On the evening of September 18, the VCS community was stunned when the owner of the Saigon Buffalo team officially announced the sale of the team and its slot in the upcoming VCS season. Thus, a long-standing brand in the VCS, once considered a rival to GAM Esports for the championship, is set to bid farewell to the Vietnamese League of Legends scene. It goes without saying that VCS fans immediately expressed their great regret for the “Buffalo Herd”.
Also on the same evening, the buyout price for this team was revealed to be around 900 million. On several VCS community forums, the details of this price include the value of 6 players (including their contracts), the VCS participation slot, SGB’s fan page, and the team’s YouTube channel. Of course, this cost does not include the operational costs of the team or what the buyer will need to invest additionally afterward. In short, the 900 million price is only for acquiring what belongs to SGB in the VCS, excluding the brand SGB.
However, this is an astonishingly low price for the VCS audience. For those who may not know, at the end of 2019, there were reports that the transfer of Palette alone from Dashing Buffalo was already 900 million (Dashing Buffalo is one of the predecessors of SGB). Considering the current market, even the price of the entire SGB team is lower than the value of just Palette. Notably, among the players transferred with SGB is Shogun – a player regarded as one of the most promising AD carries in the VCS since the days of Slayder and Artemis.
Additionally, the current price of SGB is significantly lower than the price previously revealed in the deal with CNJ Esports. According to information disclosed by SGB at that time, the price ranged from 400k – 500k USD (about 9 billion to over 12 billion VND). However, some opinions suggest that at that time, SGB was not just selling a participation slot or the team but also the entire SGB brand. Moreover, this fee might have included terms regarding facilities and operational costs. If this is true, the price discrepancy is completely understandable.
Regardless, it can be said that another prominent brand in the Vietnamese League of Legends scene may have said goodbye. This is a significant loss as the “Buffalo Herd” has always been regarded as one of the successful brands in the VCS, leaving a lasting impression on the global League of Legends audience.