Who is Team Whales?

Olivia Richman Published 03/09/2023

A new Vietnamese League of Legends team is going to the 2023 League of Legends World Championship. If you’ve never heard of Team Whales, here’s why.

Since 2019, there’s only been two teams that have been representing Vietnam at international League of Legends tournaments. GAM Esports and Saigon Buffalo have been the two VCS teams that have had time on larger, international stages like the Mid-Season Invitational and the World Championship.

But that’s about to change.

Team Whales heading to Worlds 2023

Vietnam has had a rough go when it comes to international tournaments, with the country dealing with a lot of travel-related issues due to the global health crisis in 2020 and 2021.

But don’t count Vietnam out just yet.

This year, Team Whales is going to represent Vietnam at Worlds 2023. The team finished second in the VCS Summer Split, then was sent to the lower bracket by Secret in the playoffs. But the team swam through the bracket and ultimately scored Vietnam’s final ticket to the biggest League of Legends event of the year, joining GAM Esports.

Now, GAM Esports and Team Whales will have to battle through the Play-In Stage if they want to join the major region teams who also qualified for the event.

The VCS grand finals between the two Vietnamese reps will be on September 9. The Worlds Play-In Stage is October 9, a month later, starting with the Worlds Qualifying Series.  

The esports community has shown massive support for Team Whales, rooting for the underdog team to make a splash at Worlds.

Olivia Richman

About Olivia Richman

Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.

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