European esports organisation Team Secret has announced a joint venture with Vietnamese esports organisation Team Whales for the LCP, League of Legends’ new tier-one ecosystem for Asia-Pacific (APAC).
Called Secret Whales, the new team is one of the four guest teams in the league, which is set to commence January 2025.
According to a release, the partnership will look to leverage Team Secret’s global expertise and Team Whales’ local insights to create a formidable team in the region. The new team said it would reveal its roster in the near future via an ‘exclusive announcement.’
Additionally, both organisations aim to ‘foster a united and dynamic community’ by unifying both their fanbases and nurturing emerging LCP talent.
The foundation of the LCP next year aligns with Riot Games’ new competitive League of Legends structure. The season, which comprises three splits, consists of four partner teams and four guest slots. The competition is open to teams from Vietnam, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macao, Japan, Oceania and the rest of Southeast Asia.
Alongside Secret Whales, other teams competing in the LCP include CTBC Flying Oyster, Fukuoka HAWKS gaming, GAM Esports, PSG Talon, Vikings Esports, DetonatioN FocusMe and Chiefs Esports Club.
Esports teams creating joint ventures is not uncommon in the esports space. For example, at Mobile Legends: Bang Bang’s world championship (M6) organisations such as Fnatic and Ninjas In Pyjamas have joint-venture rosters.
John Yao, CEO of Team Secret, commented: “This partnership is a monumental step forward for both organisations. By joining forces, we aim to not only dominate the LCP but also inspire and engage the broader League of Legends community in the Asia-Pacific region.”
