The two-day Vibes Asian Championship at the YGG Play Summit concluded on Saturday, November 22, 2025, marking a major milestone for Web3 trading card games in Asia. Emerging victorious was John Fitzgerald “Oxtraxex” Poculan of Web3 gaming guild 8888, who defeated guildmate Jerald Jay “Asamax” Pamiloza in a tense and methodical final match. Seventy-seven competitors from across Asia battled in Manila for a share of the US$20,000 prize pool, with Oxtraxex claiming the US$4,000 top prize in the first Asian championship for Orange Cap Games’ Vibes TCG, featuring the Pudgy Penguins IP.
The finals saw Asamax enter with ten straight wins, but Oxtraxex ultimately outplayed his counterdeck to secure the championship title. The match was cast by YGG Esports player Feno and Orange Cap Games co-founder Elliot Kahn. For Oxtraxex, who traveled from Zamboanga Sibugay, the event marked his first competitive TCG experience—remarkably achieved without ever playing the physical version of Vibes, which he has followed online since Season 0 launched in December 2024.
Among the top contenders were seasoned Filipino players who were familiar with one another through YGG Pilipinas community events. Joining the finalists in the top 8 were Hearthstone pros CaraCute and Staz, Magic: The Gathering competitors Eton Delmoro, MoisesOng, and Cholo Pascual. The tournament followed a Swiss+1 format with up to 12 proxies allowed to balance card accessibility, culminating in a single-elimination bracket on day two.
The top 32 competitors earned prizes, ranging from US$250 to US$4,000. The event was officiated by Magic: The Gathering Premier Judge Sashi Balakrishnan from Malaysia, ensuring competitive integrity throughout the tournament.
In Vibes, players construct “huddles” of penguins, relics, and action cards—a system designed to be approachable for newcomers while offering strategic depth that appeals to fans of Magic: The Gathering, Disney Lorcana, and One Piece. Orange Cap Games’ Elliot Kahn personally presented the trophy to Oxtraxex and invited all top 8 players to compete in the Vibes 2025 World Championship at SCG CON Portland on January 23–26, 2026.
The YGG Play Summit also hosted major esports events, including the US$100,000 YGG Parallel Showdown, won by TCG veteran Viper, and the competitive debut of Ubisoft’s Might & Magic: Fates. Beyond gaming, industry leaders such as Sky Mavis’ Jihoz and OpenSea’s Oliver Maroney shared insights at the Summit’s Town Hall, while workshops, demos, and the GAM3 Awards rounded out one of Web3 gaming’s biggest annual gatherings.
No comments:
Post a Comment