Filipino gamer bucks odds with bronze finish in Teamfight Tactics Asian Cup

MANILA, Philippines — Lone Filipino player Allen Raye "ARaye" Vibar hurdled some of Asia’s top players, including a former champion, to finish third in the Teamfight Tactics Asian Cup held online over the weekend.

Vibar was at the top of the leaderboard heading to the local qualifiers, and in the Southeast Asia (SEA) regional qualifiers, he consistently placed in the top eight in the three-day the competition. With only six Asian Cup spots up for grabs via the regional qualifiers, Vibar was able to snag the sixth and final slot by finishing the final day with 26 points after six rounds of competition.

As the sole Filipino in the tournament, Vibar previously told Philstar.com that he was already happy to qualify, and that he was able to represent the country in a Riot-organized tournament as Teamfight Tactics's previous publisher, Garena, didn't have many local tournaments.

Vibar managed to survive the first two days of competition by finishing in the top eight out of 24 players. He even secured three consecutive second-place finishes in Day 1 and a first place result in Day 2.

On the final day of the competition, Vibar started in the middle of the pack, placing fourth and fifth during the first two rounds. But he once again took two consecutive bronze finishes in Rounds 3 and 4. Though he placed seventh in the sixth and final round, his cumulative score of 23 points was enough to give him a podium finish. He bested most of the Chinese players who were favored to win, including Teamfight Tactics Dragonlands World Champion "XunGe" of China, who placed fifth overall.

"3rd place at first Riot International tournament. Finally able to prove myself after 2 years of playing this game." Vibar posted on Twitter after his win.

Vibar will take home a cash prize of $6,000 (approximately Php300,000).