The recently held 2019 Taiwan Excellence eSports Cup highlighted pro gaming products from top Taiwanese PC brands, tournaments, and cosplay competition. The three-day event featured Counter Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) and League of Legends (LoL) contests which drew the attention of the guests.
Hosted by athlete, TV personality, and avid gamer Eric “Eruption” Tai, the three-day event opened with an energetic dance number from Upeepz Dance Crew followed by opening remarks from Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) director Mr. Wen Chun-Chang and Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) director Mr. Clement Chen. Both emphasized the importance of the Taiwan
Celebrity cosplayer Myrtle Sarrosa also graced the opening ceremony. Among the devices she got to try were Asus Republic of Gamers’ ROG Zephyrus S, the Gigabyte Z390 Aorus WaterForce Xtreme motherboard, Aorus memory cards and video cards, AVerMedia’s plug-and-play AM310 USB microphone and Live Streamer Cam 313, InWin’s WINBOT Limited Edition Transparent Spherical case, Kingmax Semiconductor, memory cards and external portable SSDs from Transcend and T Force, Zyxel’s tri-band Wi-Fi system, and peripherals from XPG, Zadak, and G.Skill.
The product experience zone also included ten units of gaming desktops for guests who want to play as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) and League of Legends. Attendees also had the chance to take photos with other cosplayers dressed as their favorite game characters and jammed with pop-rock band GraceNote, which added excitement to the three-day festivities.
The intense CS:GO battle and the LoL games were also witnessed by eSports fans all over the world through live streaming on the Taiwan Excellence Facebook page. Day 1 was hosted by shoutcasters Nomadph and Ilustrado, while Day 2 featured G10 and Een Mercado. Celebrity cosplayer and gamer Ashley Gosiengfiao also made a special appearance to meet with her fans.
Winners’ circle
Bren Esports dominated the CS:GO tournament and won the grand cash prize of PHP 56,000. Each team member also took home an Asus ROG Delta Headset, ROG Collection Shirt, ROG Armor Suite Backpack, and P2,000 worth of Sodexo Gift Certificates.
Aside from these prizes, Bren Esports will also represent the country in an upcoming CS:GO friendly match against other Taiwan Excellence eSports Cup winners from Malaysia, Thailand, India, and Taiwan.
Meanwhile, CX Blanc took home PHP 56,000 for the LoL tournament. Each team member also received an Asus ROG Delta Headset, ROG Collection Shirt, ROG Armor Suite Backpack, and P2,000 worth for Sodexo Gift Certificates.
Taking the second, third, and fourth places for the CS:GO tournament were Fallen5, WIMAX, and Station 751, respectively. For LoL, the runner up positions were nabbed by PlayLoud, Ruyal, and Archeous accordingly.
Meanwhile, the cosplay competition showcased the creativity and talent of Filipinos. Judged by representatives from TAITRA and cosplayer, game streamer, and video content creator Kang Dupet, 30 contestants took the stage in their best CS:GO– and LoL-inspired costumes. Izaiah Luke Buelos was named as the grand champion and took home PHP 40,000, while first- and second-runners up Sergio Sta. Ana and Nicholai Dizon won PHP 20,000 and PHP 10,000.
With a total prize pool of P430,000, this has been one of the biggest eSports tournaments in the country to date.
The 2019 Taiwan Excellence eSports Cup is organized by the Bureau of Foreign Trade (BOFT), Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), and Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA). Its roster of partners include Asus Republic of Gamers, Aorus, AVerMedia, In-Win, Kingmax, Transcend, XPG, T Force, Zadak, G.Skill, and Zyxel. For more information, follow the official Taiwan Excellence Facebook page.