In Brief
- John Fitzgerald “Oxtraxex” Poculan won the first Vibes Asian Championship, defeating fellow 8888 guild member Asamax in Manila.
- Seventy seven players competed for a 20,000 dollar prize pool, with Oxtraxex taking home 4,000 dollars.
- The top eight players earned invitations to the 2025 Vibes World Championship in Portland.
The two day Vibes Asian Championship concluded at the YGG Play Summit in Manila with John Fitzgerald “Oxtraxex” Poculan claiming the title after defeating guildmate Jerald Jay “Asamax” Pamiloza in a closely contested final. The event, featuring 77 competitors from across Asia, marked the first Asian championship for Vibes, the trading card game created by Orange Cap Games and based on the Pudgy Penguins IP.
Tournament Highlights
Asamax entered the final with ten straight wins but was ultimately outplayed by Oxtraxex, who countered his deck and secured a decisive victory. The final match was cast live by YGG Esports player Feno and Orange Cap Games co founder Elliot Kahn.
For Oxtraxex, the win came during his first in person competitive TCG experience after traveling from Zamboanga Sibugay. Although he had never played the physical version of Vibes before, he had been an active online player since Season 0 launched in December 2024.
The field included experienced players from the Philippines and the wider region. Hearthstone professionals CaraCute and Staz reached the top eight and had also competed in Ubisoft’s first Might & Magic: Fates tournament held during the Summit. Other top eight players included Magic: The Gathering competitors Eton Delmoro, Moises Ong and Cholo Pascual.
Format and Prize Distribution
The competition used a Swiss+1 format and allowed up to twelve proxies to ensure balanced deck power. After the first day, the top eight advanced into a single elimination bracket.
The prize pool covered placements from first to thirty second:
- First place: 4,000 dollars
- Second place: 2,000 dollars
- Third to fourth place: 1,400 dollars
- Fifth to eighth place: 800 dollars
- Ninth to sixteenth place: 500 dollars
- Seventeenth to thirty second place: 250 dollars
The tournament was officiated by Magic: The Gathering Premier Judge Sashi Balakrishnan of Malaysia.
About Vibes
Vibes is a trading card game where players assemble “huddles” using penguin characters, action cards and relics. It is built for accessibility while offering strategic depth for players familiar with titles such as Magic: The Gathering, Disney Lorcana and One Piece.
Orange Cap Games presented Oxtraxex as the champion and confirmed that all top eight finishers will compete at the 2025 Vibes World Championship, scheduled for January 23 to 26 at SCG CON Portland.
Industry Presence at YGG Play Summit
Elliot Kahn noted the overwhelming support from the Manila community, describing the reception as “insane” for a game that began with a small first print run of only fifteen thousand boxes. He praised YGG for making the tournament possible.
The Summit also hosted two additional esports events. Former Hearthstone professional Viper won the 100,000 dollar YGG Parallel Showdown, while YGG Esports player Tyler secured victory in the debut tournament for Ubisoft’s Might & Magic: Fates.
Beyond competitions, the event featured industry leaders discussing the future of Web3 and gaming. Speakers included Sky Mavis‘ Jihoz, OpenSea’s Oliver Maroney, Pixels‘ Luke Barwikowski and Gunzilla Games’ Theodore Agranat.
