DongUk: "We have a lot of experience to gain"

The only newcomers to the APAC Finals, TRIPPY have a lot to prove -- chiefly, they have what it takes to duke it out with the big boys in APAC. Furthermore, they are not only the only team at the APAC Finals to not have been there in Season 9, but are also the only team in attendance this season to not have an organisation to represent.

After qualifying to the Challenger League in Season 9, the team achieved a somewhat hard-fought promotion to the Pro League, winning four games and losing two in the process. Once in the Pro League, they were featured as the opening match against Team uR, and only securing four points against what traditionally had been a poor team did not seem to be enough to qualify for the APAC Finals.

A better showing against Cloud9 that only saw them lose by three rounds on each map, though, was a good omen for TRIPPY, especially with the Season 9 second seeds SCARZ (previously Ageless) losing 1-7, 1-7 to Cloud9 and also drawing against Team uR.

Facing Team uR again, TRIPPY did not struggle this time around, winning both maps as they headed into the break. Participating in the Raleigh Major online qualifier, they lost to Cloud9 3-7 first, but after coming back through the lower bracket, gave their esteemed opponents a lot tougher a time than they'd have expected. Not only did TRIPPY win the first map 8-6, the final map also saw overtime and Cloud9 only prevailed 8-6 there to avoid being kept home for the APAC LAN qualifier.

The Season 10 APAC Finals bracket

Returning back home, drawing and beating SCARZ sealed qualification to the APAC Finals, and they will now debut at such an event with Cyclops Athlete Gaming as their first opponents. To know more about their season and their preparation for the APAC Finals, SiegeGG spoke to Doug-uk "DongUk" Kim, the coach for TRIPPY:

Could you please introduce your players and your roles?

This is the first APAC Finals appearance for your team, how are you guys feeling? How valuable will WATB’s experience from Season 8 be?

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Your first game will be against Cyclops Athlete Gaming, a team that went undefeated in the season. How does one prepare for a game such as this when you are the strong underdogs?

How much do you think the lack of teams in the Korean Pro League is a roadblock for your team (and region) to improve?

Your side of the bracket also avoids all four “titans” of APAC (Fnatic, NORA-Rengo, Cloud9, and Aerowolf), even though you face CAG. How confident are you of your chances of qualification to the Season 10 Finals?

In the online season, you went 4-7, 4-7, 5-7, and 3-7 against Cloud9. How important were these games in helping you get a feel for the level of play expected at the APAC Finals?

Overall, with a 6-2-4 record, and being nine points clear of SCARZ, how would you rate your online season?

Do you have anything to say to your fans at home and internationally?

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Catch TRIPPY in action this weekend, as the Season 10 APAC Finals run from the 19th to 20th of October, with games starting at 10 AM AEDT (GMT+11) each day. Getting a dominant Cyclops Athlete Gaming as their first APAC match, TRIPPY will not have an easy game against the favourites, but if successful in the upset will move on to face either Wildcard Gaming or Xavier Esports.

Korean Translator: Howard Jeong