Making waves on the global stage may seem like a far-fetched dream for many Singaporeans. The glitz and glamour of worldwide fame can seem so out of grasp from our humble Little Red Dot.
However, the beauty of a good idea is that it can come to anyone, anywhere, and at any time – and good ideas can eventually grow into a successful brand that does the Lion City proud. One such brand is Secretlab.
Ever since their launch in 2014, they’ve become synonymous with quality gaming chairs endorsed by the world’s top esports players.
This year, they’re continuing to fly Singapore’s flag high by once again being the Official Chair Partner of Dota 2’s The International (TI).
A huge part in their journey to becoming number one is Secretlab’s affiliation with esports, particularly at the highest levels of competition.
These include Dota 2’s The International and its Majors throughout the tournament season, the League of Legends World Championship, Mid-Season Invitational and regional leagues, the VALORANT Champions Tour, CS:GO Antwerp Major, and the Mobile Legends World Championship.
As with all their premier tournaments, the best of the best duke it out on stage while sitting comfortably on their Secretlab thrones.
For example, TI 2022’s newest champion was decided sitting on Secretlab chairs.
The Dota 2 flagship tournament, which had a staggering S$22 million prize pool, reached a resounding conclusion on 30 Oct at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
A first for Southeast Asia, TI was held across three weeks in October, from group stages to the Grand Finals weekend.
It was also the biggest esports event to be hosted in Singapore to date, making it all the more special for Secretlab to be supporting the tournament on homeground.
Minister of State Low Yen Ling, who was also present, gave a shoutout to the brand for “flying the Singapore flag high”.
According to Esports Charts, over 1.7 million people tuned in to watch Tundra Esports lift the Aegis.
With over 67 million hours watched across the duration of the tournament, viewers would definitely have noticed the Secretlab chairs featured prominently at every juncture.
Having its time in the spotlight during the event, the Secretlab brand has ingrained itself into gaming history and the minds of many gamers dreaming of reaching the pinnacle of esports excellence.
As the fabled tournament took place in Singapore, top Dota 2 pros also visited the brand new Secretlab HQ in Braddell.
One team was North America’s Evil Geniuses, who were there during their press junket before their run at TI.
Fan favourite Artour “Arteezy” Babaev revealed that playing games at such a high intensity can be both physically and mentally exhausting.
However, they’ve all got to “keep pushing forward” and “get through it”.
According to Tal “Fly” Aizik, TI preparations often involve practice sessions that last 10 to 12 hours, which they can endure thanks to Secretlab’s comfortable chairs.
“We’ve been seated all the time,” he said. “We’re scrimming and practising pretty much every day, all day. So I think having a proper chair for our training has been a really crucial part.”
Secretlab’s HQ also doubled up as esports organisation OG’s hub in Singapore where they held fan watch parties and hosted their Monkey Business podcast.
As games can run for hours and often involve split-second decisions, teams are looking for every competitive edge they can get. And that includes getting as comfortable as possible.
So, as far as gold standards are concerned, gamers worldwide will pick Singapore’s very own Secretlab for its world-class ergonomic design, leaving no chance for even the slightest distraction due to discomfort.
Gaming companies agree too. In a joint press release on partnering with Secretlab, Valve Corporation’s Kaci Aitchison Boyle said, “Our goal is to equip our players with the best gear on stage, and Secretlab definitely checks the box when it comes to the best gaming chairs.”
To get a better grasp of Secretlab’s role in the global scene, we need only look back at some of the largest esports events from recent years.
Born during a time of global lockdowns, the rise of Riot Games’ VALORANT in the first-person shooter genre is nothing short of meteoric.
Since it went live in July 2020, over 22 million players have logged into the game every month.
With its immense popularity, it was only a matter of time before the game developed a competitive scene.
The latest VALORANT Champions 2022 tournament pulled in over 1.5 million viewers at its peak, with over 60 million hours of gameplay watched throughout.
As a founding partner of Valorant’s esports scene, Secretlab was the chair of choice throughout the tournament, with the plush seats used by everyone from analysts to players.
For every headshot and clutch, these aiming demons were clicking heads expertly from the comfort of their Secretlab chairs.
On the topic of premier tournaments, some would argue that it doesn’t get any bigger than the League of Legends’ World Championship.
Esports Charts notes that the tournament pulled in a whopping 5.15 million viewers at its peak during the Grand Final between T1 and DRX.
In total, Worlds 2022 amassed over 141 million hours watched across all platforms. And the Secretlab chair featured quite prominently in most shots of the players.
Aside from becoming the top choice for esports heavyweights, Secretlab has also found success in bridging the gap between hardcore gamers and regular computer users.
Collaborating with well-known brands such as Lamborghini, Ubisoft, Pokémon, and HBO, their special edition chairs let members of these fandoms find familiarity in Secretlab.
Secretlab’s chairs have also caught the attention of internationally renowned celebrities like Canadian DJ Deadmau5, who has given them his stamp of approval.
Despite their undeniable success and a long list of achievements, Secretlab is still always working hard on their next product and collaboration, so we think fans can expect many more exciting launches from them.
You can check out Secretlab’s products here and their full list of global partnerships here. To stay on top of your game and all the latest updates, do follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
Helping to put Singapore on the world map is a feat that usually seems reserved for athletes and, more recently, our hawker food.
So, to have a product from our sunny little island become the best in its class is pretty darn impressive, to say the least.
It’s an extraordinary feat and solid proof that a Singaporean idea can transcend borders and make it big on a global scale.
So, for every entrepreneur still on the fence, let this motivate you to keep working hard towards becoming the Next Big Thing.
This post was brought to you in collaboration with Secretlab.
Featured image courtesy of Secretlab on Facebook and Dota 2 on Facebook.
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