Team Secret crowned as the first ROG Masters 2016

Team Secret is the first-ever ROG Masters DOTA2 champions beating Philippine team Execration in a 3-0 sweep to win the tournament prize of $150,000 (roughly PHP 7 Million) at the ROG Masters World Finals held in Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) in Malaysia.

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Team Secret: One of Europe’s Finest DOTA2 Team

One of Europe’s finest, Team Secret got a direct invite to ROG Masters 2016, touted as Southeast Asia’s biggest gaming event. The team is composed of captain Clement “Puppey” Ivanov, Johan “pieliedie” Åström, Pyo “MP” No-a, and the latest addition to the team, Maurice “KheZu” Gutmann (formerly Escape Gaming’s offlaner), and Yeik “MidOne” Nai Zheng (formerly from Fnatic). 

Team Secret proved to live up to the expectation of being the crowd favorite, dominating the final matches between Philippine team Execration in a 3-0 sweep. The team’s victory once again proved to the DOTA2 community that they remain to be undisputed and relevant in the scene. Though not part of the Boston Major qualifiers, Team Secret is expected to be back in Asia by next year for a series of DOTA2 tournaments.

Philippine Pride Execration’s Journey in ROG Masters 2016

Local pride Execration (XctN) is composed of key players from Cavite City with team captain Kimuel “Kim0” Rodis, along with Khim “Gabbi” Villafuerte, Djardel Jicko “DJ” Mampusti (formerly from Fnatic), Abed “Abed” Yusop, and Rafael Sicat “Rapy” Palo. During the local qualifiers, Execration failed to make it to the finals, but was able to secure a spot at the ROG Masters World Finals by winning in the South East Asia game qualifiers.

The team showcased impressive performance in international DOTA2 tournaments such as MPGL in Malaysia in September where they became the grand champions. Shortly after the tournament, the team was handpicked by Valve and got a direct invite to the Boston Major which is the first “Major” of the 2016-2017 DOTA2 championship series that will take place at the Boston, Massachusetts in December 2016. For this tournament, Execration will be substituting Rapy for Adam Erwann “343” Shah.

Both Team Secret and Execration have earned themselves hardcore e-Sports fans due to their consistent performance, incredible hero picks, and impressive gaming style after winning various DOTA2 tournaments both locally and internationally.

ROG: Empowering Gamers and the e-Sports Scene in the Philippines

“ASUS Republic Of Gamers (ROG) being the world’s undisputed no.1 gaming laptop brand is always dedicated to support the local e-Sports scene and as well as Filipino rising starts in the country. We believe that Filipinos can compete with the world’s greatest players – Execration and Mineski proved this during the ROG Masters 2016 world finals and we are so proud of them,” shares ASUS Philippines Systems Group Country Manager George Su.

“We have been emphasizing the importance of the Philippine market to us and we will continue to support key e-Sports activities in the country because we believe that ROG’s gaming machines and innovations will empower professional gamers and enthusiasts in their quest for glory,” Su concludes.