Steven R. September 8, 2018
TNC Tigers put on a strong performance in Southeast Asia qualifiers for the International 2018, and while it wasn’t enough to actually make the cut into the tournament, it was enough to warrant a second chance.
After announcing its split from the TNC organization, the newly minted Tigers revealed a new lineup on Saturday that featured three members of the TI8 qualifier squad: Sivatheeban "1437" Sivanathapillai, Muhammad "inYourdreaM" Rizky, and Kenny "Xepher" Deo. They are joined by new additions Lai "Ahjit" Jay Son and David "MoonMeander" Tan. The new lineup was revealed on Twitter:
TNC Tigers was announced as a team in March following 1437’s removal from the primary TNC team. It didn’t complete a proper roster until May, however, competing in just one tournament before moving to qualify for TI8. Despite having little opportunity to gel, the team was generally solid, coming just one game shy of making it to the big event. From there, TNC Tigers competed in a few small online tournaments before disbanding.
Though it was a small sample size, the team’s initial success coupled with the new additions make them a real player in the Southeast Asian scene.
Despite being one of the better teams on paper, Tigers will be forced to work its way through the open qualifiers to the Kuala Lumpur Major. Should it succeed, it will then have to face off with a number of regional staples, including its former sister team.