When it comes to the current League of Legends scene in Vietnam, people may only think of endless dramas, and sometimes not-so-positive stories about the “gaming obsession” of many male gamers.
However, alongside that, there are still many names that, whenever mentioned, make the gaming community feel a sense of admiration, partly because of their fame and success in the gaming field, and partly because even while living passionately for their passion, dedicating 100% of their energy to their work, they still have a partner who understands and is ready to accompany them on every journey.
The Vietnamese gaming community has been filled with “dog food” stories (a fun term in online culture referring to couples expressing their passionate love, making single people feel… soft-hearted) over the past six months. We have come to know famous couples in the League of Legends scene as well as in Vietnamese Esports, such as MC Minh Nghi – Bomman, or QTV – Huong Giang… And alongside that, although somewhat more low-key, the love story of Ha Tieu Phu – the famous Boy-One-Champ Olaf, and Hoang Thu Huong is also one of the topics that attracts a lot of attention from the Vietnamese gaming community.
Speaking of Hoang Thu Huong, the “gatekeeping” association of the Diamond rank in the Vietnamese League of Legends server is probably no stranger to this name. However, Huong is not a name in the legendary gatekeeping club; on the contrary, she is famous for climbing ranks alone, reaching Master rank as easily as going to the market (meaning she can go to the market, come home, reach Master, and then drop back to Diamond smoothly like pushing a cart).
Possessing unique personal skills among female League of Legends players, Hoang Thu Huong particularly loves the champion Nidalee – a champion that requires high technique, hand skills, and strategic vision. Recently, she once again achieved the rank of Master, proving her gaming skills are on par with her boyfriend Ha Tieu Phu.
Nevertheless, Hoang Thu Huong does not have a “one-champ” preference like her boyfriend; aside from her special love for Nidalee, she is also very flexible in choosing her try-hard positions when climbing ranks. Huong can play all three positions: Mid Lane, ADC, and Support. Notably, she is someone who loves challenges and is fascinated by high-difficulty champions like Nidalee, Lee Sin, Yasuo… (but despite playing a lot, her skill level doesn’t seem to rise).
Sharing about the issue of female League of Legends gamers often receiving unfriendly looks from men, Huong said: “I’ve been playing League of Legends for a long time, so I’m not unfamiliar with the viewpoint that ‘female players often rely on others to climb ranks’; I can’t assert the correctness of this argument, but for myself, this prejudice sometimes becomes motivation, making me even more eager to prove myself, to show that when girls are passionate about gaming, they are not afraid to be inferior to anyone.”
Regarding her love story with Ha Tieu Phu, she shared that, although Ha Tieu Phu is famous for his aggressive gaming style, he is quite shy about feelings; in fact, she even joked that: “It seems like all boys who love gaming are like that; once they are passionate, they only know about games. They are all shy, so sometimes I have to take the initiative to express my feelings. But it is precisely because of that shyness that I find Ha adorable, and I have fallen for him ever since.”
However, it seems that the saying “the more you love, the more you bite” is very suitable for this couple. They are affectionate in real life, but once they step into the gaming world, it’s a different story. As mentioned above, Huong has a strong sense of independence, so she very rarely duo queues with her boyfriend.
And this leads to a hilarious consequence, where at an unexpected moment, the cruel twist of fate (or the matchmaking system in League of Legends) turned the two into opponents, standing on opposite fronts. Here are the events that happened afterward:
Being good at gaming, possessing beauty, and having a strong, dynamic personality, Hoang Thu Huong is one of the few “better halves” of the “hot boys of League of Legends Vietnam” who receives support from fans, and she reciprocates that support with her efforts in her work, building her own career while also being a solid support for her beloved.
As of now, after a long-distance relationship, Huong has moved to Ho Chi Minh City to facilitate her streaming work and be closer to her boyfriend. The “love challenge” phase when they were at “two ends of longing” has temporarily ended, and now the couple is enjoying happy days together, as well as nurturing plans to create joint projects for both of them.