Meet the Wild Rift teams qualified for the Horizon Cup 2021

It’s been over a year since Wild Rift’s open beta released, and in just a week’s time, the new esport will be hosting its first ever international event: the Horizon Cup. Ten teams from across the world will congregate in Singapore for an eight-day tournament starting Nov. 13 to crown Wild Rift’s first international champion.

Here’s a little about each of the 10 teams that are set to battle for Wild Rift’s first international title.

Da Kun Gaming -- China

Da Kun Gaming qualified for the Horizon Cup as one of two Chinese representatives, defeating Team For Champion 4-0 in the Spark Invitational Finals -- an event specifically held for Chinese organizations not participating in the League of Legends Pro League (LPL). Despite technically being an amateur team, Da Kun Gaming sports strong results in online tournaments that also feature LPL teams, having close series with Oh My God and EDward Gaming.

Da Kun Gaming are a relatively slow paced team that loves to pour resources into jungler Huiba, who prioritized Graves for much of their Spark Invitational Run. In League of Legends, carry junglers often make the difference between good teams and great teams, so watch out for Da Kun Gaming at Wild Rift’s first international event.

Thunder Talk Gaming -- China

Thunder Talk Gaming qualified for the Horizon Cup after defeating Oh My God 4-0 in the 2021 Wild Rift LPL Qualifier, a Wild Rift event featuring all 16 LPL teams. Thunder Talk Gaming’s tournament history was not as robust as Oh My God’s, but they proved resilient in their almost haphazard approach to mid-to-late game teamfighting. Thunder Talk Gaming aren’t going to shock you with stunning macro play or suffocating setups, but their opponents should be prepared to fight at every relevant objective.

Moving on to the Horizon Cup, Thunder Talk Gaming will be fielding a lineup that differs from their qualifying roster. Most notably, jungler Pan “once” Han -- who brought a wealth of experience to the team as a former League of Legends pro on Victory Five -- is being benched for Azure. After subbing out one of the team’s key players, it’s going to be a wait-and-see game for Thunder Talk Gaming’s performances at the Horizon Cup.

KT Rolster Y -- South Korea

Photo credit: KT Rolster

KT Rolster are a historical powerhouse in League of Legends, and KT Rolster Y are continuing that trend in Wild Rift. KT Rolster Y qualified for the Horizon Cup after defeating Break Frame Gaming 4-0 in the Wild Rift Champions Korea Finals, maintaining a perfect 7-0 record throughout their bracket run.

Baron laner Jung “Ratel” Yoon-ho and mid laner Kim “Isaac” Eun-soo stand out as premier solo laners at the Horizon Cup, but more likely than not, the team’s active vision control will make the biggest difference during their run. Isaac will receive praise for his aggressive Yasuo play, but his focus on vision control with lane priority is what really distinguishes his play from other mid laners. In an event where every team is mechanically talented, optimal vision setup around neutral objectives will go a long way.

SBTC Esports -- Southeast Asia

Photo credit: SBTC Esports

SBTC Esports are one of Southeast Asia’s two powerhouse representatives. The Vietnamese team qualified for the Horizon Cup after defeating Team Secret 4-1 in the SEA Championship Finals and profile as one of the strongest teams at the whole event. After a year of dominating the Vietnamese scene, SBTC Esports are ready to represent Southeast Asia as its No. 1 seed.

SBTC Esports are defined by their electric early game more than anything else, with former Arena of Valor professional and jungler Nguyễn "TF" Hữu Thuần leading the charge. TF is excellent at making his own plays happen, but is also just as proficient at shadowing his opponents and shutting them down. With Lee Sin being his go-to champion, expect to see a lot of action from TF on the Blind Monk.

Team Secret -- Southeast Asia

Photo credit: Riot Games

Team Secret came in second to SBTC Esports at the SEA Championship, securing their place at the Horizon Cup, but they proved why they also deserve to be recognized as one of the best teams at the tournament. Despite falling behind in the early game at numerous junctures, Team Secret always found a way to make their matches competitive, with the only win in their 4-1 loss being a comeback victory from a 7K gold deficit. Whether it’s through their creative draft choices or miracle teamfights, Team Secret bring a great deal of excitement into every match.

Like SBTC, Team Secret largely dominated their domestic Filipino scene with the exception of a second-place tournament finish in June. At the SEA Championship, that dominance continued with former League of Legends pro support James “Hamezz” Santos leading the charge on engage heavy supports like Gragas and Galio.

After knocking down Southeast Asian powerhouses One Team and Buriram United, Team Secret are set to prove that despite the Philippines struggling in League of Legends, Wild Rift is going to be a different story.

Team Queso -- EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa)

Photo credit: Riot Games

Team Queso qualified for the Horizon Cup after defeating Rix.GG 4-1 in the Wild Rift Origin Series Championship Finals, the capstone event to Europe’s premier Wild Rift circuit. Team Queso were far from infallible during the event, sporting a 2-2 record during the group stage, but nailed a key upset against the previously undefeated Game-End in the semifinals.

The Spanish side succeeded during the event by accelerating Baron laner Unai “Acolyte” Seoane whenever possible, often setting up strong split-push scenarios to threaten their opponents at Baron and Dragon. Their cross-map play is sound, but Team Queso might end up struggling with getting the fights they want against patient teams like Da Kun Gaming.

Tribe Gaming -- North America

Photo credit: Tribe Gaming

North America gets a bad rap in competitive MOBAs, especially League of Legends, but Tribe Gaming are looking to change all that in Singapore. Tribe Gaming qualified for the Horizon Cup after defeating Immortals 4-1 in the Summoner Series Finals, concluding a near undefeated bracket run after a year of domestic dominance. Joshrick “Starting” Ainsley Narag was particularly impressive on Corki, turning around numerous fights with the champion’s obscene late game damage.

Tribe Gaming’s domestic dominance continues the players’ personal histories of dominating another mobile game title, Vainglory, with Raul “Chuck” Montano-Chaidez, Ray “ttigers” Han, Gabriel “OldSkool” Villamariona and Daniel “MaxGreen” Choi all winning the Vainglory World Championship. League of Legends might not be North America’s game, but Tribe Gaming hasn’t lost a tournament since June and they’re not planning on ending that streak just yet.

Sengoku Gaming -- Japan

Photo credit: Riot Games

Sengoku Gaming qualified for the Horizon Cup after defeating Donuts USG 3-1 in the Japan Cup Finals. Since solidifying the current roster in August, Sengoku Gaming have dominated the Japanese scene with ease, only losing a single game in the last two major tournaments.

The Horizon Cup is bound to be a challenge for the Japanese side, but luckily, mid laner Kim “HAK” Do-Yeop will be there to put on the pressure. Whether it’s on his trusty Akali or Ahri, HAK always has an eye for picking out a fight that his team can win. Sengoku tends to be a bit trigger happy, but that might just surprise teams enough to pick up some wins in Singapore.

TSM -- Brazil

Photo credit: TSM

TSM qualified for the Horizon Cup after defeating Só Agradece Esports 4-3 in the Wild Rift Tour Finals, Brazil’s premier Wild Rift circuit. It was a nail-biter of a final, but TSM’s continued draft adaptations showed the team’s flexibility and resilience in the face of adversity. TSM played 19 different champions during the final, not including how champions like Lee Sin and Lucian were flexed across multiple roles.

TSM rely on a strong early game to get going, but with a bag of unique picks, that might just be doable at the Horizon Cup. Look out for Dragon laner João Victor Petroni de Paiva to receive most of the team’s resources on either Vayne, Ezreal or Kai’Sa as the team’s primary carry.

eBRO Gaming -- Latin America

Photo credit: Riot Games

EBRO Gaming entered the Wild Open -- Latin America’s premier Wild Rift Circuit -- as underdogs, but qualified for the Horizon Cup after defeating Leviatan Esports 3-1 in the final. Despite not winning an online event all year, the Argentinian eBRO Gaming brought a fast-tempo playstyle to Mexico City where they won it all on LAN.

On the top side of the map, baron laner Cristobal “Hache” Iván González Mendoza was an absolute menace on Fiora during the Wild Open Finals, constantly pulling several players and allowing eBRO to make aggressive plays elsewhere. Hache will no doubt run into a deeper talent pool at the Horizon Cup, but his willingness to push his mechanics to the limit will play a big role in eBRO competing on the international stage.

Lead photo credit: Riot Games