GAM Esports

Origins and Early Struggles

The organization's roots trace back to May 2014, when sponsors Tt Esports and Boba Net began supporting Team Miracle. The team was renamed the Boba Marines five months later. Their early competitive journey was challenging. In the 2014 VCS Summer Split, playing as Tt Miracle Boba, they finished eighth with a 3-4 record, narrowly avoiding relegation after recruiting former Saigon Jokers support Junie.

The 2015 season saw the return of former Saigon Jokers players Archie, GoNy, and QTV to the newly named Boba Marines roster. The team failed to qualify for the spring split of the Garena Pro League but did qualify for the summer split after finishing third in the VCS Spring Split. During the mid-season, the Marines replaced their mid laner Navy with Optimus from Saigon Fantastic Five. Despite showing improvement and winning the 2015 VCS Summer Split, the Marines were unable to win the 2015 GPL Summer Split.

In 2016, the Marines finished third in the VCS Spring Split and fourth in the Summer Split. The GPL also changed its qualification guidelines so that only champions of regional Southeast Asian tournaments could participate, meaning the Marines were locked out of GPL 2016 entirely.

The 2017 Roster Rebuild and International Breakthrough

Before the 2017 season, the Marines' management made a major decision to release their entire roster except for Optimus and Archie. They built a new lineup around star players Ren, Levi, Slay, and Sergh, with Tinikun joining as head coach. The team received new sponsors, Gigabyte Technology and Adonis Icyber Gaming, and renamed to Marine Esports, often competing as the GIGABYTE Marines.

This new squad achieved immediate and unprecedented success. They won the 2017 MDCS Spring Split and the 2017 GPL Spring Split without losing a single game. This flawless run qualified them for the 2017 Mid-Season Invitational, marking their arrival on the world stage.

At MSI 2017, the Marines finished the first round of the play-in group stage with a 5–1 record, only losing to Virtus.pro. In the second round, they won the first two games of a best-of-five against Team SoloMid before being reverse swept and losing 2–3. In the third and last qualifying round, the Marines beat SuperMassive eSports 3–1 to secure a spot in the main event. At the main event, they finished last in sixth place with a 3–7 record. Despite their placement, their performance secured Vietnam a guaranteed group stage seed at the 2017 World Championships and an additional spot in the GPL.

The 2017 World Championship and Roster Dispersal

The Marines were placed in Group B at the 2017 World Championships. They initially tied for second with Fnatic and Immortals, but held the highest seed for tiebreaker matches due to having the shortest combined victory time. However, the Marines lost their tiebreaker match to Fnatic and did not advance to the knockout stage.

Shortly after the tournament, the roster began to break apart. Slay and Stark both announced they would be leaving the team. Optimus left the team on 16 October 2017. Star jungler Levi joined the American academy team 100 Thieves on 26 December 2017.

Rebranding to GAM and the Return of Levi

On 14 June 2018, the team officially renamed to GAM Esports due to sponsorship changes. In the 2018 VCS Spring Split, they finished third in the group stage, then defeated Young Generation and UTM Esports in the playoffs before narrowly losing 2-3 to EVOS Esports in the finals. GAM then placed fifth in the 2018 VCS Summer Split.

In spring 2019, GAM missed out on playoffs, finishing fifth. Levi rejoined the team from JD Gaming on 14 May 2019 for the summer season. The team ended the summer group stage in first place with an 11–3 record. In the playoffs, they swept Lowkey Esports 3–0 and then beat Team Flash 3-0 in the grand finals to win the 2019 VCS Summer Split and qualify for the World Championship.

At the 2019 World Championship, GAM was placed in group B alongside FunPlus Phoenix, J Team, and Splyce. They finished last in their group with 1 win and 5 losses.

Domestic Dominance and the Pandemic Setback

GAM Esports went through roster changes in 2020, signing Dia1, Easylove, and Palette while releasing Zeros and Zin. The team placed first in the 2020 VCS Spring regular season with 13 wins and 1 loss, but placed second in playoffs after a 2-3 loss against Team Flash.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Riot Games organized the 2020 Mid-Season Showdown featuring the top teams from the PCS and VCS to replace the Mid-Season Invitational. GAM Esports finished fourth, securing a single win against Team Flash.

In summer 2020, GAM Esports again finished first in the regular season with 12 wins and 2 losses. During playoffs, GAM lost against Team Flash twice to place second in the event. Despite securing a spot at the 2020 World Championship, GAM Esports and Team Flash could not attend the event due to pandemic-related travel restrictions. It was later announced that both teams would still receive 2.1 percent of the prize pool.

Organization and Competitive Standing

GAM Esports operates beyond League of Legends, fielding a team in Arena of Valor that competes in Vietnam's top Arena of Glory league. However, its primary identity is built on its League of Legends team's journey from a sponsored squad to the most successful organization in the history of the Vietnam Championship Series.

The team's 2017 MSI run is a landmark moment for Vietnamese esports. By securing a direct seed to the World Championship group stage for their region, the GIGABYTE Marines changed the competitive standing of Vietnam on the international League of Legends map. Their aggressive, fast-paced playstyle made them a fan favorite. As a partnered team in the new League of Legends Championship Pacific, GAM Esports continues to represent the highest level of Vietnamese competitive League of Legends.