by Kerrie Hui, Reporter

Team Immunity is Australia’s premier eSports team. In particular, their League of Legends team consisting of Swip3rr (Brandon Holland), Elysia (Ross Jones), Heavenz (Patrick Chan), raydere (Derek Trang) and Rosev (Andrew Rose) is well known in the Oceania as THE team to represent the region at Gamescom in Cologne, Germany.

The team were crowned the League of Legends Oceania champions at PAX Australia 2013 back in July, beating close to 700 teams to claim the top spot. ComicsOnline caught up with their AD Carry player, Derek Trang for a chat.

1. Congratulations on your win at PAX Australia, how does it feel to secure the title as League of Legends Season 3 Oceanic Champions with only one loss in the tournament?

The feeling of victory is one that is not easily replaceable and is thus always cherished when it comes. Furthermore, as this is the biggest tournament that has ever come to Australia and with the amount of practice that has lead up to it, securing our win at PAX Australia has given our team an enormous sense of accomplishment as well as determination as we move forward to our next obstacle at Gamescom in Cologne.

2. We can see the rise in people calling themselves a gamer, but what does it mean to be a professional gamer?

To be called a professional gamer, one must look past the game as merely a hobby and take a step further. For most of us, this involves competition and ultimately, aiming for victory in tournaments such as PAX Australia.

3. How did you guys become a team, how much do you guys play with or against each other, and name one pet peeve you have of your teammates.

The team was originally formed back in 2009 as a bunch of ordinary online gamers seeking to create the best possible team to compete in online competitions. As time passed however, members eventually left and ultimately, I was recruited into it towards the end of 2011.

We play with and against each other still quite regularly on a daily basis, especially with the recent release of the new servers.

A pet peeve that I have of my teammates is our somewhat, lack of ability to take games as seriously as we should against underdog teams.

4. Winning at PAX Australia also means Team Immunity qualifies to play at GAMESCOM in Germany next month, how have you guys been preparing?

Whilst many believe special preparation is required for big events such as these, we believe that simple dedication and hardwork will be the best form of preparation. Simply practicing and studying the gameplay of other teams as well as our own will create the biggest chance for us to achieve victory at Gamescom.

5. With only the recent release of Oceanic LoL servers, in2lol.com have named you guys as the underdogs for the Gamescom tournament. How does it feel to be representing such a huge region?

Representing such a great region has brought a lot of pressure on our shoulders. Although we have been named the underdogs, this is our first opportunity to travel overseas and compete against other international teams. Whilst we have competed against other international teams before, it has always been on 200+ ping but since the field has finally been levelled, it will be great to be able to compete to our fullest potential.

6. Obviously Team Immunity will do their best to put Oceania on the E-sports map, which tournament/ where do you guys want to play the most?

The ultimate goal for all teams, is to be the best in the world albeit extremely difficult and more often than not, unrealistic. However, being known as the best Australian team for the past three years, we feel that we are ready and are determined to play at the world championships in Los Angelos.

7. What tips do you have for any players who want to get into competitive gaming?

Competitive gaming is a harsh environment, where players will rarely be cut any slack. If a player falls off in terms of skill and gameplay, they are often quickly replaced by others that are eager to join their spot. The most important tip I would give to new players, is to set your short term goals realistically. All too often I see players who expect to make it big immediately within the scene but often fall short and end up quitting completely. It takes patience to climb the ladder if you wish to reach the top.

8. If you could play any other game competitively, what would it be?

Although I have only ever played League of Legends competitively, I would maybe try my hand at a First Person Shooter, such as Call of Duty 6.

The team is now through to the Finals Bracket of the League of Legends International Wildcard Tournament, They solidly put Australia and Oceania on the map, making it to the semi-finals in tournament.

Follow the team on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/TeamImmunity

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Images courtesy of TeamImmunity.