Saigon Buffalo looking to make Vietnamese region proud at MSI

Saigon Buffalo thought their spring season was over when they lost to GAM Esports in the Vietnam Championship Series (VCS) spring finals. Actually, it was the start of a new experience for the young Vietnamese lineup.

After GAM Esports won the VCS spring finals, it was revealed that they would be unable to attend the 2022 Mid-Season Invitational because they would be competing at the SEA Games. This freed up the opportunity for Saigon Buffalo to represent Vietnam at MSI and represent their region at an international event for the first time in two years.

“I feel very honored to represent the VCS at an international tournament, especially after being absent for the past two years,” Saigon Buffalo mid laner Bùi "Froggy" Văn Minh Hải said. “This is also very important because it is the first international tournament for this new iteration of Saigon Buffalo. Our experience here can be very valuable.”

Due to the COVID pandemic, the VCS has been unable to send any teams to any international Riot Games events over the past two years.

Saigon Buffalo finished the VCS 2022 spring split regular season with a 9-5 record, good for second place in the VCS. Although it was a major accomplishment domestically, questions surrounded Saigon Buffalo regarding their level of strength as the VCS’s second-best team.

Yet, even with less expectations, Saigon Buffalo top laner, Lâm “Hasmed” Huỳnh Gia Huy admitted they still felt an immense amount of pressure because of regional pride.

“There was pressure in our eyes to perform because of how long it has been since VCS has been away from an international event, Hasmed said. “We don’t want to let our community down.”

Saigon Buffalo began their MSI 2022 run with a loss against Korea’s T1 but quickly bounced back against MSI group rivals Detonation FocusMe and Team Aze. They beat both teams again to solidify their spot in the rumble stage.

Immediately, their nerves turned into relief.

“I'm very happy with this victory,” Froggy said after qualifying for the rumble stage. “We proved everyone wrong by making it to this stage and showed that even as the second seed, we are a strong team.”

For Saigon Buffalo, qualifying for the Rumble Stage was not just a big accomplishment for the Vietnamese region. It was a major statement that their region is better than just their strongest team.

Stampeding through obstacles in their way

Photo credit: Riot Games

Previous tournament placements show the VCS as the sixth-best region in League of Legends, but unlike their major region counterparts, there are some simple additions that can propel the region even further.

“The full investment is not there for the Vietnamese region just yet and we are still able to compete against some of the best teams in the world,” head coach Nguyễn “Ren” Văn Trọng said. “Right now, we need a more competitive nurturing ground for players to grow even further so that we can eventually reach our full potential as a region.”

From 2013 to 2017, the VCS was tied to the Garena Premier League and needed to compete against other Southeast Asian teams in order to make it to the international stage. That changed in 2018 when the VCS broke away from the GPL and became its own separate Tier 1 league and participated directly in international Riot Games events.

Although he was quick to note the growth the VCS has experienced, according to Ren, there are still many things that Vietnam lacks compared to other major regions.

“Vietnam is not in a good financial position in terms of investment in esports compared to the other major regions,” Ren shared. “Sometimes I have to take parts of my salary to help players through difficult situations so that they can become more knowledgeable in-game and mentally.”

Before he became the head coach, Ren was a player himself. Having experienced the lack of resources available for his region, Ren is proud of his players for pushing through with limited resources. Still, Ren is committed to ensuring that Saigon Buffalo continues to get better so more people can pay attention to the Vietnamese region.

Photo credit: Riot Games

“I’m trying my best to balance all the roles for the players because I really care about their careers and growth,” Ren said. “I think they see that as well and it makes me happy knowing that they appreciate my hard work and investment in them.”

This unwavering support for the team is something that has kept players on the team committed to the process.

“The reason I stayed with Saigon Buffalo for so long is because of Coach Ren,” Froggy said. “Workwise, he is a mentor for me, and on a personal level, he is a great friend that I place a lot of trust in. He gave me an opportunity and I just want to do my best to shine under him.”

Froggy joined Saigon Buffalo in May 2020, when the team wasn’t as successful. Yet, even through the rough years, Froggy remained loyal to Saigon Buffalo.

This is something that has also kept Hasmed, who has been part of Saigon Buffalo since late 2018 as a trainee, loyal to the organization during the rebuilding years.

“I stayed with the Buffalo organization for so long because the entire coaching staff and my teammates have always treated me well,” Hasmed said. “We are in an environment to grow. The team has a very professional work environment, and I feel I perform at my best here.”

Saigon Buffalo’s quest to extend their run at MSI 2022

Photo credit: Riot Games

Moving forward, Saigon Buffalo have already achieved their primary goal at MSI 2022. Now, the VCS second seed plan to extend their time on the international stage by doing what no other Vietnamese team has done.

“Our biggest goal was to make it to the rumble stage,” Hasmed shared. “Now, we want to take this run further to the knockout stage and surprise people even more.”

It’s something that his teammate agreed with.

“I want to continue showing what Saigon Buffalo is capable of and represent the Vietnamese community well,” Froggy said. “There is definitely pressure at play, but we will overcome it.”

Saigon Buffalo will continue their MSI 2022 run during the rumble stage where the six remaining teams will duke it out in a double-round-robin group stage. This will start May 20, and Saigon Buffalo’s first matchup will be against PSG Talon at 6 a.m. ET.

Lead photo credit: Riot Games