Among Us going for gold at BTS Pro Series Season 3

The BTS Pro Series Season 3 consists of three regional events held in Europe, North America and Southeast Asia. They SEA and NA events are considered premier competitions featuring the best teams in both of the regions, while the European is a tier below, only featuring up and coming talent which is on the climb to the premier divisions.

Today, we take a look at the Southeast Asia region, where esports powerhouses TNC Predator and Fnatic reside. After the incredible ESL One Thailand 2020, the BTS Pro Series is definitely set to mix things around as new challengers appear on the scene.

BTS Pro Series Season 3: SEA Format and Teams

The BTS Pro Series S3 features the standard 10 team group stage, with teams competing in best-of-two single round-robin series. All ten teams will be competing in a single group, where the top 8 teams (out of 10) will proceed to the Playoffs. The top half will earn a spot in the upper bracket. The Playoffs feature a bo3 double-elimination series apart from the final.

The invited participants feature TNC Predator, Fnatic, BOOM Esports, Execration, and 496 Gaming. They are joined by several less notable but potentially strong opponents such as Neon Esports, NEW Esports, 032, Motivate.Trust Gaming and Among Us are invited as well.

The competition is already ongoing with matches being played between September 12 and September 23rd. Each day will feature five matches until the conclusion of the initial stage.

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Fnatic’s Sloppy Downfall

The most popular team in the region, Fnatic, had extreme ups and downs this season. They secured four consecutive championships in online leagues since March 2020, and were certainly favorites at both the ESL One Thailand and BTS Pro Series events. Yet, the powerhouse team decided to undergo a drastic roster shuffle, resulting in a quick fall from grace.

After the two Thai players, 23savage and Jabz left, we were left wondering what’s going on in the Fnatic organization. Even after the shuffles, problems persisted with Daryl Koh “iceiceice” Pei Xiang announcing his break from the competitive scene, crumbling Fnatic’s chances at a tournament win at the tail end of the season.

It’s probably advisable to not rely on Fnatic for Dota 2 betting in the short term, or at least until the Singaporean veteran returns to the front lines. Fnatic is already down with 3 consecutive losses at the event, all of which were to “amateur” teams.

There’s an impostor Among Us

Speaking of 23savage and Jabz, the two former Fnatic players have got together once more in team Among Us. The new squad consists of former Geek Fam players, Kuku and Whitemon, and an exclusive old friend for a run at BTS Pro Series.

Azel L “Abed” Yusop, the carry player of NA powerhouse, Evil Geniuses will be playing with Among Us at this event. Due to immigration issues preventing his travel to North America, Abed remained in SEA, playing as stand-in for various teams over the summer. Although temporary, Abed’s presence just made this new squad a force to be reckoned of.

They have already begun their moves, as they beat both 032 and  Motivate.Trust Gaming with a clean 2-0 sweep. Needless to say, team Among Us are now the new favorites at this event next to BOOM Esports.

Rising Stars from Vietnam and Indonesia

While TNC Predator and Fnatic are the talks of the town, BOOM Esports and 496 Gaming are always forgotten about. Over the past months, the two teams have stormed the SEA competition with commendable results and performance.

The Indonesian squad, BOOM Esports made it to the grand finals of ESL One Thailand 2020, falling short only to TNC Predator. On the other hand, the Vietnamese rivals, 496 Gaming, even made headlines after becoming the champion of the OMEGA League: Asia Divine Division. Over at the BTS Pro Series Season 3, both teams are in their top form and are likely easily advancing to the winners bracket next to TNC and Among Us.

The BTS Pro Series Season 3: SEA will ultimately reveal the strongest SEA team of the year. Sadly, Fnatic cant compete properly due to their recent implosion. Furthermore, its always a shame seeing the SEA pro scene receive such little attention, for the extremely talented teams the region has.

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