A team of Taiwan gamers defeated a South Korean squad in the finals of an international online video game competition Oct. 13 in Los Angeles, Calif., to finish number one in the world.
The Taipei Assassins dominated Azubu Frost 3-1 in the League of Legends Season 2 World Championship, taking home US$1 million in prize money in the process.
“I’d like to express my thanks for everyone’s support, as well as for their helpful comments and criticism,” Taiwan squad captain Chen Jui-chung said after the duel.
“We’ve done it!” the 22-year-old added. He said working in professional video gaming has improved his communication skills, increased his tolerance of differences and made him a better team player. “Winning this contest is a dream come true.”
The five-member Taiwan team headed into the finals full of confidence and momentum after knocking out Moscow 5, last year’s world champions from Russia, in two straight games in the semifinal showdown Oct. 10.
Twelve teams from around the globe competed in the tournament, which featured US$2 million in total prize money.
The League of Legends game, developed by Riot Games for Microsoft Windows, has over 70 million registered users worldwide, including more than 2.4 million in Taiwan. (SB-THN)