There are some quality Australian eSports teams looking to take the world by storm
Australia may not be the first country you think of when it comes to eSports excellence, with its geographical location and time difference with the Asian hubs of the sport historically making it difficult for players from both Australia and New Zealand to break through on to the scene.
However, the Aussies have embraced eSports in a big way over the last few years, with the country’s best players slowly catching up to the dominant nations. The Australian Esports League (AEL) was founded in 2016 and aims to improve eSports accessibility to all levels, from grassroots competitors all the way up to professional players. Judging by the growing prominence eSports competition in the nation, it appears to be working.
Melbourne resident Anathan Pham became a legend in Australia when he scooped more than $3 million as part of the OG five-man team who won The 2018 International Dota 2 Championships in Canada.
Had the FIFA 21 eWorld Cup gone ahead, there would’ve been three Australians competing –Negede Abenezer Hungnaw, Marcus Gomes, and Dylan Campbell – and the trio remain at the pinnacle of their sport.
With stars beginning to rise, many more Australians have started playing eSports, many with a view to eventually turning pro. With this in mind, we look at some of the teams making their mark in 2021.
1) Renegades
Competing in CS: GO, VALORANT, Call of Duty, Rocket League, and Apex Legends, Renegades is an American/Australian organisation founded in 2015.
The team has been making waves in recent years, pocketing a cool $1,731,762.73 from 238 tournaments and often being amongst the favourites in eSports betting in Australia for games including CS: GO, where they’ve enjoyed most of their success.
Ranked number 15 in the world, the Renegades CS: GO roster won the Asia Minor Championship and the Omen Challenger Series in 2019.
2) Dire Wolves
Hot on Renegades’ heels, New Zealand-based Dire Wolves have amassed total tournament earnings of $227,772.26 from only 39 tournaments since their inception in 2014.
Originally a League of Legends, entered FIFA, Rocket League, VALORANT, and Overwatch in 2020, followed by Apex Legends in 2021. The number one Australian team in LOL, Dire Wolves are ranked 52nd in the world.
3) Chiefs Esports Club
Competing across a wide range of eSports, including COD, LOL, CS: GO, PUBG and Rainbow Six Siege, Chiefs Esports Club are the most successful Australian team in Rocket League, earning $125,762 to date.
Sitting 12th in the world Rocket League rankings, the team came first in 47 Rocket League tournaments in 2019. Along with successes in other eSports, this has helped them to accrue $611,893.09 from 134 tournaments to date.
4) ORDER
The first eSports organisation to be crowdfunded, ORDER was created in 2017.
Rather than dominate one eSport, ORDER consistently performs well across CS: GO, Overwatch, LOL and Rocket League. Their highest world ranking is 39th for both CS: GO and Rocket League.
To date, 53 tournaments have yielded prize money of $390,230.40 with achievements including 1st place in the 2021 VALORANT Oceania Tour 2021: Championship (B-Tier).
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