By Fantasy

While the NBA is going through a shift right now with LeBron James splitting up the big three in South beach, the Thai HoN Tour remains with it’s proven formula. The big three teams once again made it into the playoffs, leaving Shooter eSports on the outside looking in.

With a look into the history books, it becomes quite apparent that this is not just the big three of recent memory. Ever since Garena Star League 2024 the big three are somewhat close to each other. Neolution eSports and Hybrid Gaming - formerly known as MiTH.s2y - slugged it out in the first Thai HoN Tour already, until being joined by Turtle Master after GSL13. The rise of the Turtles caused a shift in scene with many teams declining and TurS rising to the top. Since then ups and downs have been recorded, the SEA competition spiced up the rankings, and roster changes brought new blood in, but the old rivalries remain.

This static order on top of Thai HoN is especially painful for Shooter eSports. The squad with former MiTH.s2y stars Tianza and Esc` couldn’t quite make the playoffs for the second time in a row. Once more it was only the fourth place for the Shooters, who were separated by exactly three points. Those points were lost in the clashes against direct rivals, at last by the “brother” duel with former teammates Peter_Yedsss, DYSCor and MrSunz on Day 15. Those big points were needed for StEs to make the comeback and stop the renewed squad of Turtle Master right before the finish line. In the end, a 2-0 loss nullified all hopes. Not even two wins on the last two days could make up for it, and so was Shooter eSports once more out of the playoffs.


Those playoff spots are now occupied by Turtle Master, Hybrid Gaming and Neolution eSports.MRR, who have played into the big show once already, in Cycle 1; the only thing that has changed is the order in which they will compete now. In the first cycle Neolution eSports.MRR came off a rough first week in the regular season, granting them only the second place in the standings after all was set and done. The dominance stuck with Hybrid Gaming, playing with former Neolution eSports’ stars as replacements for their own departed members.

The feud came to an epic battle in the Grand Finals of the first cycle - with the former Made in Thailand guys getting one over MRR once more. The clutch gene seemed to have been a part of Yedss, DYSCor, or MrSunz - each always showing their strongest HoN in the playoffs. It was either that or another choke by Neolution eSports.MRR, who have been notorious for the Oakland Athletic syndrome of “always losing the last game of the season”. As opposed to the A’s, MRR at least got to the finals in the SEA HoN Tour last year, but walked out as the defeated team three times.

Now they are looking to turn that perception around. Neolution eSports.MRR does not have to play at all on Saturday, so they can scout the opposition while also supporting their defacto Female division - Dominatrix. The women might just show them how to win a title.

A victory here would certainly not surprise anyone, considering the long history of the team in competitive HoN in Thailand. Now, history doesn’t win championships and the rosters have shifted, but if the past season is any indication, the head-to-head scores would indicate two things. One - Hybrid Gaming goes into the match against the Turtles as a favorite. Two - Neolution should not be afraid of any team; they dominated both of them during the regular season. Is this finally the cycle for Neo.MRR to snap out of their funk, or will the blues continue as Hybrid or Turtle get the title?

However it will turn out, you can witness the whole action on Garena Thailand Youtube, casted by the passionate crew around Winzy. As usual, he and his team will cover the entire playoff weekend from the Garena studios with interviews, player cams, and plenty of interaction. If you don’t enjoy waking up early or staying up late for your HoN action, you will also be able to get all the facts, results and storylines here on Hontour.com as we bring you all the news from the female competition and the Thai HoN Tour Cycle 2 playoffs.

About The Author: Fantasy

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