Esports is no different from traditional sports, and young talents, often referred to as prodigies in these fields, are highly regarded and welcomed by the community. Let’s take a look at the most renowned prodigies in the Vietnamese gaming scene that almost every gamer knows by face and name!
SofM (League of Legends)
In the realm of League of Legends, no one deserves this position more than SofM. Born in 1998, this young man stirred up the virtual world from a very young age by defeating QTV in the top lane, when QTV was the number one top laner in Vietnam at the time. SofM’s two jumps with Rengar drove all the spectators crazy for the boy who was only 13 years old at that time.
With proven talent, SofM gradually became the number one star of Vietnamese League of Legends while playing for Full Louis. His achievement of reaching the Top 10 Challenger on the Korean server with a ping of over 100 further increased his recognition worldwide.
He was also the first Vietnamese player to go abroad to play in the LPL (China) for Snake Esports in 2016. In the harsh environment of the LPL, SofM still shone brightly, but perhaps the Vietnamese League of Legends prodigy was a bit unlucky in realizing his dream of reaching the World Championship. Although his list of achievements is still quite modest compared to many other League of Legends players, SofM is the only one whose name brings nods of respect for his talent.
The name SofM is short for “Style of Me,” so his playstyle is quite unique. SofM is always the one to innovate gameplay and item builds from ranked matches to tournaments, with examples like Olaf with Redemption, Ekko with the Universal Stone, or Graves with Ignite…
Not only skilled in League of Legends, many call SofM the “king of games” because he seems to excel in any game he plays. SofM is proficient in many games, including Dota 2 with a rank of 6k MMR, Hearthstone (Legend rank in season 1), and CS:GO (MGE). Surely this guy was born to play games!
Lê Hà Tuấn Anh (PES)
Lê Hà Tuấn Anh is the most mentioned name in the PES community in Vietnam these days. At just 12 years old, he confidently asserts his skills with numerous impressive achievements. His greatest victory was defeating the number one PES player in South Korea – Jin Uk during the VietNam Korea Super Cup friendly tournament.
Young and talented, Tuấn Anh said he has been playing PES since he was 5 years old and now he is the hope to elevate the name of the PES community in Vietnam even higher.
Recently, Tuấn Anh continued to triumph over 6 out of 7 fierce opponents from South Korea, causing a stir in the community. Undoubtedly, this prodigy showcases that talent has no age!
Chim Sẻ Đi Nắng (AOE)
Nguyễn Đức Bình, known by the nickname Chim Sẻ Đi Nắng, is a gamer of Age of Empires in Vietnam.
Having early access to gaming, during his 7th and 8th grade (2011), Chim Sẻ Đi Nắng shook the Vietnamese AOE community by continuously defeating many top players in this genre. Players like Tiểu Bạch Long, Dinosaur, and Long Thiếu Gia, who were AOE legends at that time, all became defeated opponents under the hands of this 13 or 14-year-old boy.
The name Chim Sẻ Đi Nắng has become a phenomenon; fans have even nicknamed him the “comeback prodigy” for his ability to win from behind. With his talent recognized, Chim Sẻ continually improves himself to become the number one Age of Empires player in Vietnam, with countless personal and team titles that would take a lot of ink to list.
Lai Bâng (Arena of Valor)
This young prodigy, born in 2001, immediately became the focus of the domestic Arena of Valor community upon stepping into the professional arena. Before that, Lai Bâng was a streamer and a top player in ranked matches, consistently reaching the top 1 Challenger in various servers. When talking about Lai Bâng, people think of a gamer with extremely high individual skills, sharp thinking, and an incredible ability to carry the team that few can match.
His journey to becoming a professional player was not smooth at all. Lai Bâng faced a 6-month competition ban from Garena due to youthful mistakes. After serving his ban, Lai Bâng joined Saigon Phantom (SGP) and was considered a blockbuster transfer in the tournament. In his first appearance in the Arena of Fame, Bâng helped SGP reach the finals against Team Flash. However, against a Team Flash that was too strong and the reigning world champion, he could not showcase much.
But that was enough for Lai Bâng’s talent to be recognized by the public. Currently, Saigon Phantom is competing in APL 2020, and Lai Bâng is the one carrying the great hope for this team to achieve good results in the international arena.