Team Liyab, the professional esports team of Globe in partnership with Mineski, secured their first Philippine Pro Gaming League (PPGL) titles at the League of Legends (LoL) and Arena of Valor (AOV) events. The team defeated fellow local greats TNC, Resurgence and Kidlat in a tournament held at Ayala Malls Feliz in Pasig to take home the crown and a total of Php 400,000 in prizes.
The Liyab LoL squad faced fellow powerhouse Arkangel in the semifinals of the first day. Arkangel managed to surprise Liyab in the opening game, and took the lead of the series. Nonetheless, the team’s championship experience led them to reign supreme over competition and took over the next two games in dominating fashion to book their spot in the grand finals.
In the finals, Team Liyab LoL went against TNC, the same squad that defeated them in last year’s PPGL. The team came out prepared and swinging, as they took out TNC with two quick victories to grab the PPGL 2019 – Season 1 LoL championship title.
The team’s bid for the Arena of Valor crown took off with a very challenging semifinals. Liyab-AOV faced Resurgence during the semifinals which saw them go head-to-head against a roster that included two former members of last year’s champions, Clutch Guild, and three members of Resurgence Malaysia Superteam who were two-time champions at Valor Cup Malaysia Seasons 2 and 3. After a heart-stopping first game defeat, Liyab cruised through the final round with two consecutive wins in the last two games.
The AoV Grand Finals set the stage for a thrilling battle of the elements between Liyab and Kidlat Esports. Team Liyab AOV stunned their good friends and long-time pros from Kidlat with a sweeping 3-0 win. This groundbreaking performance also earned the team a fitting celebration of the first anniversary of their regional championship Valor Cup Season 1 in 2018 where they bested top teams from Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines to become the region’s best team.
The team is set to continue their bid for local and regional esports domination with the upcoming Hearthstone tournaments this month. Liyab’s Cara Cute is gearing up to qualify for two big Hearthstone tournaments later this April. She will be participating at the Asia-Pacific Hearthstone Nationals Qualifier, as she aims to claim one of the two coveted spots for the Philippines in WCG Hearthstone leg on April 21.
Globe continues to be at the forefront of developing the esports ecosystem in the country and believes that with the right support and training, Filipino esports athletes can compete with any esports team in the world.
Globe’s esports commitment began through its pervasive LTE network that helped bring mobile broadband gaming to the next level. Then, the company entered into strategic partnerships with Riot, developer of League of Legends, Garena, publisher of Arena of Valor and Philippine publisher of League of Legends, and Mineski which led to the formation of Team Liyab.
For more about Globe Telecom, visit www.globe.com.ph.