Vietnam’s esports scene has exploded from gritty internet cafes to a multimillion-dollar powerhouse, with the Vietnam Championship Series (VCS) leading the charge in League of Legends. By 2025, the VCS has integrated into the League of Legends Championship Pacific (LCP), blending Vietnamese talent with Asia-Pacific rivals and cementing the country’s global status. While this isn’t news to local esports lovers who are informed about the latest sports, esports and social game updates, it might be news to some of us international esports lovers. If you fall in the latter category, this article is for you.

Early Days

It all started with Garena’s Glorious Arena in 2012-2013, where Saigon Jokers dominated, winning three of four seasons. Full Louis introduced prodigy Lê “SofM” Quang Duy. Rebranded as VCS in 2013, teams got invited slots and a 200 million VND prize pool. By season three, a tiered VCS A (top league) and VCS B system emerged, even briefly renaming to Dell Championship Series A in 2014.

Riot Integration and Tier 1 Breakthrough

Riot Games stepped in fully by 2016, shrinking teams to ten, adding player stipends (2 million VND monthly), and rebranding to Coca-Cola Championship Series with a Bo1 double round-robin. The 2018 game-changer: Riot took direct control, boosted prizes to 1.2 billion VND, doubled salaries, and opened GG Stadium in Ho Chi Minh City. VCS split from Garena’s GPL, earning Tier 1 status with direct invites to Worlds and MSI.

VNG Shift and LCP Merger

Garena exited in 2022, handing reins to VNG Games, Vietnam’s tech unicorn with Zalo integration. In 2025, VCS became a Tier 2 feeder to the new LCP, merging VCS, PCS, LJL, and LCO talents. Partner teams like GAM Esports join guests like MGN Vikings and Team Secret Whales in innovative formats like Hard Fearless Draft.

Star Teams and SofM’s Legacy

GAM Esports reigns supreme with 12 titles, a 68% win rate, and 2017 MSI fame via jungler Levi’s aggressive style. SofM, LPL legend and 2020 Worlds finalist, returned as Vikings Esports co-owner, securing an LCP guest slot. Team Secret Whales stunned in LCP Kickoff with a 5-2 record.

Mobile Dominance

VCS thrives amid mobile giants like Arena of Glory (AOG, 2.2M peak viewers) ruled by Saigon Phantom, and PUBG Mobile champs D’Xavier. With 54 million gamers, $493M market, and government backing via Decision 721, Vietnam eyes global hubs like Da Nang for LCP finals.

Vietnam’s esports fuses youth, infrastructure, and grit—from i-cafes to academies—positioning VCS as a launchpad for world domination.