Scores of screens lined up, the bright lights illuminating the faces of the enthusiasts glued to them, fingers furiously tapping out rhythms on keyboards, gripping mouses and joysticks, muscle tension giving way to relief as their team mates cheer every fallen enemy, every goal scored and every finish line crossed. The virtual reality of an e sports tournament exudes an atmosphere as electric as any regular sporting event, and with the increase in the understanding of and respect for E-Sports tournaments it is with great pride that Sri Lanka can now boast an internationally recognised clan! Phoenix GaminG is a group of teams and individuals, and has grown to include over 125 members since its inception in 2008. They currently stand as the leading clan in Sri Lanka and was awarded the “Best Clan Award” in 2014 at the Sri Lankan eSports Awards.
The clan plays a variety of titles; Duty 4, DOTA 2, Counter-Strike GO, League of Legends, HALO , FIFA 15, Mortal Kombat X, TrackMania, Need for Speed, and Tekken Tag Tournament 2. They also have the distinction of being the only clan to have won every single title at least once.
.jpg)
In the international scene, an eSports team is treated similarly to any other sports team, with sponsors, daily schedules, and standards to maintain. Until recently, no clan from Sri Lanka managed to reach that level. However, Phoenix GaminG approached MSI in early 2014 with regards to a sponsorship. They were the first and as yet only clan to be sponsored by an international brand. Following that, MSI monitored their performance and behaviour for a little over a year. They understood the clan’s capabilities and decided to include them in MSI's officially sponsored Top Player - Top Choice teams (formerly known as The Dragon Army) equalling them to the rest of their internationally sponsored teams. It is a big achievement as even world famous teams like Fnatic were once on this list. This was the breakthrough the clan was looking for.
1. What does it mean for a clan to be recognized internationally?
We started off as a bunch of game enthusiasts. About ten close friends who were into gaming. We kept on growing and extending to a point of becoming the best clan in Sri Lanka with over 125 members. Basically, there are hundreds of small clans in the world. All this time, we could never properly say that we were something more than a regular clan. However, by achieving international recognition by MSI, we were able to realize that we were worthy of moving forward to another level in eSports.
With this, we are even closer towards reaching the goal of taking part in the international scene. Now we will be getting the exposure we need to prepare ourselves for what’s next. In time, we will compete and hopefully extend our dominance across the world.
2. Why is it a big deal that a Sri Lankan team has been recognised internationally?
From a country that is yet to recognize eSports, we have managed to come a long way. However, gaining international recognition means our effort has been considered by a bigger authority in comparison with the rest of the teams in the world. That being said, we can be proud that our members have showed a performance worthy of being compared to other pros in the world.
3. How do you feel about it?
First and foremost, we are extremely proud of our members for taking us this far. Being the top clan in Sri Lanka, I think it’s our responsibility to ensure we follow the correct path because at the end of the day whatever we do will reflect on the gaming community. We have a responsibility to take forward the local gaming scene and by gaining this international recognition through MSI, I think we have done something that the community should be proud of. It’s also a benchmark being set for other clans to achieve it.
4. What future goals for the clan do you have in mind?
Until now, we shall proceed one step at a time. We can’t expect to win the next major international tournament just like that. However, gaining international recognition by MSI opened a new range of opportunities for us to improve our skills. Right now, we are able to schedule matches with our sponsors’ partnered international teams to see where we currently stand. Accordingly, we will plan our entry to the international stage.
We are currently having strong teams for DOTA 2, FIFA, and Mortal Kombat. We have players who have international exposure so we hope to push them forward first. Meanwhile, games like Starcraft 2 and Heroes of the Storm are being played often internationally. They are not yet popular in Sri Lanka but we hope to see how we can change that.
We also hope to see more opportunities in gaming other than just eSports. We are already in the process of extending to further platforms. We hope to make Phoenix GaminG a known name in general.
By Marissa van Eyck
.jpg)
0 Comments