The Chiefs, a leading organisation in Oceanic esports, was taken over by their rival, Team Bliss yesterday. This merger has resulted in a powerful regional presence in the esports scene.
The unexpected acquisition was announced by Team Bliss through a tweet on September 15. This adds to the already turbulent Oceanic esports scenario that is still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since 2023, when Bliss joined the League of Legends Circuit Oceania (LCO), both Bliss and Chiefs have been strong contenders. Despite The Chiefs winning dual championship titles this year, Bliss continuously followed closely behind in two different splits. Unfortunately, neither teams could make a significant impact in the Pacific Championship Series playoffs and lost in straight games.
Team Bliss’ AD carry Samil “leemas” Kip made a glib remark about the merger on Twitter with the text “If we can’t beat them, buy them.” This was a reference to Bliss’ losses in both LCO split finals. However, the rivalry between the two teams has ended due to Riot Games’ conflict of interest rules.
Since the merge, the Chiefs have become a subsidiary of Team Bliss, this means that only one team can participate in future LCO games. Due to no secondary tournament in the region to consider, the players may become free agents, but the decision is yet to be final. Contract expiration for the players, as shown in Riot’s official Global Contractor Database, is in November.
In contrast to their League teams, Bliss and Chiefs will continue to perform under their brands without further conflict. Chiefs’ brand lead, Aiden Hiko confirmed in a conversation with Dot Esports that future management recruitments will be announced soon, though other business will remain as is.
Hiko also expressed optimism about the future of both teams, hinting towards a few “exciting” local projects that both teams could collaborate on.
Hiko, who has been with The Chiefs for nearly ten years, expressed his excitement about working with an ownership group that shares their enthusiasm and ambition for the esports industry. He also hinted at future growth and development saying, “consider us under construction.”
Bliss, which entered the Oceanic esports scene in 2019, has its foot in VALORANT, Rainbow Six Siege, PUBG, and Rocket League. The organisation has been actively partnering with Australian wellness specialists GameAware to promote a balanced approach towards gaming among young gamers.
On the other hand, The Chiefs, who entered the esports scene five years before Bliss, had represented the region at the World Championships in 2022. Besides this, they have also participated in Call of Duty, CS:GO, Rocket League, and Fortnite.
According to Bliss’ chief planner, Brendan Harms, by merging the two organisations, he hopes to “provide Oceanic esports fans with a powerful force to truly support.”
The combined team’s future endeavors in League will be decided in the forthcoming months as they prepare for 2024.
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