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(Homeland) - With a commitment to foster domestic esports, Vikings Gaming has relentlessly evolved over the past 10 years to become a leading chain of gaming centers.
Enduring two challenging years and what seemed like imminent closure, Vikings Gaming persevered. The year 2022 marked a powerful comeback for the Vikings brand with the emergence of a series of cyber cafes in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
Pioneering the Cybercafe Model
Rewinding to 2012, it was the golden age of online gaming in Vietnam. 'Grass' internet cafes sprouted everywhere to cater to the gaming needs of early-generation gamers. The concept of 'internet cafes' became synonymous with cramped spaces, cramming a large number of low-spec PCs to optimize costs. The standards for gamers then were simply having a computer to play, a plastic chair to sit on, and a bowl of instant noodles for a late-night gaming session.
With the desire to enhance gamers' experiences and standards, Vikings Gaming decided to take a bold yet daring direction by introducing the cybercafe model to Vietnam - a very vague concept for the market in 2012.
Vikings unveils its first establishment on Nguyen Tuân street, Hanoi, with a slew of upgrades that redefine the previous notion of internet cafes: high-spec machines, spacious interiors, a diverse menu with professional bartenders and chefs...
Setting the standard for cybercafes, Vikings Nguyen Tuân becomes the ideal environment for Vietnam's esports talents to thrive. The inaugural League of Legends team from Hanoi, Full Louis, featuring the prodigy SofM, was sponsored by Vikings throughout their professional activities and competitions. Now, SofM stands as a proud symbol of Vietnamese esports.
In August 2015, Vikings launched its second branch at A6A Thành Công. With 150 high-end computers featuring Coffeelake chips, 144hz monitors, and mechanical keyboards, Vikings Thành Công was acclaimed by the gaming community as the most beautiful and top-notch cybercafe in Hanoi in 2015.
Strong Development Guided by the Motto 'You Play - We Care'
Entering 2016, esports flourished in Vietnam, becoming a prevailing entertainment trend of the era. Seizing the market opportunity, Vikings introduced its third branch at 195 Khâm Thiên, named Vikings FPS Stadium. Vikings Khâm Thiên continued to set a new benchmark for cybercafes by deploying national standard VGA 1060s and 144hz BenQ XL2411 monitors across all 250 PCs.
With the slogan 'You Play - We Care', Vikings always strives to deliver the best gaming services to its customers. Customers just need to play games, let Vikings take care of the rest. The excellent service quality has turned Vikings' third branch into a familiar venue for major esports events both domestically and regionally.
Vikings Khâm Thiên is also the birthplace of 500bros. The early brethren Jiken, Kajima, Bomman, Ben10, TungTT, hantk, Tungkan, Nora, Tuấn Anh... of Vikings Khâm Thiên have now joined forces to elevate 500bros to new heights- a leading media production company and esports tournament organizer in Vietnam, with multiple generations of casters, renowned streamers, and talented young talents like: Bộ Bim, TheAnh96, MC Thảo Trang, MC Linh Nắng, Captain Hoag, Caster Huy Lova, Caster Lynx, Hana, Hữu Nghĩa, Leopard, Tomy, Miên Trinh...
In 2018, Vikings inaugurated its fourth branch named Vikings Esports Arena Hà Đông. In this launch, Vikings continued to excite the gaming community by being the first cybercafe in Vietnam located within a large commercial center. With 300 high-end computers featuring 144hz monitors and 10 PS4 Pros, a 300m2 event hall with an LED screen - Vikings Hà Đông has satisfied even the most discerning gamers.
Building on its success, in two consecutive years, Vikings opened two more new branches: Vikings Esports Arena Thành Thái (2019) and Vikings Esports Arena Hoàng Hoa Thám (2020). With these two new locations, Vikings equipped screens up to 240hz to best meet the needs of gamers aspiring for professionalism. The motto 'You Play - We Care' is the guiding spirit across all 6 locations of the Viking team.
Low Point in 2 Years and Strong Comeback in 2022
During the period 2020 - 2021, there were many objective reasons negatively affecting the business situation of enterprises, and Vikings was no exception. The necessity to close for 2 consecutive years to comply with state regulations and protect community health posed many challenges for Vikings. Vikings had to make the tough decision to close 5 out of 6 branches, leaving a deep regret among the gaming community. Vikings had become their second home, where they cherished vibrant youth memories, dedicating themselves to the passion of esports.
In 2022, as the difficult pandemic period passed, Vikings now has only 1 remaining branch, Vikings Hoàng Hoa Thám, determined to rebuild its cyber empire. Leading the comeback, Vikings Đoàn Trần Nghiệp was inaugurated in August 2022. The 7th branch of Vikings made an impression as the first cybercafe to own 100% screens with 240hz or higher and VGA 3060 graphics cards in all gaming areas. Vikings' return received a warm welcome and support from the gaming community.
Entering a new phase of development, Vikings decides to change its slogan from 'You Play - We Care' to 'Champions Begin' to better align with its future direction. Not content with just improving service quality, Vikings aims to become the cradle, the origin of future esports champions in Vietnam.
This November, Vikings will launch its first branch in Ho Chi Minh City. Especially in this expansion, Vikings is accompanied by two outstanding figures in the Vietnamese esports scene, Bomman and SofM, as shareholders. The 9th branch of Vikings located at 512 Xô Viết Nghệ Tĩnh, Bình Thạnh District promises to bring a breath of fresh air to the gaming community in the southern region.
It is known that the branch at Xô Viết Nghệ Tĩnh is just the beginning of a long-term development plan for Vikings. Over the next 5 years from 2023, Vikings Vietnam Joint Stock Company will develop with the goal of business expansion, management, and franchising of over 100 Esports Centers nationwide. Additionally, Vikings Technology Co., Ltd. will distribute products serving esports, starting with premium gaming gear brands from Germany endgamegear.com, endgamegear.vn
Throughout its 10-year journey of building and development, the Vikings brand has, is, and will continue to be a fantastic playground for young esports enthusiasts. Readers can learn more about Vikings Gaming at:
Fanpage: https://www.facebook.com/Vikings.Gaming
Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/vikingsgc
Join us on Discord: https://discord.io/vikingsgaming
