For the first time since 2019, a team not named GAM Esports or Saigon Buffalo will represent Vietnam at an international League of Legends tournament. Today, Team Whales qualified for the 2023 League World Championship with their win over Team Secret in the VCS lower bracket final.
Since 2019, only GAM Esports (formerly Gigabyte Marines) and Saigon Buffalo (formerly Phong Vu Buffalo) have attended international League tournaments on behalf of Vietnam. Dating back across the stretch of those four seasons, every edition of the Mid-Season Invitational and the World Championship has featured one (or both) of those teams.
In 2020 and 2021, Vietnam did not send any teams to international LoL tournaments, as the country was the last to resolve travel-related issues surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year, though, Team Whales will be the first team outside of the GAM Esports / Saigon Buffalo duo to represent the VCS on the global stage since Lowkey Esports did so in 2019. The team finished second in the VCS Summer Split regular season and was sent to the lower bracket by Secret in a previous playoff matchup. Today, Whales were pushed to the brink in a five-game series but ultimately emerged with Vietnam’s final ticket to Worlds 2023.
Related: All teams qualified for 2023 LoL World Championship
Don’t worry, GAM Esports will keep their streak alive and also attend this year’s World Championship, it’s just that they’ll have a fresh face alongside them in Team Whales.
Last year, the VCS champion got slotted directly into the Worlds group stage, while the runner-up was forced to play through the play-in stage to earn their spot in the main event. This season, though, that’s not the case—both GAM Esports and Team Whales will have to battle through the play-in stage if they want to play with the major region squads who have qualified for the event.
The VCS grand finals between Whales and GAM will take place on Sept. 9, while the Worlds play-in stage will start with the Worlds Qualifying Series on Oct. 9.
