Free Fire SEA Invitational winners eArena barely knew one another at the start

Despite being a team of almost strangers at the start, the winners of the Free Fire SEA Invitational 2023 (FFSI) managed to bond together to take the crown and the top prize of US$100,000.

Thai squad eAreana started when their coach, Kasemkan "JARVIS" Pongam picked players from other teams and invited them to try out.

"We were brought together as a team through our coach. I was friends with PROTETAE before, but as for the others, they came from various teams. Forming the team was not difficult though, because we easily bonded and we really enjoy playing together," said Tanarat "ORGUS" Yanin

But getting there was not easy, according to JARVIS. The squad trained multiple times a week, with both individual and team sessions. And the hard work paid off, with the squad finishing fifth in the group stages, before pulling it around to win the Grand Final.

"We believed in the capability of our team and all the hours of training we put in. From the performance on the first day of the Grand Final round, it was when we realised we actually have a chance to win the championship," said JARVIS.

But it wasn't an easy journey, as eArena still had to wait on the team's final rank, as they weren't sure they had enough to win and had to sit and wait for the outcome of the final game, before they knew they were winners.

"On the first day, we played at our best and gave it our all. The final day, with the intense competition and the pressure to score points, was the most thrilling experience," said ORGUS.

Having snatched the crown from two-time winner EVOS Phoenix, it remains to be seen if eArena will hold onto it at the next Free Fire World Series 2023 taking place in November. But coach JARVIS remains positive.

"We all had dreams of becoming championship-winning competitors, butI’ll admit it was definitely no easy feat. Very few individuals get to experience holding a championship trophy in your hands. However, I believe that we all share the same goal—to strive for victory, conquer challenges, and aim for future triumphs and rewards."

Aloysius Low is an ex-CNET editor with more than 15 years of experience. He's really into cats and is currently reviewing products at canbuyornot.com

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