LoL - Worlds: CTBC Flying Oyster is the first Pacific team to qualify to quarters since 2015

Southeast Asia has officially entered a new era. After their victory over FlyQuest in the final round of the Worlds 2025 Swiss Stage, CTBC Flying Oyster have secured their spot in the quarterfinals. It’s been a full decade since a Taiwanese team — or even a broader Southeast Asian representative — reached this stage of the competition.

Ten years ago, at Worlds 2015, two Taiwanese teams made it that far: ahq eSports Club and Flash Wolves, both eliminated in the quarterfinals by SK Telecom T1 and Origen, respectively. That edition marked the last time the region stood among the world’s elite — unable to replicate the miracle run from 2012, when Taipei Assassins lifted the second Summoner’s Cup in League of Legends history.

It truly feels like a new generation has arrived. This success also embodies the positive outcome of merging the Southeast Asian subregions. While some minor leagues were sacrificed in the name of competitiveness, it has allowed CFO to rise above the pack and evolve year-round in a far more challenging environment.

And the results speak for themselves: CFO were nearly unbeatable all year long. After pulling off a domestic grand slam, they won every LCP title in the league’s inaugural season. They are the only team in the world to have attended all three international tournaments this year. From the very first event, the First Stand, they made their presence known, taking down champions from the LPL, LEC, and LTA. At MSI, they proved their strength once again, pushing T1 to a full five-game series and crushing Movistar KOI along the way.

As Kim "Doinb" Tae-sang joked on stream in July after Ninjas in Pyjamas were dominated by CFO, the performance made him wonder if he had become bad at the game himself. He even added that T1 should thank Choi “Doran” Hyeon-joon for saving them in Game 5 at MSI.

Just a few days ago, it would have sounded absurd to claim that CFO could make a deep Worlds run, given how deeply the LCK and LPL’s dominance is rooted in the minds of League of Legends fans. After all, statistics don’t lie: only four Worlds finals in history have featured teams outside the LCK–LPL duopoly — the last one being in 2019, when G2 saw their dream crushed by FunPlus Phoenix.

While it’s obviously too early to imagine CFO going all the way, one can no longer dismiss the thought. Now locked in as a top-eight finisher, they await their quarterfinal draw — and in a best-of-five format, their threat becomes even more tangible. Chiu “Doggo” Tzu-Chuan is in the best form of the year, perhaps of his career, leading a team fully embracing the underdog role. And as history shows, underdogs often thrive: Suning Gaming in 2021, DRX in 2022, Weibo Gaming in 2023. Each started their miracle runs from the top 8 and ended up in the final.

There’s plenty of reason for CFO fans to dream. This tournament could well mark the crowning of a new king. While Huang "Maple" Yi-Tang — alongside Hung "Karsa" Hao-Hsuan — stood among the greats back in 2015 with the Flash Wolves, this time the spotlight shines on Tsai "HongQ" Ming-Hong. At just 18 years old, and in his first year of top-level competition, he’s already written his name among those who helped Taiwan shine internationally — no matter how far the run goes.

Before the tournament, he humbly said: “I don’t think I’ve been able to overtake Maple’s spot quite yet. But I want to keep improving my skills and keep chasing this dream.”