their first three games, and it seemed as if a Week 3 rematch between the two would determine who would rule Group B.
But Machi’s plans were soon sidelined. Two players were recently banned, found guilty of elo boosting by Garena administrators. In their scramble to find replacements, Machi Entertainment founder Jeff “BigBrother” Huang was made the new support for the rest of the group stage – at 41 years old, he is now the oldest professional League of Legends player in the world.
The sudden change has thrown the team for a loop, with a devastating recent loss to Wargods. Their plans for a Worlds debut will need to be set aside, at least for the moment, in favor of patching the holes recently torn into their roster and team synergy.
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Back during The Legends Circuit (the qualifying tournament for Singaporean and Malaysian teams), betting on Insidious Gaming would have been pretty safe to do. The esports organization is one of the largest in the Southeast Asian area, with the resources and players to field six separate teams - two in the Malaysian half of the circuit, and four in Singapore. ISG Rebirth entry into the GPL was nothing short of a baptism by fire: a triumph over friends and foes alike, culminating in a 3-1 victory over former regional kings Singapore Sentinels to qualify for the grand finals. Yet, in the case of Rebirth, their debut in Southeast Asia's premier circuit was not wholly unexpected. For veterans ly4ly4ly4 and Vera, these are old stomping grounds: Vera was formerly of Insidious Gaming Exile, the original GPL-qualified roster, and the unpronounceable ly4ly4ly4 was part of what was often considered the Sentinels' strongest roster to date: the 2012 team that placed second behind the Taipei Assassins. Of course, veteran experience is mitigated by the increasingly stringent demands of the Southeast Asian circuit. And when put in the same circuit as AHQ, Saigon Fantastic Five, and fellow newcomers Machi Esports, Insidious’ climb out of the shadows will be a difficult task for the Singaporean team. They've kicked off to a rocky start, falling back 0-2 against both Neolution Full Louis and Machi Esports, and will need to adapt quickly for a chance at the summer playoffs.AHQ Fighter
AHQ has had a tough time since their debut in the League of Legends competitive scene. Yes, they’re considered one of the strongest teams in the region, having taken the GPL championship during the Taipei Assassins' infamous Season 3 slump. But TPA has without a doubt begun to regain its swagger, and that’s casting a shadow over AHQ's efforts. Having missed out on the championship crown two splits in a row, AHQ seems as if they’ve returned to playing second fiddle to the Azubu teams.
But the team’s ambition isn't so easily quenched. Like with Azubu, they've established a sister team system to ramp up their competitiveness. Ex-AHQ starting players Lantyr and MrAlbis have returned to the circuit flying the AHQ Fighter banner, guiding new partners and helping old friends to a new level of competitive play.
"AHQ and AHQ Fighter are like brothers," claimed manager Eric. The teams play and live with each other – a situation similar not only to that of the rival Azubu teams, but also to that of the top Korean teams up in the OnGameNet Champions circuit.
Though AHQ Fighter had a rough start, losing against the Taipei Assassins in their debut game during GPL Summer week one, every other match thus far has been confidently concluded. Whether that's enough to knock TPA off the top of Group A will be decided in their week three rematch.
Machi E-Sports
Taiwanese hiphop star and music producer Jeff Huang's esports debut came out of nowhere, and caught everybody by surprise. The five-man squad, newly born as of this year, were comprised of relative unknowns: though they had some minor experience in the Taiwanese competitive circuit, they were overshadowed by the likes of the Taipei Snipers during the domestic Nova League last year. Though it was true that the Snipers were struggling at the end of the spring split, for Machi to suddenly knock out a consistent GPL semifinalist caught everybody by surprise.
It was a mic drop befitting their founder's background. The AHQ/Azubu stranglehold at the top of the Taiwanese circuit was not going to last forever, and Machi was to be the hammer that breaks it. Said Jeff Huang in January, "our goal is to move forward on the world stage on behalf of Taiwan. Our spirit is 'Never Surrender!'"
Of course, beating an ailing team is one thing, but success in Southeast Asia's highest circuit is another. Though Taiwanese teams are deservedly considered the region's cream of the crop, they've failed before: Yoe Flash Wolves put up a middling performance in the spring, overshadowed by the rising threat of the Vietnamese squads. For a while, Machi was looking good: only AHQ's beaten them in their first three games, and it seemed as if a Week 3 rematch between the two would determine who would rule Group B.
But Machi’s plans were soon sidelined. Two players were recently banned, found guilty of elo boosting by Garena administrators. In their scramble to find replacements, Machi Entertainment founder Jeff “BigBrother” Huang was made the new support for the rest of the group stage – at 41 years old, he is now the oldest professional League of Legends player in the world.
The sudden change has thrown the team for a loop, with a devastating recent loss to Wargods. Their plans for a Worlds debut will need to be set aside, at least for the moment, in favor of patching the holes recently torn into their roster and team synergy.
Wargods
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