Vietnam would be represented at the world 2023 League World Championship by an entirely new team for the first time since 2019, which is neither GAM Esports nor Saigon Buffalo.
Team Whales is the trending and latest team that will represent Vietnam at an international League of Legends tournament. This was after Team Whales defeated Team Secret in the VCS lower bracket final to qualify for the 2023 League World Championship.
Saigon Buffalo, formerly known as Phong Vu Buffalo, and GAM Esports, formerly known as Gigabyte Marines, are the only two teams that have represented Vietnam at international League tournaments since 2019.
The two have been doing it across the four seasons, every edition of the Mid-Season Invitational, and both teams or either of them have been at each of the World Championships.
“Congratulations to Team Whales on reaching the #VCS Final and qualifying for the 2023 World Championship!” — LoL Esports confirmed Team Whales’ participation using social media on Sunday.
Lowkey Esports was the last team outside the two to represent Vietnam in 2019 before Team Whales’s new feat. In 2020 and 2021, COVID-19 pandemic issues stopped Vietnam from sending any teams to international LoL tournaments.
Team Whales ended their VCS Summer Split regular season campaign in second before dropping to the lower bracket by Secret in a previous play-off matchup. Sunday’s game saw Whales pushed to the brink in a five-game series, but they emerged winners of Vietnam’s final ticket to Worlds 2023.
They will now join GAM Esports at this year’s World Championship. This season, GAM Esports had to go through the play-in stage to qualify for the event.
Meanwhile, Whales and GAM will face off on September 9 in the VCS grand finals, while the Worlds play-in stage will start with the Worlds Qualifying Series on Oct. 9.
Daniel Ademiju Idowu
