https://arab.news/52hn7
- Win earns $180,000 from the $500,000 tournament pot 鈥� the largest prize pool in women鈥檚 esports history
- 鈥榃e want to give honor to our country. I hope we made our kababayans (countrymen) proud, including those who went to the venue to support us鈥� 鈥� Meraaay, Omega Empress captain
RIYADH: Omega Empress declared their Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Women鈥檚 Invitational triumph 鈥渁 victory for the Philippines鈥� after they whitewashed firm favorites Team Vitality 3-0 in the final at the Esports World Cup on Saturday night.
In front of a packed crowd at the SEF Arena at Boulevard Riyadh City, Omega Empress鈥檚 exploits earned them the lion鈥檚 share of the record-breaking $500,000 tournament prize pool for women鈥檚 esports 鈥� a cool $180,000.
Team Vitality, a French organization with an all-Indonesian roster of players, were on an incredible three-year run of victories with a winning streak of 24. But that changed as Omega Empress powered to glory, becoming the first Filipina team to win a tournament at the EWC.
Meraaay, Omega Empress captain and roamer, told the post-final press conference: 鈥淲e want to give honor to our country. I hope we made our kababayans (countrymen) proud, including those who went to the venue to support us. It feels like a dream for all of us. We would like to take our hats off to Team Vitality who gave us a good fight. We can already call ourselves world champions.
鈥淭o all aspiring female ML:BB players out there, continue what you love doing. We started from scratch, always almost losing every time, but we continued playing because we felt like this is something we love.鈥�
As well as Meraaay, real name Christine Vivero, the Omega Empress team features Gold Laner Sheen 鈥淪hinoa鈥� Perez, Jungler Kaye 鈥淜eishi鈥� Alpuerto, Mid Laner Rica 鈥淎moree鈥� Amores, and EXP Laner Gwyneth 鈥淎yanami鈥� Diagon. The team is led by coach Salman Macarambon.
Shinoa was declared the Final鈥檚 Most Valuable Player, scooping $50,000. She was also the only player to record a Savage kill in the entire tournament and was subsequently dubbed the 鈥淔ilipina Savage鈥� by watching fans.
She said: 鈥淚鈥檓 very happy. I really didn鈥檛 expect that I could achieve a Savage kill. I鈥檓 happy to have been given that moniker. I鈥檓 speechless but nonetheless I am very satisfied with my performance.鈥�
The semi-finals saw Omega Empress beat Victory Song Gamers 3-0, while Team Vitality defeated Team Falcons Vega 3-1.
The eight-week long EWC, which features a unique cross-game structure that pits the world鈥檚 top clubs and players against one another across 22 global competitions in 21 leading games, runs until August 25. It has a total prize pool of $60 million, the largest in the history of esports.
More than 1,500 players representing over 60 nations are battling it out at the tournament. PUBG Mobile and Overwatch 2 reach their conclusion on Sunday, July 28 with another set of compelling final matchups at Boulevard Riyadh City.