The Chiefs Esports Club have been crowned the champions of the Oceanic Pro League for the second time this year in a dominating display of skill against Oceania’s best, refusing to drop a single game in the playoff bracket. The grand final set was held at the Courier-Mail Piazza in Brisbane on Saturday night. Their opponents were their longest standing rivals, Legacy Esports, who also stood against them this time last year.
With this title in hand, the Chiefs are looking past the local competition and towards the possibility of clashing with major regions at 2016 Season World Championship — which this year will be a month long affair across four locations in the US.
However, The Chiefs will have to overcome their repeated shortcomings against the minor regions at the International Wildcard Qualifier (IWCQ) which will begin later this month in São Paulo, Brazil. Last year at the IWCQ in Turkey, despite the team’s promising 4-2 record in the group stage they failed to overcome the Bangkok Titans who took the best of five set 3-1.
In April the Chiefs also struggled at the International Wildcard Invitational which pitted the all eight minor regions against each other for the sole spot at the Mid-Season Invitational; Riot’s other major event aside from the World Championship. The Oceanic team failed to make it out of the group stage with a 3-4 record, placing 6th in the final ranking.
The boys in blue have stated their goals as they shift set their sights on Brazil: “We want to come in the top two at IWCQ as making it to Worlds has always been our dream as an organisation and as individuals,” says Simon ‘Swiffer’ Papamarkos, Chiefs Captain — who has been pursuing professional gaming since late 2013.
As of now, seven of the eight teams have qualified including the representative teams of Brazil, Commonwealth of Independent States, Japan, Turkey and South East Asia with Latin America’s soon to come.
The tournament is set to begin on the August 24 with stream schedules yet to be confirmed.
