SINCE THE launch of Riot Games’ Valorant last June 2020, Loyola Gaming (LG) Blaze and LG Terra have established themselves as two premiere collegiate Valorant teams in the country. Apart from acquiring podium finishes in three national tournaments, LG Blaze and LG Terra have represented the country in one international tournament between them.
While both teams have found success in various competitions , LG saw the need to build continuity within their Valorant team since numerous seniors would graduate this year. With this in mind, LG Academy was born to ensure the organization’s continued success in the game.
Setting camp
Before the birth of Valorant, five sophomores, namely Dominic “Skwamy” Juan, Hugo “Flacko” De Llamas, Raph “raphitb” Santiago, Ignatius “blimey” Cu, and Timmy “yabba” Albert, formed a squad in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive in 2018. However, when the COVID-19 pandemic struck two years later, this group of friends decided to try out the newly-released Valorant and play competitively for LG, forming the original roster of LG Blaze.
As members of LG Blaze, the quintet garnered numerous awards such as silver medals in both the University Alliance Cup 2020 and the Cyberathlete Valorant Collegiate Philippines, a Top 16 finish in the Cyberathlete Valorant Collegiate International for Southeast Asia, and a Top 4 finish in the AOC Valorant Philippines.
Simultaneously, LG was establishing LG Academy to serve as its development pool for Valorant. The program’s primary goal was to create a sustainable system for LG to recruit and train younger Valorant players to eventually replace the senior players who were graduating.
Securing the cubby
After LG Academy’s launch in June 2020, about 50 applicants tried out for the program, but only 20 of them proceeded to the second phase wherein they participated in multiple scrimmages. During these scrimmages, the players were shuffled around per match to distinguish those who would stand out from the rest of the applicants. Once these players were identified, they were put head-to-head in more scrimmages.
Throughout the tryouts, the veterans from LG Blaze observed the matches to see the prospects with the most potential. “The veterans [LG Blaze] have a say on these players. It’s not only me screening the applicants because the former players have a responsibility to make sure that their legacy continues,” LG Valorant Manager Patrick Lanuza said.
At the end of the recruitment process, 10 players were chosen to join the LG Academy program and were placed into teams with players who complement their skill sets. The program currently consists of two teams with five players each that serve as LG Valorant’s training pool and play during university scrimmages while waiting for their turn to represent LG in official intercollegiate tournaments.
Ability trading
Having been inducted into the LG Academy teams, the players are put through hours of training to improve their efficiency, accuracy, and gameplay. With the lack of face-to-face coaching, the managers are able to monitor the Academy team’s training through the application called AimLab, wherein the players are given points during skills tests to keep track of their progress.
Aside from training, the LG Academy teams also play against other collegiate squads like the University of Santo Tomas, the University of the Philippines, and De La Salle University in mini scrimmages to simulate the intensity and tension that they will eventually experience during the real tournaments.
With the help of the mini scrimmages, Lanuza mentioned that these matches are great sources of experience for the players, especially those who are only starting out in Valorant. “The set of scrimmages against other collegiate teams are set every week. We record these matches, then we conduct VOD [Video On Demand] reviews. We do this to discuss how to improve our gameplay or what alternative solutions are more effective in certain situations” he said.
Finally, right before the season starts, all LG Academy teams play a round-robin tournament against the main lineup to determine the players who will be chosen for the next iteration of LG Valorant.
Entry fragger
With the original players of LG Blaze’s main line-up graduating this year, the LG decided to revamp its Valorant team with junior players from LG Academy and formed LG Terra. The newly-formed roster for LG Terra consists of Lanuza, former LG Blaze member Michael Uy, and new additions Matteo Brillantes, Justin Ngkaion, and Dylan Adam Paredes—who were products of the LG Academy program.
Given this revamp, the next generation of players and their development will define the future of LG in the competitive Valorant scene. “The plan is to cement the structure of the Academy teams and its succeeding generations. Considering the fresh release of the game, everyone is still adjusting to playing it, so we should solidify our structure first,” Lanuza said.
As LG continues to improve its Valorant program, the Academy teams are proof of their initiative for sustainable success in the collegiate gaming scene.
