This is part of “Esports Heroes“, a series that takes a closer look at the stories and origins of some of our favorite esports pros and teams.
While it’s normal for teams to make their debut at an international esports event, the concept is both foreign and exciting for all-Japanese 10second Gaming+. Participating at the ongoing Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) M1 World Championship 2019 (M1 2019), this team is blazing a trail as one of Japan’s first-ever esports teams to play on the global stage.
10second Gaming+ is already off to a good start at M1 2019. In fact, each time they appeared for a match, the entire stadium lit up with huge roars of support. Even fans of opposing teams cheered them on. It’s nice to see that new efforts to drive esports forward is always welcomed, no matter what country they come from.
Comprising fresh-faced players who are passionate and enthusiastic about esports, the team beams with pride that they are representing their country.
The members of the team are:
- Kubo Yoshiaki (Obuyan) — Tank/Support
- Yamada Hiroki (Surei) — Tank/Fighter
- Hisatome Ryosuke (Tomebo) — Marksman
- Namioka Noritake (Pappa) — Mage/Assassin
- Katayama Takayuki (Totaka) — Assassin/Fighter
- Kozumi Nao (Kozu+) — Tank/Support
“Representing Japan is a pretty big deal for us. It’s a critical role and, even as we’re fighting for Top 6 now, we hope that our efforts can boost the excitement for esports back home,” said Tank/Support Obuyan.
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While they embrace the role of being the nation’s flag-bearers at M1 2019, 10second Gaming+ admit that they consider themselves to be more of a team of gaming enthusiasts.
Obuyan put it best: “We’re a group that loves to play esports games and, at this point, have not really turned professionals. In fact, there are no proper professional esports teams in Japan yet.”
While the team received resounding support from the M1 2019 crowd, one of their members earned a lot more attention. 10second Gaming+’s only female member — Kozu+ — is part of the main line-up. Her inclusion defies the norm of all-male or all-female team compositions in esports.
“It’s very nice that there is so much support for such a concept,” said Kozu.
Having played at M1 2019, 10second Gaming+ now look forward to experiencing more opportunities to meet and compete against other global MLBB teams.
“We’d love to play against anyone and, so far, these are some of the moments where we can truly embrace our passion for MLBB,” Obuyan added.
READ MORE: MLBB World Championship 2019 Playoffs: Todak win a thrilling 2-1 series over 10second Gaming+
