A trip to Korea Blockchain Week with Team Liquid and Sui

As an org that prides ourselves on directly interfacing with fans, we’re constantly hustling around the world to create tactile experiences for people looking to engage with esports in new ways. That’s why we recently flew to Seoul for Korea Blockchain Week (KBW) to do just that, and to give the web3 community a taste of what Team Liquid is all about — by letting them game to their heart’s content at the Sui booth, all while the LCS trophy sat in the background.

This was our second time attending KBW with Sui after our first time out last year. This time, we both wanted it to be even bigger: more games, more panels, more esports. A record number of over 28,000 web3 enthusiasts and companies attended KBW, and many were curious about all the games at the Sui booth, which was right in the middle of the action. 

“There were a lot of people from many different backgrounds learning about how blockchain technology is evolving and how Sui games are part of that evolution,” said James Almazan, our Senior Marketing Manager. “Even though people were there for many different reasons, including robotics, they were very interested in seeing how video games can have blockchain integration. We saw a lot of people at the Super-B and XOCIETY demo stations trying out the games and invested in learning when the games were coming out.”

Seriously, we had to compete with robot dogs doing backflips, robots pouring coffee, robots falling over… you name it, robots were out there doing it. So it wasn’t an easy task, but we came prepared. Not only did we have Sui’s collection of games (from the competitive extraction shooter intensity of XOCIETY, to the fun, multiplayer chaos of Super-B, to the real-time skilled sword combat of Samurai Shodown R), but we also had content creators FRTTT and Karagii there, ready to test their skills. And, of course, if all else failed, there was the LCS trophy.

Sui booth and beyond

Sui’s booth at KBW allowed attendees to get a hands-on look at how gaming fits into the world of blockchain as tech and gaming keeps innovating. There were tons of opportunities to play the various games, with the Super-B and XOCIETY demo stations getting a ton of play. 

In true Team Liquid fashion, we also left the booth to spread some gaming culture to the rest of the convention. One of the highlights was when FRTTT and Karagii took to the floor to have attendees vote on their favorite XOCIETY avatars, which showed off the fun personalization of the game and a bit of our Blue-approved wholesome competitiveness. 

Just to note: FRTTT’s avatar did win in the end. Sorry, Karagii. 

“Having our talent at the Sui booth was fun for people stopping by, allowing them to see how Team Liquid is promoting Sui’s upcoming games while also getting direct feedback from the floor,“ Almazan said. “We’re very excited to show people all the fun videos that we made  and all the reactions from the people demoing the Sui games.” 

Ready. Sui. Play! event brings the action

Just like an esports event, there’s more going on than whatever is on the main stage. Sui had a side event: Ready. Sui. Play! at a PC bang in Gangnam, featuring a 3v3 XOCIETY show match between our talent and former Overwatch League pro players. 

This showcased the more competitive side of games like XOCIETY, highlighting how blockchain could be integrated into esports and other gaming communities while also just being fun to watch. We’re still Team Liquid, after all, and we thrive on competition! Even though our talent ended up losing the match. But that’s okay, because sometimes, having fun is what matters.

“The talent had a lot of fun and had great things to say about the game,” Almazan said. “They are very excited to play the full release once the game is out.” 

In a panel following the action, Karagii expressed her love for XOCIETY’s visuals. It’s a bold, colorful, and attractive game that brings a more vibrant vibe to the extraction and survival genre. 

“Thank you Sui for sending me out to Korea to experience Korea Blockchain Week - getting to play XOCIETY was super fun, especially playing in the 3v3 show match with the Overwatch players,” Karagii said. “Being in Korea, renowned for its gaming scene and PC bangs, it was amazing to experience the culture and the gaming hand-in-hand.” 

Aside from XOCIETY, we also had demos for Super-B, a more casual party game that Karagii also enjoyed, plus Warped Universe, Samurai Shodown R, Striker League, Pebble City, and Brave Frontier Versus. It really showed how versatile games built on Sui’s blockchain can be; there was truly something for everyone. 

“Throughout the whole event, there were people trying out all the games, giving direct feedback to the developers in attendance, and just having a good time!” Almazan recalled. “We’re also very excited to show our upcoming videos featuring developer interviews on upcoming Sui games - and a recap of the show match that our talent competed in.” 

See y’all next time

Korea Blockchain Week gets bigger and bigger every time, with more attendees and opportunities year after year. We had an amazing time with everyone who attended both the booth and the PC bang event to try out upcoming games built on Sui’s tech.

“Being in Seoul for Korea Blockchain Week and being able to participate in the Ready. Sui. Play! event was amazing,” said FRTTT. “I want to thank Sui for giving me the opportunity to experience these events and for letting me share my thoughts on XOCIETY after the 3v3 show match!”

We’re excited to see all of our fans in South Korea again soon, and next time, we’ll definitely have even bigger things in store. Maybe we can even bring our trusty mascot along — I think Blue would be a fan of every game there.