Singapore’s NiP Flash aiming for top-four finish in Mobile Legends at inaugural Esports World Cup
New signing Yeo Wee "Diablo" Lun (left) and coach Adam "Adammir" Chong are targeting a top-four finish at the inaugural Esports World Cup. ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI
SINGAPORE – A beefed-up squad and recent form have given Singapore e-sports outfit NiP Flash confidence that they can do well at the inaugural Esports World Cup in Riyadh.
Coach Adam “Adammir” Chong and new signing Yeo Wee “Diablo” Lun feel that the team have what it takes to finish in the top four of the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) competition, which would land them a cool US$200,000 (S$270,000).
The July 2 to Aug 25 World Cup, previously known as Gamers8, is supported by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and will carry the largest prize pool in e-sports history, with around US$60 million spread across 21 game titles.
Mobile Legends, a multi-player online battle arena game, will have its biggest prize purse for an international competition at US$3 million. The winners of the 16-team main event will pocket US$1 million, more than the record US$900,000 prize pool for the game’s world championship in 2023.
NiP Flash chief executive Mark Chew, who is hoping the team reach the quarter-finals, said securing World Cup qualification was one of their key objectives when they assembled this side.
NiP Flash chief executive Mark Chew hopes that his team will make it out of the group stage at the Esports World Cup. ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI
They earned their ticket as champions of the recent Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League Singapore (MPL SG) season, which they won at a canter after bolstering their squad with two signings – Filipino Jankurt “KurtTzy” Matira, who joined from Philippine team Echo, and Singaporean Yeo, who was prised from rivals RSG Singapore.
NiP Flash, known as Team Flash before partnering Swedish e-sports organisation Ninjas in Pyjamas, retained the MPL SG title on June 16 by beating RSG 4-0, improving on their 4-3 win over the same side when they won the title for the first time eight months earlier.
Chong said they are looking forward to testing themselves against the region’s best.
The 24-year-old said: “I think this time around the MPL felt very unsatisfying, because it felt like it was too easy. We came into this season knowing that the trophy was kind of ours already but we still went through it with proper respect to each and every team.”
He knows what it takes to achieve a top-four target as his Evos SG team finished fourth at the 2021 world championship, the highest placing for a Singapore e-sports team in MLBB at an international competition.
Yeo, who wants to prove that Singapore also has quality e-sports teams, also hopes that a good showing will attract investors.
“Previously you have Evos SG and RSG (representing Singapore), hopefully we can replicate the same results or do even better, but it takes time,” the 25-year-old said. “If you do well, sponsors will come looking, and they always look at results. I want Singapore to be a prominent region, that’s how we get more people to invest in e-sports. We will need to do well to get investors to come in.”
This season, the team earned $36,200 for winning MPL SG and US$56,000 for reaching the Esports World Cup group stage.
But making it out of the group will not be an easy task. They will need to finish in the top two of Group A, which also contains Turkish champions Fire Flux, MPL Indonesia runners-up Evos Glory and MPL Latin America’s Season 1 winners RRQ Akira.
Other contenders include Philippines-based Falcons AP.Bren, who beat Team Flash 2-0 en route to winning the 2023 world championship, MPL Philippines winners Liquid Echo and MPL Indonesia champions Fnatic Onic.
NiP Flash will not be the only Singapore representatives at the Esports World Cup. Bleed Esports will also be taking part in Overwatch, a first-person shooter video game, with Singaporean Manfred “Lumi” Sit competing alongside four Thai teammates.
The full-time national serviceman, 22, said: “Definitely it feels good to be able to participate at such a big event with such high stakes. But for my title, it’s more of a casual game, so I hope more local talent will participate (in future).”
