After a strong year under the banner of JAM Gaming, the ANZ powerhouse is looking to go bigger in 2017.
They've made a name for themselves with strong performances not only in Australia and New Zealand, but also in events throughout the Asia-Pacific region. The captain of the team Rqt announced that although the roster will remain the same, they will not be looking to renew their contract with JAM Gaming.
In the announcment, Rqt states that the departure came on good terms and that roster that will be playing under the name 'Fusion Girls' as they look for new opportunites. He also lists the team's recent achievements, events held all throughout the APAC region, showing their appeal to potentially interested organisations.
I had the chance to talk with Rqt about the move, and about their plans for the future:
Q. You mentioned that it was an "amicable departure" from JAM, so was it just a matter of the contract running its course and you not looking to renew?
Rqt: With the success our team has had over the past four months we simply decided not to renew the contract, instead we're looking for new opportunities to become a serious international level team. Hopefully someone(s) out there shares that sentiment.
Was this a unanimous team decision to not continue with JAM Gaming?
Yes, everyone on this team shares the same goal and we all agreed this was a necessary step towards our goal.
Do you and your team have plans set right now for how to push yourself into being an international level team? Considering the size and strength of the ANZ region, could a potential relocation be on the cards?
Yes, despite being the best team in the APAC region. We're approaching both Western and Eastern organizations and relocation is something everyone has agreed would be best for the team.
How has the search been so far? have you found many parties interested so far?
We're in ongoing talks with some of the top organizations in Australia however over the coming week we are going to be contacting International organizations as well.
You've mentioned your recent successes as a team, but is there something you would like to add to that? Something that you can really use as a selling point?
Over the past 3 months we have won every tournament we have entered both locally and in various APAC events. And over the past month we have also exclusively practiced against professional Taiwanese, Chinese, and Korean teams(including OGN teams), to good success. So it's safe to say that we've had good results against sponsored teams in the region and it would be nice if that could be recognized going forward.
Outside a rather unfortunate experience at the BlizzCon Overwatch World Cup, Australia and New Zealand hasn't had much representation on the international stage. This group of players, led by Rqt, are looking to change that. They've had a great year with JAM Gaming, but realise that if they want to go further and make a splash in bigger events, they'll need a to take a leap of faith, one they are all committed to taking.
It is going to be interesting to see how their search for a new organisation goes, and with the roster sticking together for the long haul, whether or not they can reach their goal of becoming an serious threat on the international stage.
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