A Valorant team had to cram eight players into a single tuk-tuk after an event organizer allegedly left them stranded after a match.
Organizing an esports LAN event is not as easy as it may seem. From optimal PC setups, good internet connection for players and streams, ample spectator spaces, and the usual accouterments for pro teams like food and accommodation, there’s a great deal to factor in.
However, a mostly overlooked part is transportation. Most teams will have at least 8-10 members coming to the event’s location, which includes players, coaching staff, and management. Some teams are even larger, and transporting that number can be surprisingly hard.
A breakdown in transportation for teams happened on June 8 after an upper bracket match at the VCL South Asia Split 2 between Orangutan and Aster Army. This miscommunication saw both teams stranded after the event organizers, Nodwin Gaming, allegedly failed to arrange to send them home.
🇮🇳 Orangutan and Aster Army found themselves stranded on the street for several hours after the upper final match of VCL South Asia Split 2, with no available mode of transportation.With eight people on board, OG had to hop on a tuk-tuk to make their way back. https://t.co/R07mEk9QjT
— VALO2ASIA (@VALO2ASIA) June 9, 2023
The Brand Manager for Orangutan, Palak Jain, tweeted a picture of the team on a roadside at the event, asking organizers to “please send a bus Nodwin Gaming.”
She eventually got a reply from Aster Army’s coach, Vandelak, that they too were left stranded by Nodwin Gaming. This resulted in the teams having to resort to some unusual methods to get back home.
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Aster Army’s Vandelak would eventually reply to the tweet again, this time a video of him hitching a ride on a tractor after the match.
Orangutan had to cram eight of their players into a single tuk-tuk just to get back home, with a video from Orangutan player azys showing the team cramped into one tuk-tuk in the dark of night.
8 people in 1 tuktuk 🤣 pic.twitter.com/8V8XqxTNop
— Azis Nandang (@azyshaha) June 8, 2023
Orangutan’s Creative Director Pravnav Nambiar would eventually tweet out a clearer short video of the players piling on top of themselves in the tuk-tuk.
The VCL South Asia is still ongoing, with the lower finals being played to determine who will play against each other in the grand finals, of which will determine the team that will represent the region in the VCT Pacific Ascension.
