Red Bull Product of Europe unveiled Against the Odds, a new documentary that captures one of the most exciting moments in esports history, Red Bull OG’s monumental victory at The International 2018 (TI8).
In an exclusive screening held at Sunway University and attended by members of the media as well as the fans of Red Bull OG, the feature length film follows the inspirational story of Red Bull OG, an unlikely group of gamers who became legends by winning the biggest prize in esports at TI8. The film acts as a precursor to The International 2019 (TI9) where Red Bull OG will be defending their crown.
Against the Odds follows the journey of five players and a coach, who defied all odds and made esports history. The film offers a unique insight into the experiences of Johan “N0tail” Sundstein, Sébastien “Ceb” Debs, Jesse “JerAx” Vainikka, Anathan “ana” Pham, Topias “Topson” Taavitsainen and coach Cristian “ppasarel” Banasean as they battled their way to be crowned the best Dota 2 team in the world.
While the team is already a household name before TI8, there was a huge roster shakeup which saw three members, including its team captain and co-founder, leaving. As a result, they lost their direct invitation to TI8. Red Bull OG was ranked 14th in Pro Circuit points coming into the tournament and few expected them to go far let alone winning the whole tournament. What entails was an underdog run where they prevailed and took home a cool $12 million.
The story is now chronicled in the documentary, Against The Odds, produced by the Emmy Award winning Red Bull Media House.
“Red Bull OG’s road to TI8 is one that goes beyond competitive gaming and tells a Cinderella story that has universal appeal. What people don’t realise is that this sport requires 100 percent focus, and at the top level, every margin of error counts. It’s intense and takes a toil in the mind. Shadowing and getting to know these players and their individual trials and narratives was utterly fascinating,” said Joseantonio Danner, Director of Against the Odds.
“The members of Red Bull OG team are a fascinating and relatable bunch, which explains their devoted fan base, and our hope is that all Malaysians, not just esports athletes will be inspired by the documentary and to dare to dream big. Against the Odds lifts the curtain on the dedication and drama behind the scenes of the biggest tournament in esports and offers a unique insight into one of the most riveting journeys esports has ever seen.”
Malaysia was chosen for the official screening location as the entire Red Bull OG team are bootcamping in Malaysia in anticipation of their title defense at TI9, August 20-25.
Speaking about their bootcamping location of choice, Sundstein remarks,
“We’re really impressed with the talents that you guys have here in Malaysia. The infrastructure and the talent at the grassroot level are all in place to ensure that Malaysia will be next esports regional powerhouse. Malaysia has a proven track record of hosting big esports events and you have a forward thinking government that has thrown its support for the industry which is fantastic. We’re positive Malaysia is fast becoming a major force in the eSports arena.”
This serves as a sort of affirmation towards Malaysians e-Sports initiatives, and that’s pretty cool.
