Takeaways from APAC Invitational
February 6, 2019
Over the weekend, the NBA 2K League hosted a unique and historic experience. The APAC Invitational was the league’s first-ever international qualifying event and took place in Hong Kong.
“Our goal is for the NBA 2K League to be a truly global league” said NBA 2K League Managing Director Brendan Donohue when first announcing the invitational.
2K League MVP OneWildNut2K and Edcon Yau handled the broadcasting duties for the event while Pacers Gaming’s Director of Esports Operations Cody Parrent and Pistons GT’s GM Adam Rubin also made the trip to bring their expertise.
The invitational featured players from Australia, China, New Zealand and the Philippines. This ensured the best of the best among the regions but also brought some interesting challenges.
Managing Director Brendan Donohue shared that the players had to become acclimated to a new build, new teammates and even sometimes a language barrier.
However, the league experts watched the players get better over time and after a full day of scrimmages created four balanced teams based off skill and chemistry.
The bracket for the #NBA2KLeague APAC Invitational from Hong Kong.
Catch the action now on Twitch ⬇️
💻: https://t.co/jyRINAVZW8 pic.twitter.com/pHI9Pi6lrC
— NBA 2K League (@NBA2KLeague) February 3, 2019
The teams then competed in a double-elimination tournament. Kersh1Flood jumped off to an impressive start and would ultimately go undefeated and win it all.
Congratulations to #Kersh1Flood for winning the first-ever #NBA2KLeague APAC Invitational from Hong Kong! 🌏 pic.twitter.com/9LjnD9zULt
— NBA 2K League (@NBA2KLeague) February 3, 2019
Bringing a league across the world is no easy task, but the invitational proved that 2K talent can be found throughout the world as the game continues to expand on a global level.