Vietnam Championship Series Explained

Vietnam Championship Series
Sport:esports
Game:League of Legends
Founded:2013
Teams:8
Champion:GAM Esports (10th title)
Most Champs:GAM Esports (10 titles)
Related Comps:Garena Premier League
Qualification:Promotion and relegation
Relegation:Vietnam Championship Series B
Confed Cup:Mid Season Invitational
World Championship
Countries:Vietnam

The Vietnam Championship Series (VCS) is a professional League of Legends esports league run by Riot Games and VNG Games - a subsidiary of VNG Corporation since 2022 after Garena stopped publishing League of Legends and its major competitions in Vietnam. From 2013 to 2017, the VCS was a tier below Garena Premier League (GPL). In 2018, the VCS broke away from the GPL and became a separate tier one league. The Vietnamese teams have the opportunity to participate directly in international events of League of Legends organized by Riot Games without having to participate in the GPL.[1]

History

2012–2013

Before changing the name to the Vietnam Championship Series tournament that once named the Glorious Arena. Over 4 seasons from mid 2012 to the end of 2013 the tournament saw the dominance of Saigon Jokers with 3 times of champion and once champion of Full Louis. By the end of 2013, it was changed to Vietnam Championship Series.

2013–2015

The first tournament was held in 2013 with the name Vietnam Championship Series without qualifying, the participating teams were invited by Vietnam Esports and the total prize value of the first tournament was VND 200,000,000. From the third season, the tournament starts with qualifiers and names are also changed to Vietnam Championship Series (VCS A) to distinguish them from the qualifying tournament of Vietnam Championship Series B (VCS B). In 2014, sponsored by Dell, the name of the prize was named Dell Championship Serie A (DCS A).

In 2015, the number of teams participating in VCS A was increased to 16 teams, playing in a round robin format with two turns (first and second round) scoring according to the Bo1 format. The team with the most points will be crowned champion. Saigon Fantastic Five has won the VCS A championship in spring 2015 and then the GPL spring 2015, becoming the first Vietnamese team to win the GPL.

2016

In 2016, VCS A made a big step when the tournament was officially part of the Riot Games tournament system, marking the official VCS A step up professionally. The organizing committee reduced the number of participating teams to 10, in return it will give 2 million VND / month to the coaches and athletes. The tournament format also changes accordingly: 10 rounds of 2 rounds count Bo1 points, 4 teams with the highest score will participate in play-offs to find champions. VCS A was also renamed Coca-Cola Championship Series (CCCS) under the sponsorship of Coca-Cola. By the summer of 2016, the Coca-Cola Championship Series was renamed the MountainDew Championship Series (MDCS) under the sponsorship of the Mountain Dew drinking water label.

2017

The number of teams participating in the competition continues to be reduced to 8, in return for the coach and athletes' salary increased to 3 million VND / month. The format of the tournament is also changed: 8 rounds of 2 rounds count Bo3 points, 4 teams with the highest score will participate in play-offs to find the champion.[2]

2018

Riot Games directly participated in the tour operation, the tournament returned with the name Vietnam Championship Series, the total prize pool increased to 1 billion VND 200 million, the salary of coach and athletes increased to VND 4 million / month . In addition, VCS matches are held at GG Stadium - 6th Floor, Crescent Mall, District 7, Ho Chi Minh City built by Riot Games, instead of being organized online as before. Teams not based in Ho Chi Minh City will be supported by the organizers during the VCS Spring 2018.[3] On 21 February 2018, VCS separated from GPL. This is a result based on the fact that in recent years VCS has always been the dominant force of the GPL. Especially at the two spring and summer events in 2017. Impressive competitions at MSI 2017 and World Championship 2017. Riot Games believes that this is a very appropriate time to get Vietnam away from the GPL to become a separate area. Changes in Vietnam's participatory international tournaments are as follows:

Will be expanded into a tournament for 14 teams.

Definitely get a boot round.VCS Championship team Spring Spring 2018 will increase to 100 million VND, bringing the total value to 500 million VND will be separated from GPL's reward Spring 2018 (The expected prize that the Vietnamese champion team attends GPL Spring) . However, this only applies to Spring, and from Summer onwards Vietnam will no longer relate to the GPL tournament.[4]

Current participants

Competition format

Group stage

This period will have the participation of 8 teams, playing rounds of 2 rounds to find out the 4 strongest teams participating in the qualifying rounds. Matches of the Group Stage will take place in the Best of 3 format (3 games maximum), each game is played according to the Prohibition mode and Choose 5vs5 on the map Summoner's Rift.[5]

Round knockout

4 teams will compete against each other in a ladder mode to find the champion: the 3rd and 4th teams will fight each other in the first match, the winning team will go on to meet the 2nd team and whoever wins this match will be competing Finalists meet the top team. Matches of this stage will take place in the form of Best of 5 (5 games maximum), each game is played according to the ban and Select 5vs5 on the map Summoner's Rift.[5]

Past seasons

YearSplitDuration1st2nd3rd
2013Winter11 February 2013 – 17 December 2013XGameHanoi DragonsBeautiful Life Gaming
2014Spring22 February 2014 – 13 April 2014Team Ozone Cutie MonstersHanoi DragonsHanoi Fate
Summer14 June 2014 – 24 September 2014Hanoi Fate HoL ElementsHanoi Phoenix
2015Spring15 November 2014 – 4 June 2015Saigon Fantastic FiveSaigon JokersBoba Marines
Summer17 May 2015 – 24 August 2015Boba MarinesFull LouisSaigon Jokers
2016Spring15 January 2016 – 3 June 2016Saigon Jokers Full Louis269 Gaming
Boba Marines
Summer20 May 2016 – 18 July 2016Saigon Jokers Saigon MongamingAn Phát Ultimate
Boba Marines
2017Spring8 February 2017 – 2 April 2017Young GenerationUTM Esports
Summer7 June 2017 – 13 August 2017Young GenerationROG Friends
201818 January 2018 – 4 July 2018GIGABYTE MarinesUTM Esports
21 June 2018 – 22 September 2018Adonis EsportsFriends Forever
201917 January 2019 – 13 April 2019Phong Vũ BuffaloSky Gaming
20 June 2019 – 15 September 2019Lowkey EsportsTeam Flash
202031 January 2020 – 18 April 2020Team FlashGAM EsportsEVOS Esports
19 June 2020 – 5 September 2020Team FlashGAM EsportsEVOS Esports
202122 January 2021 – 18 April 2021GAM EsportsSaigon BuffaloTeam Secret
SummerCancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
Winter16 November 2021 – 26 December 2021CERBERUS EsportsGAM EsportsBurst The Sky Esports
202211 February 2022 - 24 April 2022GAM EsportsSaigon BuffaloTeam Secret
7 June 2022 - 4 September 2022GAM EsportsSaigon BuffaloTeam Secret
202324 February 2023 – 23 April 2023GAM EsportsSBTC EsportsCERBERUS Esports
23 June 2023 – 9 September 2023GAM EsportsTeam Whales Team Secret
202420 January 2023 – 7 April 2024GAM EsportsVikings EsportsTeam Secret

Statistics

Top-performing teams

Team(s)1st2nd3rd
GAM Esports1033
Saigon Buffalo250
Saigon Jokers211
Team Flash202
EVOS Esports112
Hanoi Fate101
Cerberus Esports100
Saigon Fantastic Five100
XGame100
Team Ozone Cutie Monsters100
Full Louis020
Team Whales010
Team Secret005

Individual awards

Season MVP Standings

YearSplitPlayerTeamTime/Points
2017SpringĐỗ "Levi" Duy KhánhGIGABYTE Marines400
Summer
2018SpringNguyễn "YiJin" Lê Hải ĐăngEVOS Esports900
SummerPhạm "Zeros" Minh LộcPhong Vũ Buffalo10
2019SpringPhạm "Zeros" Minh LộcPhong Vũ Buffalo1100
SummerĐỗ "Levi" Duy Khánh
Nguyễn " YiJin " Lê Hải Đăng
GAM Esports
Team Flash
800
2020SpringLê "Dia1" Phú Quý GAM Esports1100
SummerLê "Dia1" Phú Quý GAM Esports1000
2021SpringĐỗ "Levi" Duy Khánh GAM Esports1000
WinterLê Lưu "Killerqueen" Bách Đạt Luxury Esports11
2022SpringTrần "BeanJ" Văn Chính Saigon Buffalo1000

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Vietnam is now an independent competitive region. lolesports.com. 7 May 2023.
  2. Web site: Điều lệ DCSA. Liên Minh Huyền Thoại. 3 July 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170703192733/https://lmht.giaidau.vn/mountain-dew-championship-series/dieu-le. dead.
  3. Web site: Họp báo công bố giải đấu VCS Mùa Xuân 2018.
  4. Web site: CHÍNH THỨC: Đội vô địch VCS Mùa Xuân 2018 sẽ được tăng 100 triệu đồng tiền thưởng!. 31 May 2019.
  5. Web site: LMHT: Thể thức thi đấu VCSA Mùa Xuân 2018, vòng playoffs sẽ đánh như LCK Hàn Quốc. 12 January 2018. gamek.vn. 31 May 2019. 8 January 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220108032617/https://gamek.vn/lmht-the-thuc-thi-dau-vcsa-mua-xuan-2018-vong-playoffs-se-danh-nhu-lck-han-quoc-2018011216293237.chn. dead.