Percent Esports, along with OverPower Esports and CERBERUS Esports, can be said to be three key highlights in the first week of the VCS Summer 2020 tournament. While CER made a strong impression with a perfect 2-0 winning streak, both rookies PER and OPG achieved some surprising results by defeating higher-rated opponents.
Among them, the 2-0 victory of Percent Esports against the reigning champions Team Flash is noteworthy. It can be said that among the 8 teams participating in this season of VCS, Percent is the team that brings the most surprises.
If OPG is more widely known as “Optimus’s team”, then PER is a rookie without many notable names before yT and Bigkoro joined. But ultimately, even in their debut, this seemingly unknown team has found a way to make their mark, not just in the VCS, but also starting to gain attention abroad as the “king slayer”.
To explore interesting information about this “feisty” rookie team that made a strong entrance into the VCS, let’s dive into our interview with the members of Percent Esports.
First, let’s hear from Hoàng Phúc Thông – the owner of Percent Esports, to listen to his interesting insights about the origin of the name Percent, as well as his views and future development goals for the team:
Interviewer: Hello! Percent Esports is a completely new name in the professional League of Legends scene in Vietnam, could you explain a bit about the meaning and why you chose this name?
Actually, before doing Esports, I was involved in other business fields. Percent is the name of the coffee chain that I partnered with some close friends to open in Ho Chi Minh City. Initially, my friend who was in the coffee business helped me invest in the team back in 2018, and we chose the name Percent. Later on, due to various reasons, I separated to focus solely on esports while my friend continued with the coffee business. I kept the name Percent as a tribute to him for helping me from the very beginning.
Percent simply means “percentage”. This also reflects our business philosophy that in any field, we must be clear about the “percentage” with each other. For the coffee side, the percentage in brewing and mixing coffee is very important. At the same time, in life, or esports, everything has its “percentage”, and a balanced ratio determines everything.
In the opening match of VCS Summer 2020, PER achieved a surprising victory against the reigning champion Team Flash. This can be seen as a highly encouraging achievement for a “rookie”; could you share why the PER players were able to perform so well under pressure from a strong team like FL?
Actually, VCS Summer 2020 has changed a lot, but people do not realize it. The strength of the teams has become much closer. Our team has spent a long time in the lower division, so our experience and mentality have been honed very strongly. In VCS, you get to play 14 best-of-three matches in a season, while in the lower division, just one loss in a best-of-one means you lose the entire season. People do not know much about the lower division, so they do not assess it correctly. Lower division teams may lose to upper division teams in strategy, but their individual skills are very strong. The lower division is much more brutal than the upper division, and we have overcome it, which was not easy.
Therefore, the mental state of our young team members is completely stable. Additionally, the inclusion of veterans like BigKoro, Tado, Eagle, Aomine… also helps a lot with their morale.
When we knew we had to face the reigning champion Flash in our first match, it was somewhat disadvantageous for us, but if we could win, it would turn into an opportunity. So our team encouraged each other every day and tried hard for a month, training 8-10 games every day. By the time of the match, everyone was ready to face FL.
As we know, Percent Esports was founded from a community group of League of Legends players in Vietnam. In other words, PER represents a segment of gamers in Vietnam who are nurturing the dream of going pro; could you share about the difficulties or problems in organizing a community-focused team like this?
Actually, I am part of the DotA player generation alongside QTV, Yuna, Nixwater… since 2010, 2011, and I had to retire because Esports was still a very new concept back then. Many passionate DotA players would travel from provinces to Ho Chi Minh City just to watch a friendly match at an internet café (back then there was no livestream). I realized that a team can only go long-term with the support of the gaming community.
Therefore, my philosophy is to base development on the community to ensure sustainable growth.
In the early days of organizing, it was very difficult because the League of Legends community is often quite toxic, and many players do not have a proper understanding of professional play. The gameplay of the generations after 2015 is completely individualistic with very little awareness of teamwork, which contrasts sharply with my time and also contradicts the nature of MOBA games like League of Legends. Initially, I had to test almost a hundred players just to select a few that fit. Every day I had to check replays of dozens of players, and then choose those who met the criteria. I invited those players to the gaming house to play directly and monitored them for a few days. If they did not perform well, I would send them back and continue testing new players.
Most players from the community have high individual skills and believe that just having a high-ranked score will get them into professional play, but that’s not true. My viewpoint is to select players with good ethics first, and then consider their skills, and gradually train them.
Even now, only two players, Glory and Y1 (from the old VGA team), have been with me since those difficult times, and they will definitely achieve many accomplishments. Those who cannot withstand the pressure will drop out and retire early.
Although being a rookie, Percent’s roster is highly regarded for its rich potential, with a mix of experience and skill from yT, BigKoro, and the potential of Glory; how do you evaluate the team’s personnel?
In my opinion, a strong team must balance youth and the experience of veterans. A team full of veterans will have rich experience but lack skill, while a team full of young players may make silly mistakes leading to losses. Therefore, I choose veterans very carefully. yT has been with me since he played at net cafes at 269, and with the experience he gained from various teams, he is very skilled in strategy. BigKoro is indeed a big brother who leads the other members. I am quite satisfied with the team’s personnel because everyone shares the same development philosophy and sees each other as family.
Compared to other teams, it seems that PER does not have an advantage in financial resources?
Yes, to put it bluntly, my team is the “poorest” among the 8 teams in VCS. I still self-fund the team along with another senior. But for me, while money is important, it is not the most important thing. It is just a tool to achieve the goal. The team is still able to sustain salaries, meals… it’s just that our equipment is not as high-end as other teams, and we don’t have enough budget for media.
However, this has made the team members closer and more united. My experience also shows that teams that have gone through difficulties together can go further together. ROX Tigers once had to sleep at internet cafes, YG also had to eat charity meals to get by, and they still reached the World Championship. What matters is that if the will is strong enough, we can overcome because once we prove our strength, the money will come.
The team’s goal for VCS Summer 2020?
For me personally, just getting into the top 6 and not facing relegation is a success. But the players in the team have set their sights even higher. Glory wants top 4, while Bigkoro wants top 2.
What are your predictions for the dynamics of this summer’s VCS? Do you think rookies like PER or OPG have a chance to compete for a spot in Worlds 2020?
This season’s dynamics are a transitional phase between veterans and rookies, so it’s very tense. All teams have equal opportunities; even a slight slip can cost them. PER and OPG still have chances to compete for a Worlds spot because this season the tournament has updated its format; just getting into the top 6 gives you a chance for the playoffs.
In recent years, VCS has been somewhat stagnating in terms of international performance; what do you think is the reason for this?
The most important thing is that VCS has too many investors who prefer to reap the benefits without focusing on training. Even the Academy teams of VCS teams do not train well. They just wait for young players from the lower division to come up and then spend money to buy them. This inadvertently kills the lower teams and harms those young players because they lack experience and will soon be disillusioned, retiring after just a few seasons.
Generally, teams in the VCSB serve as a source for VCS teams, but they are always in a state of losing members, lacking development opportunities, leading to unsustainability, and new players will not be trained. If this continues, VCS will not have enough new factors to replace the veterans who have been transferred from team to team.
The next problem is that this quick-fix approach leads to a decline in the quality of coaching staff and no one is researching the game to develop strategies. They only focus on teaching players to win lanes, counter champions, and force players to practice skills in ranked games. Meanwhile, what needs to be done is to ensure the team plays together and according to their unique strategy; no one is doing that. It must be taught within a team who will sacrifice and who will shine. In a situation where everyone wants to shine, it will surely fail because the essence of MOBA games is not like that. Each region has its own style of play, but VCS has none; it simply comes down to who has better mechanics wins. This playstyle kills VCS because while the whole world is using strategy, you are still relying on mechanics.
Therefore, if VCS wants to change, those in charge must change their mindset. Currently, CES or SGB are starting to make the right changes, investing in training for their Academy teams and teaching teamwork. I hope that in the future, VCS will see even more changes.
Thank you, Mr. Thông, for your insightful remarks. Now, let’s meet two standout players from Percent in the opening match: BigKoro and Glory.
First, hello BigKoro. You were once the star of Saigon Buffalo in the past; what made you choose to leave your “old home” to join Percent Esports?
BigKoro: Initially, I did not plan to leave Buffalo, but I wanted to seek new challenges and a new environment, so I decided to leave and join Percent.
Can you share your feelings about meeting your former teammate and close friend Palette on the day of VCS Summer 2020’s opening match, and even defeating him?
BigKoro: I was very happy and excited to meet Palette, and even happier to have avenged my defeat from last spring.
What do you think about the new team you are with? Do you believe Percent has the potential to achieve favorable results in this tournament?
BigKoro: The new environment here is comfortable and fun; it feels like we are all playing together as family. I believe Percent will achieve good results in this tournament.
Thank you, BigKoro, for your previous insights. Now let’s move on to Glory – the mid-laner who is “stealing the spotlight” after defeating both superstars Naul and Kati in the last match:
Hello Glory, you defeated both top mid-lane players in Vietnam after just one match; how do you feel?
Glory: Before the match, I was a bit worried because Naul and Kati are both veteran players. However, after playing, I felt more confident. Part of it is probably because they played defensive champions while I played aggressive ones, making it easier to execute my strategy.
Did your champion Zoe put on an impressive performance in game 1 against Team Flash; is she one of your favorite champions?
Glory: My champion pool is very wide, and Zoe is one of the champions I can only play at a decent level.
As we know, this is Glory’s first experience in the competitive atmosphere of VCS; compared to lower-tier tournaments, do you feel a difference in the skill level of the players or the pressure to perform?
Glory: Personally, I prefer lower-tier tournaments because the atmosphere is more enjoyable, and I can showcase my individual skills more while experiencing unique playstyles without fear of being judged. In VCS, there is a need for more serious play according to team strategies and greater discipline. The skill level of players in VCS is certainly higher than in lower-tier tournaments. As for the pressure to perform, I don’t feel much; I just focus on doing well what I have practiced.
In your opinion, who is currently the number one player in League of Legends Vietnam?
Glory: I think it’s Levi, because he has great skills, a lot of experience, and his knowledge of the game is nearly perfect at this moment. Skills can improve, but knowledge is the hardest thing because you need to have a sharp mindset to gain the deepest insights about the game.
How do you evaluate your abilities compared to other mid-laners in VCS?
Glory: I think I am only within the top 6 because I am still very inexperienced and need more practice.
Once again, thank you Glory and the members of Percent Esports for your sincere and interesting insights in this interview. I hope the team will continue to maintain their form and enthusiasm to create more “seismic shocks” in VCS, or even further, perhaps on the international League of Legends stage.