The grand finale of the Asia Pacific Predator League 2024 unfolded at the Mall of Asia Arena, delivering a spectacular day of esports action and musical performances that captivated thousands of fans in attendance and countless more watching online over the weekend. In a thrilling showcase of skill and strategy, Blacklist Rivalry emerged victorious over local rivals Execration in the Dota 2 tournament, while regional powerhouse Team Secret secured a resounding victory against Japanese squad FAV Gaming in VALORANT, marking their first LAN triumph of 2024.
Dota 2 Showdown: Blacklist Rivalry vs. Execration
Blacklist Rivalry demonstrated dominance in the Dota 2 tournament, employing a formidable Alchemist-Dragon Knight-Spirit Breaker draft against Execration’s more tempo-focused Tiny, Pangolier, and Lina lineup. Timothy “TIMS” Randrup’s Spirit Breaker created havoc across the map, allowing Abed “Abed” Yusop’s Dragon Knight and Kim “Gabbi” Santos’s Spirit Breaker to control the game, securing a convincing Game 1 victory.
In Game 2, Execration countered with Mark Anthony “Bob” Urbina on Ember Spirit, but Blacklist Rivalry’s Techies-Chen support duo posed a unique challenge. Despite an early advantage for Bob in the midlane, Polo “Raven” Fausto’s Luna, supported by aggressive teammates, secured victory for Blacklist Rivalry. The team celebrated their championship win, taking home US$65,000, while Execration claimed US$20,000. Team Aster and IHC Esports secured third and fourth places, earning US$7,500 each.
VALORANT Triumph: Team Secret vs. FAV Gaming
In the VALORANT grand final, FAV Gaming chose Breeze as the first map, deploying clever strategies. Team Secret, however, showcased resilience, winning the Pistol round and stabilizing in the early game. Matsuyama “bazz” Naoya’s impactful Four-Kill round initially favored FAV Gaming, but Noel “NDG” De Guia’s heroics helped Team Secret regain momentum, resulting in a 12-7 victory in Map 1.
On Map 2, Team Secret’s dominance on Haven was evident, with an aggressive defense and a remarkable knife kill by Jeremy “Jremy” Cabrera in Round 3. Team Secret led with an 11-1 score at halftime, securing an insurmountable advantage. With a final score of 2-0, Team Secret claimed victory in VALORANT, adding the Predator Shield to their accolades.
Team Secret earned US$65,000 as champions, while FAV Gaming received US$20,000. BOOM Esports and Team Flash, securing third and fourth places, respectively, took home US$7,500 each.
Exceptional Performances Recognized
In addition to team victories, individual excellence was acknowledged with the Intel MVP Award Trophy. Polo “Raven” Fausto, the carry player for Blacklist Rivalry, received the Dota 2 MVP award, while Jremy “Jremy” Cabrera, Team Secret’s duelist player, was honored in VALORANT. Both players were rewarded with an additional US$10,000 in cash for their outstanding contributions to the Asia Pacific Predator League 2024.