The APAC Predator League 2025 will be going live on January 11 and 12 for some intense Esports moment but before that, we had a chance to interview the remaining 4 teams who managed to break out of group stages and enter the semi-finalist rounds in both Valorant and Dota 2.
Here are some quick questions we fired at them and yes there isn’t a lot for all of them as only about 15 minutes were allocated for each team.
*Answers are curated as needed for additional context*
Valorant Teams
Crest Gaming Zst (Japan)
[Players: sakurai, Brofeld, Kapi, KEN, bazz]
Q: How was the tournament yesterday?
A: Our last match was against Team Secret and it was a tough one, but we did what we could do and we managed to get 2-1 so it’s good enough for us.
Q: Breaking out of Group Stage is an achievement of its own but with only 4 teams left and 2 matches left to win it all, it is going to be challenging for tomorrow (And hopefully on Sunday too). Will you adapt to the enemy team or focus on executing on your own?
A: We have no plans, to be honest lmao.
Q: What are the chances you think you can win and advance to the Grand Finals tomorrow?
A: I think we can win.
Q: Which team will be the biggest challenge for you from the available 3 teams?
A: Alter Ego is the toughest for us I think.
Q: Is this your first time competing overseas? is this also your first time in Malaysia?
A: Yes in a sense. When we are still playing for qualifiers it just feels like any game online. But when we landed here and we went into the restroom, the design was different and a feeling rushed in as in “Ah, we are in Malaysia now”. So yeah, it is kind of special.
Q: Do you have any new strategies that adapt to the new patch?
A: To be honest, we haven’t really played it a lot yet, but we expect it to be slower for the moment as teams learn the new skills and craft strategies for it.
Q: How is it different from playing against local versus other overseas teams?
A: Yes it is, the overseas team is quite aggressive while Japanese players are more into game sense and control-based. We like to plan for scenarios and execute related plays accordingly.
Xipto Esports (Malaysia)
[Players: Fixy, Riza, Iceyyy, markL, Flaring]
Q: Congratulations on your dominating 3-0 Group Stage run yesterday. How confident are you guys going into tomorrow?
A: We have a good run, we don’t drop any double digits to any team, we have a good chance of winning the tournament or at least a deep run, and we are thankful to young players who are not scared of the pressure and performed to expectations.
Q: Is there any team that you are excited to face?
A: I would say Alter Ego because we know some of the players there, we’ve known each other for a long period and we occasionally scrim against each other but we often get destroyed by them, unfortunately.
Q: With this year’s APAC Predator League hosted in Malaysia, how do you feel representing us and being the home team to absorb all the support on this familiar land?
A: It’s a great feeling representing Malaysia and it has been fun. Also, it has been so long ever seen we have seen a Malaysia team go deep into a tournament therefore we are excited to play to our best and show what we are capable of.
Q: To the coach, what are your thoughts on Xipto’s players?
A: It’s pretty awesome and I’ve been with the team for some time, everything we wanna fix gets fixed, they work hard and I’m proud of them, and they listen to me and my talks, so I’m grateful and happy.
Q: Any thoughts on Crest Gaming Zst and ZOL Esports?
A: We watched a lot of Crest Gaming Zst games and we think they are strong fundamentally so It’ll be a good and insightful match despite the chance of something happening outside of our comfort zone. And for Alter Ego, they like to fight aggressively despite being simple on a strategic level so it’ll be a fun and chaotic match, we just gonna try our best.
Q: Back to the coach, how can a team become fully professional? What separates a true pro team from the rest?
A: I think it is a mix of different things, and in coaching, I often list out things that highlight the difference between amateur/semi-pro/pro but most of the time raw skills are first and foremost. They also need a good system in terms of the support team that can help them be exposed to organized Valorant gameplay in contrast to just grinding in solo queue.
Q: How do you find the playstyles of different teams in this tournament and how do you adapt to them?
A: Honestly, we just adapt when we need to but we always prioritize executing our strength and strategy, and we think structured teams that really follow pre-planned strategies are to our advantage because it is a style we are used to play against so we are confident going forward.
Q: Compared to the MY qualifier, your roster actually changed before going to the Group Stage. Is there any reason behind this?
A: Our captain got another offer and since there are other close tournaments, we figured it is better to just get it done early so we can pick up a new member, start fresh, and get everyone up to speed in terms of roles and team plays. We can also get to know each other earlier which definitely made everything smoother in general.
Q: To the coach, what are the struggles of coaching this team, is it smooth sailing or full of hurdles, does the team meet your expectations so far?
A: I came from the OCE region and I’m Australian so there are definitely differences when it comes to approaching team communication both culturally and professionally. As for coaching any team, we always need time and understanding from each team member in order to help them unleash their full potential. For Xipto, as I mentioned before, each player has a different esports journey but they are willing to listen and fix the things that need to be fixed, and the results simply speak of them meeting my expectations.
ZOL Esports (Philippines)
[Players: ZYND, Kevzii, Emman, Hotsauz, Kakarot]
Q: To start, last year’s APAC Predator League 2024 was in Manila. We’ve been there and it’s a beautiful country, wonderful culture and people. This time you guys came over so how’s Malaysia in general?
A: We had a great time despite it being just a few days and perhaps the best food we had so far!
Q: What is your expectation in the semi-final and what’s your plan to take down the competitor?
A: We plan(?) to win. (Editor: Is it not wanting to win but planning to win? y’all are funny, my friends)
Q: The ZOL Esports name has appeared many times in different competitions but do you feel any kind of difference between APAC Predator League versus other LANs?
A: Actually, this is the first time for this current roster and it’s new by the way, so we have no pressure and just try to do our best, and the results show that our effort and take on the game are working pretty well and hopefully we’ll win it all
Q: You’re slated to fight against Xipto and 2 matches are all you need to lift the Shield. Do you feel any sort of nervousness or chills because you’re against the home team?
A: For us I think there’s less pressure than Xipto themselves just because they are the home team, they definitely “need” to show up more. Our roster is also new and we only get to play together fully for about 2 weeks. So our plan is just to enjoy, learn, and play to our best. We trust in each other and even the team owner says we should adopt that sort of thinking because he himself is doing the same.
Q: For the teams we interviewed before you guys, a lot of them mentioned Alter Ego as the toughest one to fight against or simply wanted to face in a match. Therefore, the spotlight’s on them but what do you guys think?
A: Each of us has been in the pro scene for some time but we’ve crafted a team mindset in the sense of “Just think about the next opponent and just that, everything else comes after”. We just want to think about one team at a time so good luck to any team we come against.
Q: Do you feel any sort of gameplay or style differences when it comes to local Filipino teams compared to overseas teams?
A: Philippine teams and the rest of Asia are kind of the same where we play aggressively to get an advantage for our team and we don’t stop thinking about making plays. Esports is not only about thoughtful planning and strategy crafting but also outplay potentials that can turn situations around. So Asian teams really prioritize in finding small opportunities to create big advantages.
Alter Ego (Indonesia)
[Players: Nakya, ray4c, Valdyn, Cud, gotten]
Q: With everyone mentioning Alter Ego as their next hurdle in winning the tournament, is there any pressure on you guys?
A: We played a lot of LANs together across 2024 so I think we are pretty chill.
Q: How does your team communicate and discuss during high-pressure moments?
A: We trust in each other and we take deep breaths to chill each other out. Also, we believe in ourselves to perform the best and just stay confident, whatever doesn’t work we simply move on to the the next phase of the plan.
Q: To the coach, looking at your team, what do you think of their performance? Are they following the regime and schedule? Are they completing what you have planned?
A: We just watch VODs and we focus on tomorrow first and foremost, we practice when we can and we hope to win it all since we managed to get 1st place in the Group Stage.
Q: Since you had a convincing win? What team comes to mind that you think that could give you a run for your money? If you can then rank them, please.
A: We originally expected Team Secret and Boom Esports but they didn’t make it so for now, we rank Crest Gaming Zst, ZOL Esports, and Xipto as 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.
Q: How do you cope with the pressure of trying to win it all? Do you do anything special?
A: We just focus on enjoying the game, we don’t really care about opponents that much. Because we believe that the one that can beat ourselves is ourselves so let’s win over this aspect first.
Dota 2 Teams
Ivory (Phillippines)
[Players: Gohan, Ken, Rupido, Dric~, Grimz]
Q: What’s your expectation when u come to Malaysia after winning the PH qualifiers?
A: We expect to be the champion and lift the Shield.
Q: Do you expect Valve to drop new patches during this time? It might as well be their favorite hobby at this point.
A: I don’t think so because other tournaments are running concurrently with APAC Predator League 2025. It might be too loud of a fuss if it happens.
Q: Were you surprised that last year’s champion Execration was eliminated at the Group Stage?
A: We are also surprised because, for us, they are the strongest and most experienced, they won many tours, so too bad they got eliminated.
Q: Last year, MAG was the away team but this time they are home, so any thoughts on this?
A: We are confident to take series off them and since we are friends with them, we are more likely to know more and have an advantage over them.
Q: So any score predictions on your fight against MAG?
A: 2-0.
Q: How long have you guys been playing together? For a roster that is relatively young, miscommunication could happen so how do you guys tackle it?
A: It’s been 3 months and although we are competing at a high level we think the team plays and synchronization could be better. And for miscommunications, we usually have brainstorming sessions in order to crack the problem and try to get the best answers. Most importantly, everyone needs to talk it out to avoid missing context and information.
Q: Which of the 3 teams do you think will be the biggest challenge to overcome?
A: 123 Gaming because they are super experienced and they won major LANs before. And yes, meeting them in the Grand Finals is expected.
Q: About the other 3 teams, are you surprised any one of them showed up on this Semi-Finalist list?
A: Not really because all teams deserve to qualify and they are good enough. It’s just funny that Execration is the disappointing one here.
123 Gaming (Mongolia)
[Players: Fortunesoul, Netikan, 11, arocco, Narman]
Q: How was the flight coming into Malaysia?
A: It’s decent and unlike last time when we were here during the pandemic when we had to do all the quarantines and stuff, this time is much better and faster.
Q: You’re in the same group with Execration and you managed to beat them. Did you guys expect to do it?
A: We certainly did not think about that much since we only have weeks to play together but yeah, we did beat them so that’s nice for the team morale.
Q: Are you confident to win it all and lift the Shield?
A: Yes
Q: Can you rank the other Semi-Finalist teams in terms of their strength?
A: Ivory, Team Helios, Myth Avenue Gaming
Q: Who is the mastermind behind your drafts and can your team handle high-pressure moments?
A: There’s no captain for drafting, we just talk together as five. As for handling high-pressure moments, we tell each other that “This is expected for pro play, things are gonna be tough, let’s weather it out”.
Q: Do you guys consider adding Ringmaster to your strategies once he is enabled for pro play?
A: Most likely.
Team Helios (Indonesia)
[Players: Cije, Azura, Rusman, juju, you_K]
Q: From the looks of it, you guys are capable of being chill and collected at any moment, is anyone leading that?
A: It is a team effort so to speak, because if we are too hype, we could be careless and make mistakes. We just want to focus on winning the game therefore we keep reminding each other about that.
Q: You guys are so new and just formed recently for APAC Predator League 2025 specifically. Do you expect to reach the Semi-Finals stage?
A: I think we just have fun playing Dota 2 from the get-go and just want to play as much as possible. How to get more games? Just keep winning I guess.
Q: Do you feel like you have the easiest Group Stage groups out of all?
A: Yes.
Q: How well are you prepared to face 123 Gaming?
A: Nothing special I think. Just follow our plans accordingly.
Q: Any advice to players who wish to enter the pro scene?
A: You’ll need to grind hard in order to establish yourself in skills and recognition from the community, then probably sacrifice a lot of time and other things for that grind. Also be ready to accept any tough situation if you do enter the pro scene, since practically you’ll face more losses than wins at the beginning.
Q: Is there any team that you wish to not meet for Sunday’s match?
A: I think it’s the other way around – Teams would not want to face us.
Q: We noticed that your drafts are different for each set. Does that mean that you’re flexible in terms of your picks for each game? Or is it pre-planned and crafted for each team?
A: We are more into “mood selection” most of the time, we just ask what they want to play.
Q: So is the Spiritbreaker pick against Broodmother also a “mood swing pick” or is there anything you’re hiding until the Semi-Finals and perhaps the Grand Finals?
A: We don’t even consider Spiritbreaker until the final lock-in. But to be fair, our team can play a decent Spiritbreaker and it’s particularly good against Lina and Broodmother in our opinion so we just went ahead with the pick.
Q: Regarding 123 Gaming, what are your thoughts on their draft?
A: They are drafting with a good sense of gameplay understanding and approach, thus they can be aggressive in their playstyle and picks. But we are well-prepared to at least show the audience a fun and even game.
Q: Top 3 regions within APAC?
A: Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia
Myth Avenue Gaming (Malaysia)
[Players: Chucky, Bob King, bombi, Erice, LOyd]
Q: For the non-Malaysians in the team, how’s our food?
A: It’s good man. The chicken, the Nasi Lemak, no.1 for us.
Q: We saw the Timbersaw pick. Is there any reason?
A: It’s part of our team plan but I’d say it is actually one of our weakest, so we won’t pick it again, hopefully.
Q: It’s a surprise to see that a different roster is representing MAG compared to the MY qualifiers. Why such decisions?
A: We think that we still need some improvements in order to deeper into the tournament so after some discussions with the coach and manager, they supported our decision to swap some players.
Q: Knowing you guys are representing Malaysia, feeling any sort of pressure right now?
A: Not really, we just treat it as a usual round of games but we will try our best regardless.
Q: We’ve seen your insane comeback in Game 1 where you were punished heavily with disables and whatnot. You’re struggling but still won anyway. Is there any behind-the-scenes context that you could share?
A: We wouldn’t say that we had a “comeback” since we drafted a late-game comp versus an early game. The best thing I’d say we did well is to drag it out. We did it, our plans worked, then we won as we expected.
Q: What are your thoughts on the other 3 teams?
A: Ivory is quite strong but we prepared for them. As for Team Helios and 123 Gaming, we’ll take a one-step-at-a-time approach – just focusing on the next set is enough to keep us going.
Q: Any comments on other teams predicting a 2-0 against MAG?
A: They are delusional but we’ll see. There might be a chance a 2-0 might happen but in a super convincing way? Heck no!
Q: What’s your APAC ranking for Dota 2?
A: Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam (because Bobbi is Vietnamese), Indonesia/Mongolia.
Q: As a team consisting of different nationalities who also have experience playing with other pro teams, do you guys bring any styles or discussions from your past team and consolidate them into the current roster?
A: Yes it does occur but since we are in the SEA region anyway, our playstyle is more or less the same.
Q: Is there any miscommunication happening due to the language barrier?
A: No, we all talk in English anyway so it’s fine.
