VVV ESPORTS lived up to their clan’s name as they came, saw, and conquered to win the second season of the Garena Youth Challengers.
VVV, who came into the tournament with some unfinished business after losing in the GYC Season 1 finals to Tyrant Esports, have redeemed themselves in an emphatic fashion. The Filipinos swept Malaysia’s SEM9 not just once, but twice, overcoming the Malaysians’ twice to beat advantage with successive 3-0 scorecards.
VVV’s road to redemption
VVV initially looked like they haven’t gotten over their GYC S1 loss as they bucked a series of challenges early from SEM9, in two tightly contested affairs in Hardpoint at Summit, 250-233, and Search and Destroy at Firing Range, 7-6.
In the third game of Control at Standoff, however, VVV turned it up, dominating SEM9 throughout the match to complete the sweep and resetting the grand finals bracket.
The first series’ third game seemed a portent of things to come as VVV opened the floodgates early in Hardpoint at Summit 250-62. The Filipinos went on to finish the series with relative ease, dominating the Malaysians in every way possible, winning in Search and Destroy at Firing Range, 7-5, and Control at Standoff, 3-0, to claim the title.
Demorz out, Mac in
GYC Season 2 also served as the last tournament Vince “Demorz” Salaya would play for the side of VVV as he will be transferring to the Mamba LowKings starting this Garena Masters III.
This will end his yearlong partnership with longtime teammates Jerzen “Aeschy” Espiritu and Owen “Owen” Crisostomo”. The trio, along with Demorz’s brother and CODM 2021 Eastern world champion Averson “Skerd” Salaya, had their fair share of victorious moments together, including winning the CODM PH Championship 2021 back with Nifty Ultra Esports.
Filling in for Demorz in VVV’s main lineup is longtime VVV Esports mainstay Christopher “Mac” Macaranas. The former BREN Esports CODM captain is raring to compete back in the biggest stage after VVV’s disappointing performance in Garena Masters season 2 where they didn’t qualify for the group stages.
Mac and VVV will be seeing action in the Garena Masters III and are ready to show they have what it takes to compete at the top.