SEA remains the only sub-region from Asia-Pacific (APAC) to never have a team represent it at an international Pro League Finals, but that does not mean SEA teams should be underestimated. With eight teams spread across six countries, the sub-region is, geographically, the largest in APAC, and is slowly seeing its loyal fanbase grow in size. Representing SEA at the Season 8 APAC LAN Finals in Tokyo, Japan, will be Aerowolf and Xavier Esports.
Aerowolf need little introduction, with the team first making its mark internationally at the inaugural Six Invitational in February 2017 under the name of Team Envy. Since then, though, they have been unable to qualify for any international event despite making it to every APAC LAN so far. This season, though, their undefeated domestic run finally came to an end when Xavier Esports beat them 2-0 in the regular Pro League, and repeated the feat in the regional playoffs. While their strength has hardly diminished, it speaks to how much the region has grown since its formal introduction.
This season will be yet another tough challenge, but one they are hardly likely to shirk from. Having added Array in place of Quantic after the end of Season 7, they have adapted to the fast-changing world of competitive Siege with aplomb. Team captain, Glen “Lunarmetal” Suryasaputra looked towards the Tokyo LAN with lessons learnt, and high expectations of himself and his own team: “Our season so far hasn't been the smoothest. We saw the sudden improvement of Xavier and have failed to maintain our position at the top of SEA because of it. Obviously we want to be able to qualify for Brazil and the Invitational; we've all waited a long time and are hungrier for it than any other team at this Tokyo LAN.”
Xavier Esports, on the other hand, are the upstarts looking to take down anyone who crosses their path. Having flawlessly fought through the Challenger League in Season 7, they cruised through the Pro League with only one map dropped (to Scrypt E-Sports) in the regular season. While they were defeated 2-0 by Aerowolf in Stage 2 of the SEA Paris Major Qualifiers, they bounced back strongly to return the favor in the Pro League.
The team from Thailand is going to be an absolutely unknown entity, and will seek to thrive on the chaos born from the unexpected. While they have been to local LAN events in their home country, they have admitted that the scale of things is going to be wildly different in Tokyo. Keeping their nerves settled and dealing with a huge crowd is going to be the key for the squad, for they can take on any team that comes up against them. Chayapat “HealthcareOG” Boonyamanop made it clear that his team has understood that in its full capacity: “Dedication and teamwork is the key to win. Our hopes are that every member in our team will perform to their best at the LAN event.”
