It was a sweeter victory for Filipino teams Blacklist Rivalry and Team Secret who won Asia Pacific Predator League 2024 top prizes in their home country.
The Asia Pacific Predator League 2024 came to a close on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena, Philippines with the crowning of these new esports champions and electrifying performances from some of the Philippines’s most talented artists.
This year’s edition of the Asia Pacific Predator League was a major success with sold-out arenas and a global audience engaged through the Predator social media channels throughout the two-day affair.
From the 26 teams competing for top honors in the Dota 2 and Valorant, Blacklist Rivalry and Team Secret emerged victorious and lifted the prestigious Predator Shield in their respective categories.
“The success of the Asia Pacific Predator League 2024 is indicative of the strength of the region’s growing esports community and the Predator brand devices’ ability to support intense gaming sessions when playing the most popular titles,” said Andrew Hou, President of Acer Pan Asia Pacific Operations.
“I would like to extend my congratulations to the tournament winners and my heartfelt appreciation to all the players, fans, and staff who make this yearly event possible,” Hou added.
Blacklist Rivalry prevailed over fellow Filipino team Execration in the Dota 2 grand finals. Abed “Abed” Yusop led his team’s offense with an average of 8.5 kills and 14 assists in the series. They successfully shut down Execration’s star Mark “Bob” Urbino, resulting in a heartbreaking defeat for team Execration and another second-place finish in the Predator League grand finals for two consecutive years.
As this year’s DOTA 2 Champions, Blacklist Rivalry took home a cash prize of USD$ 65,000, while Execration received $20,000. Third and fourth finishers in China’s Team Aster and IHC Esports from Mongolia will also receive USD$ 7,500 each for their impressive showing.
Meanwhile, Team Secret — considered as the team to beat even before the competition — exceeded all expectations. They were in full control of the Japanese side FAV gaming during the final, with Adrian “invy” Reyes continuing to be the brightest spot for the team. Team Secret, also known as the “The Adobo Gang” among its fans, has won its first LAN trophy and Predator Shield since the inception of its Valorant team.
Team Secret goes home with the USD$ 65,000 prize pool, while FAV Gaming wins USD$ 20,000 for their performance. Third and fourth placers BOOM Esports from Indonesia and Team Flash from Vietnam also receive USD$ 7,500 each.
All-female team
Even though they did not make it to the finals, stand-out Valorant team Nuclear GC of Korea also gained recognition among e-sports fans for being the only all-female team playing at the APAC Predator League.
The members proudly shared that they never felt indifferent in the competition dominated by male teams.
“We never thought that we are inferior than the other male team. Because from our experience, we have seen many other male teams who were defeated by us. There are also many female teams in the world that are defeating the other male teams,” the team said at the game’s grand media conference.
Intel MVP Award
Merits were also given to exceptional players who stood out during the Asia Pacific Predator League 2024. Carry player Polo “Raven” Fausto (for DOTA 2) duelist player Jeremy “Jremy” Cabrera (for Valorant) took home extra USD$ 10,000 prizes as well as the Intel MVP Award Trophy for their individual performances. The next Asia Pacific Predator League will be held in Malaysia, with the qualifiers starting in late 2024 and the grand finals to be held in early 2025. For more information and updates about the Predator League, visit the official website www.predator-league.com.